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Last Updated: July 30, 2025
Every LLC needs a business checking account. Not only does a business account help you manage cash flow, but it also helps you keep your business funds separate from the money in your personal savings account. That separation of personal accounts and business accounts is absolutely essential to maintain your LLC’s personal asset protection.
But how do you decide which bank is the best for a small business checking account? Which one has the lowest transaction fees or monthly service fees? What is the overdraft protection like? How about local branch presence or the ability to make electronic deposits? Opening an account comes with a lot of questions. Plus, there are currently over 4,000 FDIC-insured banks in the United States, which can make it really difficult to decide which business account is right for your checking needs.
But don’t worry: we’ve done the research for you to help determine the seven best business checking accounts for an LLC. While only you can decide which bank account is the #1 best fit — after all, only you know what your financial priorities are — we can help narrow down your options with these picks.
What’s better than an online banking solution with low fees and no minimum balance? A bank account that helps keep your business moving forward by making it easy to track your expenses (no separate accounting software needed). A ZenBusiness business banking account lets you categorize your expenses and write-offs as you go, helping save you time and money during tax season.
ZenBusiness Banking doesn’t require a minimum opening balance, and you don’t have to maintain a minimum daily balance, either. After that, it’s an easy $5 monthly fee.
ZenBusiness will also provide you with two business debit cards for free: one physical card to use for in-person purchases and a digital one to use for e-commerce purchases (and easy replacement if something goes wrong with your card). You can easily deposit checks through your mobile device, too.
Like all online banking options, ZenBusiness Banking doesn’t have any physical branch locations, so it’s not a great fit for business owners who prefer retail banking and in-person support.
Pros
Cons
If your LLC is primarily an online business, an online bank like Axos could be a good fit for your needs. The Axos Business Interest Checking account actually provides interest, with a rate currently set at 1.01% APY — a less-common perk for a checking account. This is a tiered variable rate account.
To get started, you’ll need to make a minimum account opening deposit of $100 or more. After that, the monthly account fees are $10, but that can be waived if you maintain a $5,000 balance. The Axos Business Interest Checking account also provides unlimited domestic ATM reimbursements, which is helpful for those situations when you find yourself needing cash. You can also use the financial institution’s online banking app to make up to 60 remote deposits per month free.
If you prefer visiting a local branch to manage transactions or you have a high number of cash transactions, then Axos probably won’t be a good fit; this bank has no physical locations.
If you aren’t sold on an exclusively online banking solution, a PNC business checking account is a small-business-friendly account from a bank with physical locations. While PNC isn’t a truly national bank, they do have nearly 2,200 branches (with plans to add 100 more by 2028). As of this writing, they’re also offering a $400 account opening bonus for qualifying businesses, but that offer is temporary.
New business checking customers need to have a $100 minimum opening balance to open their account. After that, there’s a $12 monthly account maintenance fee. You can have that fee waived in three different ways:
PNC isn’t great for business owners with a large volume of transactions. There’s no charge for up to 150 transactions per month; after that, the fees kick in. That said, PNC does allow you to deposit up to $5,000 in cash each month at no extra cost. Their mobile banking app helps make it easy to manage your business checking account from anywhere, too.
U.S. Bank’s Business Essentials business checking account is a solid option for small business owners who want to use a financial institution with physical locations. Currently, U.S. Bank has over 2,000 locations in 26 states.
The Business Essentials checking account keeps things simple. You’ll need to make a minimum opening deposit of $100, but after that, there are no monthly maintenance fees. As of this writing, U.S. Bank is also offering a $400 welcome bonus (provided you deposit $5,000 in your account in the first 30 days, maintain that balance for 60 days, and make at least five qualifying transactions).
A Business Essentials account offers a free mobile card reader so you can accept credit and debit card transactions; you’ll also get unlimited digital transactions. However, you can only make 25 physical transactions (such as making a business deposit with a bank teller) per month at no cost; extra physical transactions will cost you. This makes it a less-friendly option for business owners who handle a lot of cash or checks at the bank.
If you’d like to keep your business checking account online, Bluevine is a newer mobile banking experience that might be a good fit. This digital-first bank doesn’t offer physical locations, but it is a good option for small business owners who want an affordable account. Bluevine has no minimum opening balance requirement, and there’s no monthly service fee with the Standard plan.
An unusual offering you’ll get with Bluevine is the ability to create sub-accounts: distinct account numbers that you can use to control which accounts your vendors, contractors, and suppliers can bill. This can be helpful for business owners who need to keep their invoices organized into different categories.
Like other digital-focused banks, Bluevine isn’t the best fit for business owners who frequently handle cash transactions or want to visit a physical branch.
If you’re looking to open a business checking account with an established, well-known financial institution, American Express is another viable option. As an American Express (Amex) business customer, you’ll enjoy banking with no monthly service fee; you don’t even need a minimum deposit to join.
American Express also has an intriguing rewards program where you earn one point for every $2 in debit card purchases. You can redeem these rewards for direct deposits into your account or discounts with travel partners and other vendors. Another perk is the 1.3% APY that you can earn on balances up to $500,000 (businesses won’t earn APY on balances higher than that; a business savings account would be a better option).
The biggest downside to American Express is that they don’t have dedicated bank branches. It’s also impossible to deposit cash directly into your account, so it’s not a great option if you handle a lot of cash in your business operations.
Formerly known as TIAA bank, EverBank is another online-only bank. If you’re a single-member LLC or sole proprietor, the small business checking account might be an intriguing option for you; this account is built specifically for sole proprietors and single-member LLCs.
As of this writing, there’s a $1,500 minimum opening deposit to open an account. But once you’ve got their business checking account, you’ll enjoy a $0 maintenance fee. Another plus is that this bank actually offers interest on your balance (currently 0.5% APY). They also offer bill pay solutions, remote deposits, and ATM reimbursements (up to $15 per month) for third-party ATMs.
Like any online banking option, EverBank doesn’t have a physical presence, so it’s not a great fit for LLCs with lots of cash transactions.
Every bank has different requirements for opening a business checking account. You’ll need to check with your chosen bank to know for sure what they require. But here are some of the more common requirements:
Again, these requirements vary. Consult each potential bank to learn their requirements before signing up.
Opening a business bank account is a vital step in the business formation process for any LLC. Without one, you’d have difficulty demonstrating that your personal finances and business assets are truly separate, which could lead to a court piercing your corporate veil and allowing creditors to seize your personal assets if your business ever gets into trouble.
Thankfully, opening a business checking account isn’t too difficult or time-consuming. And this guide has helped you discover some of the best options in business banking, all with reasonable terms for signing up. Some even throw in perks like interest, expense tracking, and more.
Whether you choose one of these accounts or walk over to your local bank branch and open one there, it’s absolutely essential that you open a dedicated business checking account for your LLC to help your business thrive. We hope this article helped you choose the right account for your LLC.
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Yes, opening a business checking account is crucial for helping maintain the legal separation between your personal and business finances. This separation helps protect your personal assets if your business is ever sued or faces debt collection. Without a dedicated business account, a court might rule for “piercing the corporate veil,” which could put your personal savings and assets at risk.
Beyond that protection, a dedicated account is good to have for practical reasons. This account can help simplify expense tracking, cash flow management, and tax preparation.
The best account depends on your business’s needs. For example, ZenBusiness Banking is great for built-in expense tracking with no minimum balance requirements. Other accounts like Bluevine offer sub-accounts and high interest for qualifying users. If you need in-person banking, PNC or U.S. Bank might be better fits. It’s important to compare fees, features, and physical or digital access before deciding.
No. From a legal standpoint, your LLC is a separate entity from you as an individual. Not maintaining a separate account that’s wholly owned by your LLC blurs that legal distinction, potentially voiding your LLC’s liability protections. Keeping your business and personal finances separate helps ensure accurate bookkeeping and demonstrates that your LLC is operating as a distinct legal entity. A dedicated business checking account is the safer and more professional option.
In most cases, yes — banks typically require your LLC’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) when opening a business account. The EIN acts like a Social Security number for your business and helps verify your identity with the IRS. Check with your chosen bank to confirm their specific requirements.
The easiest way to track business expenses is with a business checking account that includes built-in expense categorization. For example, ZenBusiness Banking lets you tag expenses as you go, which simplifies bookkeeping and tax prep. You can also integrate your account with tools like QuickBooks or other accounting software options, if needed. Keeping expenses organized from day one helps avoid headaches at tax time and helps ensure accurate financial reporting.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
ZenBusiness is a financial technology company and is not a bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC. The ZenBusiness Visa Debit Card is issued by Thread Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. FDIC insurance is available for funds on deposit through Thread Bank, Member FDIC. *Your deposits qualify for up to a maximum of $3,000,000 in FDIC insurance coverage when placed at program banks in the Thread Bank deposit sweep program. Your deposits at each program bank become eligible for FDIC insurance up to $250,000, inclusive of any other deposits you may already hold at the bank in the same ownership capacity. You can access the terms and conditions of the sweep program at https://thread.bank/sweep-disclosure/ and a list of program banks at https://thread.bank/program-banks/. Please contact customerservice@thread.bank with questions regarding the sweep program.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 850,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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