Mercury Business Checking Review

Free business checking and savings with free wires, from a fintech that banks through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.

By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief. Rates last checked October 12, 2026.

Our verdict

Mercury's checking and savings have no monthly, minimum-balance, overdraft or opening fees, and ACH, domestic wires and USD international wires cost nothing to send. It is a fintech, not a bank: your money sits at Choice Financial Group or Column N.A. and in their sweep networks, which Mercury says provide up to $5 million of FDIC coverage. Mercury says it received conditional OCC approval in April 2026 to establish its own bank, which is not open yet.

Skip it if you want a bank that holds your deposits itself, or you expect to use features Mercury charges for, such as Treasury, mass payments on its API or non-USD card spending.

About Mercury Business Checking

Free business checking and savings with free wires, from a fintech that banks through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A. Mercury Business Checking is offered by Mercury. We could not find a published customer rating for it on Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau, so none is shown.

Best for: Startups and small businesses that want free payments and do not need to deposit cash.

Editorial grade: B (composite score 76/100).

Highlights

No minimum balance, overdraft fees, required monthly fees or account opening fees, and ACH transfers and domestic wires are free to send and receive (Mercury's FAQ)
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank: banking services are provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC
Mercury says its partner banks' sweep networks provide up to $5 million of FDIC insurance by spreading deposits across up to 20 banks; see Offer terms below

What we like

Free ACH, domestic wires and international USD wires
Up to six complimentary checkbooks a year once checkbooks are enabled, and mailed checks sent from the Send Money flow
The IO Mastercard credit card earns 1.5% cashback, by Mercury's page
Mercury says you can open an account in 10 minutes or less

Where it falls short

Some features cost money: mass payments on its API, Mercury Treasury (not a deposit and not FDIC insured), non-USD card transactions, a 1% fee on non-USD international wires and optional premium processing on USD international wires; optional paid plans start at $35 a month
Mercury is not a bank, so FDIC insurance covers the failure of its partner banks, not of Mercury; certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through insurance to apply, and the $5 million figure depends on the sweep networks' terms
The company must be formed and registered in the US or a US territory and have an EIN, and Mercury cannot support businesses whose founders or financial controllers live in the countries on its prohibited list

Fees, minimums, and rates

Monthly fee: $0/month. Minimum to open: $0. Rates and fees last checked on October 12, 2026.

How we reviewed it

This is a desk review: we have not opened an account with Mercury. It is built from Mercury's published rates, fee schedule and terms and from the public complaint record, and compared with the other products in the Business Checking shortlist. Our bank-account reviews weight APY (30%), fees (20%), access and convenience (15%), account features (15%), trust and safety (10%), and customer support (10%). The rubric is the same for every brand.

Not a bank. Deposits are held at these banks

Choice Financial Group, FDIC certificate 9423: capital, loan quality, every office and the complaint record.
Column, FDIC certificate 58224: capital, loan quality, every office and the complaint record.

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Read our full editorial methodology for how we review products.