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By operating without physical branches, American Express saves on overheads, passing these savings on to its customers through lower fees and other financial benefits. For example, the American Express® Business Checking account has no monthly service charges or minimum balance requirements.
Moreover, the account allows you to earn interest on your balance, a feature not commonly found in standard business checking accounts. This offer adds an extra layer of value—instead of your funds sitting idly in your account, they’ll be actively earning interest and contributing to your business's financial growth.
American Express is an online-only bank, allowing access to your account and all the features and services that come with it at any time, anywhere. You can manage your American Express® Business Checking account on your desktop or through the American Express Business Blueprint™ app.
Both platforms provide access to a suite of banking services, including but not limited to:
Members can also earn 30,000 Membership Rewards® points after completing qualifying activities. They can then convert Membership Rewards® points into deposits directly into their American Express® Business Checking account. Other redemption options available. Terms apply.
Besides checking accounts, American Express offers several other business banking products, including lines of credit and credit cards.
Each business checking account comes with an American Express® Business Debit Card for online and in-person purchases. You can also add the card to your digital wallet to pay with your device at participating retailers.
The Membership Rewards® program allows you to earn and redeem Membership Rewards points. Every $2 spent on eligible purchases with the card earns you one Membership Rewards® point, which you can redeem for perks like travel, deposits, and gift cards.
You can use your card to make fee-free withdrawals from any of the 70,000 Allpoint® and MoneyPass® ATM locations nationwide². Withdrawals outside the MoneyPass network may be subject to charges by the ATM owner or operator.
As with traditional banks, fund availability varies depending on the method of deposit. Money from the following deposits is available for withdrawal on the same day:
Most other deposits are available for withdrawal no later than the fifth business day. In some cases, the bank may delay your ability to withdraw funds for longer. But it will notify you and provide an explanation as well as advice on how to expedite access.
Unlike traditional banks, however, the American Express® Business Checking account doesn't allow physical cash deposits. As a result, it might not be suitable for certain types of businesses, such as those that primarily receive cash payments. It also might not be the best option if you prefer banking in person.
American Express doesn’t have any monthly maintenance fees and is also light on other common fees. There are no charges for domestic incoming Automated Clearing House (ACH) and incoming wire transfers, processing services (such as account opening, stop payment requests, and billing inquiries), eChecks, and ATM withdrawals within the Allpoint and MoneyPass networks².
There is a foreign fee of of 2.7% of the amount of each transaction after conversion to US Dollars, however.
At the time of writing, the American Express® Business Checking account offers 1.30% Annual Percentage Yield on balances of up to $500,000. To put this into perspective, maintaining an average balance of $300,000 in your account could yield a potential annual return of $3,923. Similarly, a balance of $500,000 could generate around $6,539 in interest per year.
While you can get a higher Annual Percentage Yield elsewhere for this type of account, the maximum amount for which you can earn interest is likely to be lower than American Express’ limit of $500,000.
Type | Fee |
|---|---|
Annual Percentage Yield | 1.30% |
Minimum account balance | None |
Account opening | None |
Monthly service | None |
Domestic ACH | Incoming: None Same-day outgoing: $10 |
Domestic wire | Incoming: None Outgoing: $25 |
International ACH (incoming) | None |
ATM withdrawals | None at 70,000 Allpoint®and MoneyPass® ATM locations nationwide² |
Foreign transactions | 2.7% of the amount of each transaction after conversion to US Dollars |
American Express provides 24/7 customer support on the phone at 855-497-1040 and through online chat. Additionally, you can contact the company by mail using the following postal address:
American Express National Bank
P.O. Box 30384
Salt Lake City, Utah 84130
The American Express website also offers many useful resources—including FAQs, guides, and blog articles—designed to help you navigate the bank's services and manage your finances more effectively.
The design of its online platform makes it easy to use, with a clear layout and intuitive navigation. You can apply in as little as 10 minutes. The bank requires you to provide the following information when applying, so make sure to have it on hand for a faster process.
Online customer reviews paint a mixed picture of the overall quality of the bank’s customer service. While some users report having a great all-around experience, there’s a notable number of incidents where customers either had a long wait on the phone or their queries or concerns were not addressed.
Additionally, there are reports of language barriers and miscommunication issues.
American Express offers a mobile app called the American Express Business Blueprint™. The app lets you view and manage all your American Express business products—including checking accounts, credit cards, and lines of credit—from one place.
The app, which is available for iOS and Android devices, offers a variety of features, including creating and scheduling payments, depositing mobile checks, and transferring funds into and out of your account.
The iOS version enjoys a high rating of 4.8 out of five stars in the App Store, with multiple users praising its overall functionality and ease of use.
In contrast, the Android version has a rating of only 3.1 stars out of five on Google Play. Users complain of multiple issues with the app, including problems logging into their accounts and error messages when trying to perform tasks like depositing a check or linking a card.
American Express offers its business checking account through the American Express National Bank, which is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). Any funds you deposit with the bank are therefore protected up to at least $250,000.
In addition, the online platform and mobile app offer two-factor authentication. There are further biometric authentication options available on the app, including facial recognition and fingerprint scanning.
American Express monitors your account for suspicious activity and will alert you via text or email if it sees anything unusual. For added safety, the bank also automatically logs you off your online account after 10 minutes of inactivity.
In case of fraud concerns, you can contact its dedicated fraud team 24/7 at 800-528-4800 (toll-free) or via live chat inside your account.
American Express also has a Fraud Protection Guarantee. Under this policy, you won't be liable for any unauthorized charges if you've taken reasonable care to keep your account safe.
The American Express® Business Checking account presents a versatile banking option for modern small businesses. The account has no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to earn a competitive Annual Percentage Yield rate of 1.30% on balances up to $500,000.
Your deposits with American Express are protected up to at least $250,000, thanks to FDIC insurance. The bank also grants access to a broad network of over 70,000+ Allpoint® and MoneyPass® ATM locations nationwide. You can also use your American Express Business Checking Debit Card at any ATMs where American Express is accepted, fees may apply.*
Customer support is available 24/7 on the phone and through live chat for any inquiries or assistance.
The information used to create this review was gathered from the American Express website and reviews on Trustpilot, the App Store, and Google Play.
¹ Qualifying activities include:
- Deposit a total of $5,000 or more in eligible deposits within 30 days of opening your first account, AND
Eligible deposits are any deposits except deposits using our Redeem for Deposits feature, deposits from interest payments, and deposits from any other American Express Business Checking accounts.
- Maintain an average account balance of $5,000 for the next 60 days,
AND
- Make 5 or more qualifying transactions within 60 days of opening your account
Qualifying transactions are mobile deposits, check deposits by mail, and electronic/online transactions including ACH, Wire, and Bill Payments. Business Debit Card transactions and deposits using our Redeem for Deposits feature are not qualifying transactions.
² At Allpoint® and MoneyPass® locations in the U.S., you can withdraw cash and get balance information with no fee. Access to ATMs outside of the Allpoint® and MoneyPass® networks are subject to fees by the ATM owner and/or network. ATM withdrawal limits apply. American Express applies foreign exchange fees to withdrawals in foreign currencies. American Express does not accept ATM cash deposits into your Business Checking account at this time. Visit americanexpress.com/atm-locator to find participating ATMs in the U.S.
Cash withdrawals from ATMs outside of the MoneyPass® or Allpoint® networks may be subject to fees by the ATM owner and/or network.
