Business Checking Accounts That Pay Interest
April 2026 APYs -- Up to 3.0%
Most comparison sites show an APY column but do not explain the activity-goal mechanics or balance caps. BlueVine Standard's 1.3% only triggers if you meet monthly activity goals. Without that, it earns 0%.
April 2026 APY Table
Verified April 2026| Account | Tier | APY | Balance Cap | Activity Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueVine | Premier | 3.0% | No cap | Higher spend threshold | Best for large reserves |
| Axos | Premier | 3.0% | $3M | $5k balance + 10 debit purchases/mo | Direct FDIC bank |
| BlueVine | Plus | 1.75% | $250k | Intermediate spend threshold | Strong mid-tier option |
| BlueVine | Standard | 1.3% | $250k | 5 client payments OR $2,500 debit spend/mo | 0% if goals missed |
| Axos | Basic | 1.3% | No stated cap | None | Simplest route to APY |
| Relay | Savings sub-acct | Up to 4.0% | Varies | Must move to savings | 0% on checking |
| Mercury | Treasury (SIPC) | ~4.5% | Varies | Opt-in, separate product | SIPC, not FDIC |
| Novo | Select savings | 1.10% | Varies | Must open savings tier | 0% on checking |
| Chase | Checking | ~0% | N/A | N/A | Effectively zero |
| BofA | Checking | ~0% | N/A | N/A | Effectively zero |
| Wells Fargo | Checking | ~0% | N/A | N/A | Effectively zero |
| Capital One | Checking | ~0% | N/A | N/A | Effectively zero |
| Found | Checking | 0% | N/A | N/A | Tax set-aside only |
| Lili | Checking | 0% | N/A | N/A | Tax bucket only |
The Math: How Much APY Actually Earns
Annual yield at four balance levels, compared across the key options:
| Balance | BlueVine Premier 3.0% | BlueVine Plus 1.75% | BlueVine Std 1.3% | Chase 0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $300 | $175 | $130 | $0 |
| $50,000 | $1,500 | $875 | $650 | $0 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 | $1,750 | $1,300 | $0 |
| $250,000 | $7,500 | $4,375 (cap hit) | $3,250 (cap hit) | $0 |
Standard and Plus tiers cap at $250k. Premier has no cap. Yields are annual figures at stated APY with no compounding adjustment.
Mercury Treasury vs FDIC: The Critical Distinction
Mercury checking earns 0% APY. But Mercury Treasury -- available as an opt-in inside the Mercury dashboard -- lets you hold funds in money-market funds through Morgan Stanley and Vanguard, currently yielding approximately 4.5% annualised.
The critical difference from a bank account: Mercury Treasury is SIPC-covered, not FDIC-covered. SIPC covers brokerage accounts against broker failure -- it protects securities holdings up to $500,000 (including $250k in cash) in the event Mercury's brokerage partner fails. It does not protect against investment losses, and money-market funds are technically securities, not deposits.
In practice, prime money-market funds are extremely low-risk and have only "broken the buck" (fallen below $1 NAV) once in history (Reserve Primary Fund in 2008). But for founders who want certainty -- especially post-SVB -- the regulatory protection of FDIC on a BlueVine or Axos account is simpler and more familiar. Read more on the FDIC coverage page.
When APY Is the Wrong Thing to Optimise For
If you turn your operating balance frequently -- weekly payroll, high-volume ecommerce with daily Stripe payouts -- your average daily balance may be much lower than your end-of-month balance. APY is calculated on average daily balance. A business with $100,000 in revenues but an average daily balance of $8,000 earns APY on $8,000, not $100,000. For these businesses, transaction fees and payment integration quality are more important optimisations than APY rate. For businesses holding $50,000+ in steady operating reserve, APY is genuine money worth capturing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which business checking account has the highest APY in 2026?
As of April 2026, BlueVine Premier and Axos Premier both offer 3.0% APY -- the highest available on a US business checking account. BlueVine Premier has no balance cap (you earn 3.0% on your entire balance). Axos Premier caps at $3M. Both require meeting activity thresholds each month. For businesses that want high yield without activity requirements, BlueVine Plus at 1.75% is simpler to maintain.
How does BlueVine's APY activity requirement work?
BlueVine Standard (1.3% APY) requires you to either make 5 qualifying client payments through BlueVine or spend $2,500 on your BlueVine debit card in the calendar month. If you miss either goal, your checking balance earns 0% for that month -- there is no partial credit. The goals reset monthly. For the Plus (1.75%) and Premier (3.0%) tiers, you upgrade through BlueVine's tier system with additional spending thresholds.
Does Mercury pay APY on business checking?
Mercury checking pays 0% APY. However, Mercury Treasury -- a separate opt-in feature -- lets you hold a portion of your balance in money-market funds through Morgan Stanley and Vanguard, currently yielding approximately 4.5%. The critical distinction: Mercury Treasury is SIPC-covered, not FDIC. A money-market fund is not a deposit account. There is no risk of losing principal in typical market conditions, but the regulatory protection is different. If FDIC coverage is your priority, Mercury Treasury is not the right vehicle.
What is the APY on Relay business checking?
Relay checking pays 0% APY. However, Relay offers separate savings sub-accounts that can yield up to 4.0% APY. The practical difference: you need to actively move funds from your checking account to the savings sub-account to earn yield. Relay's 20-sub-account architecture makes this easy -- you can set up a dedicated savings sub-account for your operating reserve and manually or periodically sweep excess funds in. For businesses that want yield on their full operating balance without managing separate buckets, BlueVine Premier is more convenient.
How much does APY actually earn a business on its operating balance?
The math is straightforward: APY / 12 x average balance = monthly yield. At $50,000 average balance with BlueVine Plus at 1.75%, you earn $72.92/month -- $875/year. At BlueVine Premier 3.0%, the same balance earns $125/month -- $1,500/year. At Chase or BofA (effectively 0%), you earn $0. For a startup holding $200,000 in runway, the difference between 0% and 3.0% is $6,000/year. On $500,000, it is $15,000/year. This is real money that compounds the longer you hold reserves.
What is the difference between APY on checking vs savings?
Business checking is an operational account -- you use it for daily transactions, payroll ACH, and vendor payments. Business savings is a yield vehicle -- you park reserves there and earn interest. Some accounts blur this distinction: BlueVine pays APY directly on checking balances (with activity goals), making yield-earning fully integrated with operations. Others (Mercury, Relay) separate the two: checking earns 0%, and you need to move funds to a savings or money-market product to earn yield. For businesses that value operational simplicity, an account that earns APY on the checking balance directly is more efficient.