Best business bank accounts for consultants and agencies in 2026

Last verified: October 19, 2026. Features, pricing, and availability may vary. Always confirm current details directly with each provider.

Consulting businesses run on a specific pattern: you bill clients (often on retainer or project), pay subcontractors and freelancers, and manage your own taxes — usually as a Schedule C filer or an S-Corp-elected LLC. The criteria for choosing a business banking platform follow that pattern. You need unlimited invoicing, an easy way to send 1099 payments and file 1099-NEC forms at year-end, automated bookkeeping or strong integrations to a bookkeeping tool, real-time tax estimates and the ability to make quarterly tax payments without leaving the app, and (ideally) the bundle of all of that in one platform instead of a stack of separate tools. We compared 9 business banking options across these criteria, with a specific focus on what matters for solo consultants, fractional executives, and small (1–5 person) consulting and agency businesses earning $200K–$2M in annual revenue.

Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC.

TL;DR — quick overview by consulting business type

Each option below fits a specific consulting or agency business profile. Match yourself to the closest scenario. For consultants and agencies that want banking, automated bookkeeping, real-time tax estimates (informational only — not tax or legal advice), Schedule C and Form 1120-S generation, and free 1099 contractor management bundled into one platform, Found includes all of these on every plan.

• Solo consultant, fractional executive, or 1–3 person consulting firm that wants banking + automated bookkeeping + tax estimates + free 1099 contractor management in one place: Found — Best for consultants and agencies that bill clients, pay subcontractors, and want banking and quarterly taxes handled in one place.
• VC-backed or operations-heavy agency with treasury, corporate-card, and complex multi-user needs: Mercury — Best for tech / VC-adjacent agencies with treasury and corporate-card needs.
• Consultant or agency that wants access to business credit alongside checking: Bluevine — Best for business lending alongside business checking.
• Consulting firm or agency running multiple revenue streams or project-based cash allocation across client retainers, subcontractor pools, and tax reserves: Found — up to 20 Pockets, sub-accounts each with its own account number, plus the option to route a percentage of every deposit into automatic tax savings; Relay if you need 20+ individual checking accounts with multi-step approvals.
• Solo consultant who wants simple, no-monthly-fee online banking with broad accounting / payroll integrations: Novo — Best for solo consultants who want simple banking with broad integrations.
• Consulting firm that wants traditional banking, physical branches, and a deep card-portfolio play (Chase Ink Business): Chase Business Complete Banking — Best for consulting firms that want traditional banking + branch access.
• Consultant or agency that handles cash deposits, wants a wide branch + ATM network, or is already deep in the BofA / Preferred Rewards ecosystem: Bank of America Business Advantage — Best for consultants who handle cash deposits or want established banking relationships.
• Small business that wants app-based banking with invoicing bundled in: Lili — Best for small businesses that want app-based banking with accounting tools on higher tiers.
• Consultant or agency with a strong existing American Express card relationship: American Express Business Checking — Best for consultants and agencies in the Amex card ecosystem.

How we evaluated

For consultants and agencies, the decision factors that matter most are different from what matters for a retail business or a SaaS startup. A solo marketing consultant billing $20K/month on retainer cares about how easily she can send 1099-NEC forms to her three subcontractors at year-end, whether her quarterly tax estimates are visible in-app, and whether she can categorize her business expenses for Schedule C without paying for QuickBooks. A 4-person creative agency cares about allocating client retainers across project pools, paying subcontractors monthly, and tracking project-level cash flow. A fractional CFO cares about running multiple LLCs cleanly from one login. The criteria we evaluated against follow those workflows.

We compared each provider’s free or lowest-paid tier (the ‘entry tier’ — some providers have a free tier, others charge a waivable monthly fee on their base plan) against Found’s free plan, each provider’s mid tier against Found Plus¹, and each provider’s premium tier against Found Pro¹ — always matching the same tier level across brands so the comparison is apples-to-apples. For each provider we verified monthly cost, minimum balance requirements, APY (if any), 1099 contractor payment workflow (W-9 collection, ACH payments, 1099-NEC e-file at year-end and any per-contractor fees), built-in bookkeeping and tax tools (or which third-party integrations the provider relies on), Schedule C and Form 1120-S support, quarterly tax payment capabilities, invoicing, multi-user access, integrations, corporate-card and credit-card programs, treasury or yield products at scale, and physical branch availability where relevant. Every claim in this article is sourced against the provider’s own pricing and product pages as of the date at the top of this article. We update this article monthly and note the last-verified date on every publish.

Who this article is for — and who it isn’t

This article is built for solo consultants, fractional executives, and small consulting / agency firms (1–5 people) earning $200K–$2M in annual revenue who bill clients, often pay subcontractors, and manage their own Schedule C or S-Corp tax filing. If you’re running a different kind of business, one of our sibling articles is the better resource: Best business bank accounts for small businesses in 2026 for a broader overview across all business types, Best business bank accounts for LLCs in 2026 for LLC owners working through tax-structure decisions, or Best business bank accounts for growing businesses with employees in 2026 for consulting firms scaling to 6+ W-2 employees that need payroll integrations and multi-user access at team scale. We evaluated 12+ providers and selected the 9 below as the best-fit options for consulting and agency businesses.

A note on subcontractor payments

Most consulting and agency businesses pay 1099 subcontractors (designers, developers, copywriters, fractional specialists, account managers). Found includes the full 1099 workflow — W-9 collection, ACH contractor payments, and free 1099-NEC e-filing at year-end — at no extra cost on every plan². Mercury also handles W-9 collection and 1099-NEC/MISC e-filing natively ($5 per filing on its free plan; unlimited on paid plans from $29.90/month billed annually). The other providers in this article either don’t include 1099 management natively, or rely on a separate contractor-payment service like QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25/month, up to 20 contractors, includes 1099 e-filing). For a consultant paying 3–5 subcontractors regularly, that’s an extra ~$25/month layered on top of the banking provider’s monthly cost. None of the providers in this article (Found included) support international subcontractor payments natively; for consultants paying contractors outside the U.S., a separate cross-border payments tool like Wise or Deel is typically needed.

The 9 business banking options for consultants and agencies we reviewed

1. Found — Best for consultants and agencies that bill clients, pay subcontractors, and want banking + bookkeeping + taxes in one place

Found bundles a business checking account, automated bookkeeping, real-time tax estimates (not tax or legal advice), Schedule C and Form 1120-S generation, and free contractor 1099-NEC e-filing into one platform — with no monthly account maintenance fees on any Found plan¹ (Found Plus¹ and Found Pro¹ are optional subscription products — $35/month or $315/year for Plus and $80/month or $720/year for Pro). For consulting and agency businesses that bill clients, pay subcontractors, and manage their own taxes, this is the tightest match between product and workflow in this comparison.

All Found plans include a business checking account, a Mastercard Business debit card³, team Mastercard Business debit cards³ for co-owners and team members (accountants get separate view-only or transactional Accountant Access), accountant access, automated expense categorization, unlimited invoicing, real-time tax estimates, a tax savings bucket, up to 20 Pockets (sub-accounts, each with its own account number — useful for separating client retainers, subcontractor pools, and tax reserves), and multi-business management for up to 5 separate business entities under one login. The multi-business feature is particularly useful for fractional executives running multiple consulting engagements as separate LLCs, or for consultants with a side practice or holding company alongside their primary firm.

Subcontractor and 1099 payments: All Found plans include W-9 collection, ACH contractor payments, free payments between Found users², and free 1099-NEC e-filing at year-end at no extra cost. For a consulting business paying 3–5 regular subcontractors, this replaces a separate tool like QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25/month, up to 20 contractors, includes 1099 e-filing). International subcontractor payments are not supported natively; for cross-border 1099s, pair Found with a tool like Wise or Deel.

Card programs: Found offers team Mastercard Business debit cards³ on every plan and a Metal⁴ Mastercard³ on Found Pro¹. Found does not currently offer a charge or credit card program. Consultants and agencies that want a charge or credit card alongside Found typically pair Found with a third-party card provider (Ramp, Brex, Amex Business cards). For 1% cash back on qualifying debit-card purchases⁵, Found Pro¹ is the relevant Found product.

Found Plus¹ ($35/month or $315/year)⁶ — the mid tier — adds 1.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $20,000⁷, in-app quarterly tax payments⁸ for Schedule C filers (informational only — not tax or legal advice; S-Corp-elected consultants can use Found for banking and 1120-S form generation but handle their quarterly tax payments via their preferred method), and priority support⁹. Separately, customers who opened an account on or after November 1, 2025 (including on the free Found plan) can earn a 2.00% APY bonus (variable) on balances up to $20,000 in any month they make $5,000 or more in qualifying card purchases¹⁰.

Found Pro¹ ($80/month or $720/year)⁶ — the premium tier — earns 2.50% APY on all balances⁷ (variable), includes a Metal⁴ Mastercard³, a dedicated account manager⁹, and 1% cash back on qualifying purchases⁵ (exclusions apply for ATM withdrawals, person-to-person transfers, and cash equivalents). For consultants and agencies running multiple LLCs, holding significant operating cash between projects, or wanting a relationship-style support model from their banking platform, Pro is the tier built for that profile.

There are no monthly account maintenance fees on any Found plan¹, but transactional fees for wires, instant transfers, and out-of-network ATMs may apply — see the Found Fee Schedule.

Who it’s best for: solo consultants, fractional executives, and small consulting / agency firms (1–5 people) that want banking + automated bookkeeping + tax estimates + Schedule C / 1120-S generation + free 1099 contractor management bundled in one platform. Particularly strong for consultants paying 1099 subcontractors regularly, fractional executives running multiple LLCs, and consulting firms where bookkeeping and quarterly tax planning is a real headache.

Best for: consultants and agencies that bill clients, pay subcontractors, and want banking and quarterly taxes handled in one place.

2. Mercury — Best for tech / VC-adjacent agencies with treasury and corporate-card needs

Mercury is a banking platform designed for technology startups, venture-funded businesses, and operations-heavy companies. It offers three tiers as of 2026: Mercury (free), Mercury Plus ($35/month, or $29.90/month billed annually), and Mercury Pro ($350/month, or $299/month billed annually). Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank — banking services are provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC. The free checking tier has no minimum balance requirement. Mercury Pro includes a dedicated relationship manager, $0/transaction ACH-debit invoicing, enriched NetSuite categorizations, and is designed for businesses with complex operations.

Mercury Treasury — a separate cash-management product, not a bank deposit — is designed to earn yield on idle operating cash up to 4.08% annually (variable; yield as of 10/16/2026, based on the 30-day Effective Yield for MCRYX and assumes total Mercury deposits of $20M+; subject to an annual fee of 0.15%–0.60% based on total Mercury balances; see mercury.com for current rates). Treasury access requires a $250,000 minimum balance across Mercury accounts¹¹. For consultants and agencies holding significant cash between projects that want to put it to work, Mercury Treasury is a meaningful differentiator.

Card programs: Mercury offers business debit cards on all tiers and Mercury IO, a credit card with no annual fee and no interest. The balance is repaid automatically, daily at first and monthly once Mercury balances reach $15K. For growing businesses that want a card program tied directly to their banking relationship, Mercury IO is one of the strongest offerings in this comparison.

Multi-user access: Mercury supports multi-user access with standard Admin and Teammate roles, a templated Accountant role, and fully configurable custom roles. Mercury also supports dual-admin approval policies for outgoing payments.

Bookkeeping and tax: Mercury offers Mercury Books, double-entry accounting software built into Mercury, as a $35/month add-on (fee waived through December 31, 2026 for customers who subscribe by December 1, 2026), and integrates directly with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and NetSuite (see mercury.com/accounting-integrations). Mercury files 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC forms but does not prepare business tax returns. Mercury Pro includes enriched NetSuite categorizations that the lower tiers don’t.

Payroll integrations: Mercury supports HRIS / payroll integrations with ADP Run, BambooHR, Deel, Gusto, Justworks, Paycor, QuickBooks Online Payroll, Square Payroll, and Workday via the Finch HRIS API aggregator. Notably, Mercury does not currently have a direct Rippling integration because Rippling does not provide open API access; growing businesses on Rippling can still use Mercury but won’t have a built-in connection.

Who it’s best for: tech / VC-adjacent agencies and consulting firms (including C-Corp-elected entities) that need treasury, corporate cards, and integrations with accounting platforms. Mercury is structurally stronger for agencies in the ‘startup-adjacent’ market (e.g., dev shops serving funded clients, fractional CFOs for startups) than for the Schedule-C-filing solo consultant. Mercury offers built-in accounting software (Mercury Books, a $35/month add-on, fee waived through December 31, 2026) but no tax estimates or tax-return tools. Consultants can also pair Mercury with QuickBooks or Xero.

Best for: tech / VC-adjacent agencies with treasury and corporate-card needs.

3. Bluevine — Best for business lending alongside business checking

Bluevine’s free Standard tier offers a business checking account with a Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard® and 1.30% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $250,000 (variable). Per Bluevine: “Standard plan customers will earn 1.3% annual percentage yield (“APY”) on total balances up to $250,000 for a given month only if they meet at least one Eligibility Requirement during that month’s Eligibility Period as described in the Terms of Interest Accrual. No interest earned on balances over $250,000.” — and those Eligibility Requirements are activity-based rather than balance-based: spend $500 per month with the Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard®, or receive or deposit $2,500 per month in customer payments (see bluevine.com/business-checking for current terms). Per Bluevine: “Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured bank. FDIC insurance is available through pass-through insurance at Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, if certain conditions have been met. Bluevine accounts are FDIC insured up to $3,000,000 per depositor through Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC and our program banks”. Bluevine Plus ($30/month, waivable¹²) earns 1.75% APY on balances up to $250,000, and Bluevine Premier ($95/month, waivable¹²) earns 3.00% APY on all Bluevine Business Checking balances (no cap; see bluevine.com/business-checking/plans-and-pricing for current terms). For growing businesses with $100K–$1M+ in operating cash, Premier’s no-cap 3.00% APY (variable) is the highest checking-account yield in this comparison.

Card programs: Bluevine issues physical and virtual Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard® cards with daily and monthly spending limits for team members. Bluevine no longer has a dedicated credit card product page; check with Bluevine for current credit card availability.

Multi-user access: Bluevine supports team collaboration with additional users (sub-users), with role-based permissions (authorized user, contributor, and accountant roles).

Bookkeeping and tax: Bluevine does not include built-in bookkeeping or tax tools. It integrates with QuickBooks Online directly, and supports additional connections with Xero, Wave, FreshBooks, Expensify, Square, Cash App, and Venmo.

Payroll integrations: Bluevine Business Checking accounts can be connected to Gusto for payroll management.

Who it’s best for: consultants and agencies with $50K-$500K in operating retainers or cash held between projects that want a competitive APY (especially at the Premier tier’s no-cap 3.00%) and that already have a working bookkeeping workflow in QuickBooks or Xero.

Best for: business lending alongside business checking.

4. Relay — Best for project-based cash allocation across clients and subcontractors

Relay’s free Starter tier lets customers open up to 20 individual checking accounts and issue up to 50 virtual and plastic Relay Visa® debit cards per cardholder per account — useful for allocating money by purpose (taxes, payroll, owner draws, partner distributions) across separate accounts. Starter earns 1.19% APY on savings account balances (variable; no minimum balance required, no stated balance cap — see relayfi.com/pricing for current rates and conditions). Paid tiers — Grow ($30/month, 1.87% APY on savings balances + multi-step approval rules) and Scale ($120/month, currently discounted to $90/month for a limited time; 3.21% APY on savings balances, variable; up to 50 checking accounts per business) — add features like recurring invoices, no-fee same-day ACH (Scale), and the multi-step payment approval rules that are particularly valuable for service businesses and agencies with multiple approvers in the payment-issuance workflow. APY applies to Relay savings accounts only, not checking. Relay is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank; banking services are provided through Thread Bank, Member FDIC.

Card programs: Relay offers Visa® debit cards and, by invitation, the Relay Visa® Credit Card — a charge card paid in full each 30-day billing cycle, with no annual fee and 1%–1.5% cash back depending on plan (see relayfi.com/relay-visa-credit-card for eligibility and terms).

Multi-user access: Relay’s user permissions and team roles are well-suited to growing businesses running shared accounts with differentiated access. Multi-step approval rules on Grow+ are a real differentiator — for businesses where the bookkeeper proposes payments and the owner approves, Relay supports that workflow natively.

Bookkeeping and tax: Relay does not include built-in tax tools; its bookkeeping automations (Grow and up) sync categorized transactions into QuickBooks Online or Xero. It integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto (deep integration with payroll shortfall alerts, team-member import, and role-based account provisioning), Plaid, and Yodlee, and connects to apps like Expensify through Plaid.

Who it’s best for: consulting firms and agencies running a project-based cash-allocation system across client retainers, subcontractor pools, and tax reserves — particularly those with multi-step payment approval workflows where the bookkeeper proposes and the owner approves.

Best for: project-based cash allocation across clients and subcontractors.

5. Novo — Best for solo consultants who want simple banking with broad integrations

Bookkeeping and tax: Novo includes AI-powered bookkeeping built in on its single tier — automated transaction categorization, financial reporting, and tax-friendly expense categories. For solo consultants who want a no required monthly fee banking platform with built-in bookkeeping, Novo is closer to Found’s bundled wedge¹ than Bluevine, Relay, or Mercury are. Novo does NOT generate Schedule C, does NOT generate Form 1120-S, and does NOT support in-app quarterly tax payments — consultants who want bundled tax tools beyond bookkeeping should compare Novo against Found and Lili directly. (Tax-form generation language above is informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)

Reserves and invoicing: Novo includes Reserves — up to 20 budgeting buckets inside your checking account (not separate accounts) that let consultants set aside funds for taxes, profit, subcontractor pools, and other categories in a Profit-First-style allocation. Novo also offers free unlimited customizable invoicing on its single tier — useful for solo consultants who bill clients monthly or per-project.

Integrations: Novo emphasizes broad integrations across accounting, payroll, ecommerce, and operations tools — useful for solo consultants running their stack across multiple SaaS products.

Who it’s best for: solo consultants and fractional executives who want simple, no-monthly-fee banking with built-in bookkeeping, Reserves for Profit-First-style allocation, and broad integrations — but who don’t need Schedule C / 1120-S generation or in-app quarterly tax payments. For consultants who do need bundled tax tools, Found is a closer fit.

Best for: solo consultants who want simple banking with broad integrations.

6. Chase Business Complete Banking — Best for consulting firms that want traditional banking + branch access

Card programs: Chase has one of the strongest business card portfolios in this comparison — the Chase Ink Business series includes Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited, Ink Business Preferred, and Ink Business Premier. Many consulting firms already have one of these cards; Chase Business Complete + Chase Ink Business is a deep ecosystem play.

Bookkeeping and tax: Chase does not include built-in bookkeeping or tax tools. It offers Chase Payroll, a separately priced payroll service powered by Gusto.

Cash deposits: Chase’s network — more than 5,000 branches and 14,000 ATMs — is among the largest in this comparison. For consulting firms that occasionally handle cash from clients, or for owners who prefer the operational simplicity of an in-branch banking relationship, Chase’s branch and ATM access is a meaningful differentiator.

Who it’s best for: consulting firms that want physical branch access, want a deep card-portfolio integration via the Chase Ink Business series, or prefer the operational simplicity of a single traditional bank for both business and personal banking.

Best for: traditional banking with branch access for consulting firms.

7. Bank of America Business Advantage — Best for consultants who handle cash deposits or want established banking relationships

Cash deposits: Fundamentals includes free cash deposits up to $5,000 per statement cycle and access to approximately 15,000 Bank of America ATMs. For consultants or agencies that occasionally take cash payments from clients — uncommon, but real for certain professional-services niches — this is a clean fit. Bank of America, N.A. is Member FDIC.

Card programs: Bank of America offers a Business Advantage credit card portfolio (Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards, Travel Rewards, Unlimited Cash Rewards) tied to the banking relationship and the Preferred Rewards for Business program.

Multi-user access: BofA’s Account Management service lets the account owner add sub-users with customized access to either view or transact on each account — useful for small consulting firms where different team members need different scopes of banking visibility.

Bookkeeping and tax: BofA does not include built-in bookkeeping or tax tools but offers Cash Flow Monitor for cash-flow visibility and Zelle for business. It integrates with QuickBooks Online.

Who it’s best for: consultants and agencies that occasionally deposit cash, want a wide branch and ATM network, want to consolidate personal and business banking at a traditional bank, or are deep in the BofA / Preferred Rewards ecosystem.

Best for: consultants who handle cash deposits or want established banking relationships.

8. Lili — Best for small businesses that want app-based banking with accounting tools on higher tiers

Lili is an app-based business banking platform for small businesses. It offers four tiers as of 2026: Lili Core ($0/month), Lili Pro ($15/month), Lili Smart ($35/month), and Lili Premium ($55/month). All paid tiers include a 30-day free trial, and Lili notes that paid plan subscriptions are tax-deductible (informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional). Lili is a financial technology company, not a bank; banking services are provided by Sunrise Banks, N.A., Member FDIC. FDIC coverage extends up to $3M per depositor through Lili’s sweep network.

APY: Lili Savings Account APY is variable per Lili’s published terms — 2.25% APY applies to balances up to $500,000, and 4.00% APY applies to balances above $500,000 and up to $1,000,000 (any portion of a balance above $1,000,000 does not earn interest). Effective January 13, 2026. Available to all Lili plans. Note the structure: the 4.00% bracket is the upper tier, not the first $500K — a consultant with $250K in savings earns 2.25%, while a consultant with $750K earns blended (2.25% on the first $500K + 4.00% on the next $250K). See lili.co/plans for current terms.

Bookkeeping and tax: Lili includes accounting, tax preparation, and invoicing software on the Lili Smart ($35/month) and Lili Premium ($55/month) tiers only — not on Core or Pro. For consultants weighing Lili against Found: Lili’s tax-prep tooling is tier-locked to Smart and Premium, whereas Found includes real-time tax estimates and Schedule C generation on the free plan. (Tax-tool references are informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)

Card programs: Lili Core includes a Lili Visa® Business Debit Card with no monthly fee. Cashback rewards and the BalanceUp discretionary overdraft service (limits generally up to $200, subject to eligibility) are available on Lili Pro, Smart, and Premium tiers. Business Credit Access through partner lenders (Lili is not a lender; underwriting required) is listed on all Lili plans, including Core.

International wires: Lili supports international wires for LLCs, corporations, and partnerships only (not sole proprietors), in select countries, with fees that apply. For consultants paying overseas subcontractors, this is one of the few providers in this article with any international payment support — though for active cross-border subcontractor management, dedicated tools like Wise or Deel are still typically the cleaner fit.

Who it’s best for: small businesses that want app-based banking with tax-prep and invoicing software bundled in at the Smart or Premium tier. Lili is the closest mobile-first competitor to Found’s bundled wedge after Novo — but Lili’s tax-prep tools are tier-locked (Smart $35/month or Premium $55/month), whereas Found’s tax estimates (Found does not provide tax or legal advice) and Schedule C generation start on the free plan.

Best for: app-based banking for small businesses, with accounting tools on higher tiers.

9. American Express Business Checking — Best for consultants and agencies in the Amex card ecosystem

American Express® Business Checking has no monthly maintenance fee, no minimum opening deposit, and no minimum balance requirement. It earns 1.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to $500,000 (no APY is earned on balances above $500,000; APY is variable and subject to change at any time without notice, per American Express National Bank’s Business Checking Rates & Fees; rate as of October 19, 2026) and earns 1 Membership Rewards® point for every $2 spent on eligible Business Debit Card purchases. The account includes fee-free cash withdrawals at more than 70,000 Allpoint® and MoneyPass® ATM locations nationwide and FDIC insurance via American Express National Bank, Member FDIC.

Card programs: Amex Business Checking’s biggest advantage for consultants and agencies is the integration with the American Express business card portfolio — Business Platinum, Business Gold, Blue Business Cash, Business Green, and the wider business charge card and corporate card programs. Amex Business Checking can be viewed and managed alongside your Amex business cards in one place, online or in the Amex® App, and American Express® Business Blueprint™ offers a snapshot of select Amex business products and linked external accounts. For consultants and agencies already running a stack of Amex business cards, Amex Business Checking is a natural complement.

Multi-user access: Amex Business Checking lets you invite employees to get account access; once approved, admin users can have a debit card, manage payees, and make payments. The role-customization depth is less than Mercury or Chase but adequate for most small consulting firms.

Bookkeeping and tax: Amex Business Checking does not include built-in bookkeeping or tax tools but integrates with QuickBooks Online and other accounting platforms. Payroll runs through standard integrations.

Who it’s best for: consultants and agencies with an existing strong American Express card relationship that want to consolidate banking, debit-card rewards, and the Amex card ecosystem on one dashboard.

Best for: consultants and agencies in the Amex card ecosystem.

Summary comparison — consulting / agency feature matrix

This table compares each provider across the dimensions that matter most for solo consultants, fractional executives, and small (1–5 person) consulting / agency firms earning $200K–$2M in revenue. For each provider, the headline APY and pricing rows reflect the tier most likely to fit a consulting business — typically the free or mid tier. See required disclaimers below the table.

Provider	Required monthly fees	APY at scale	Multi-user access	Charge/credit card program	Treasury / yield at scale
Found¹³ (free / Plus¹ / Pro¹)	Free: $0 / Plus¹: $35/mo or $315/yr / Pro¹: $80/mo or $720/yr	Plus¹: 1.50% APY on balances up to $20,000⁷ (variable); Pro¹: 2.50% APY on all balances⁷ (variable)	Team cards + accountant access on every plan (multi-business up to 5 entities)	No charge/credit card program	No separate treasury product.
Mercury (free / Plus / Pro)	$0 / $35/mo ($29.90 annual) / $350/mo ($299 annual)	Mercury Treasury¹¹: up to 4.08% (variable; $20M+ deposits; not FDIC-insured; $250K min for Treasury)	Admin / Teammate / Accountant + custom roles + dual-admin approvals	Mercury IO credit card (no annual fee)	Mercury Treasury (separate product, $250K min)¹¹
Bluevine (Standard / Plus / Premier)	$0 / $30/mo waivable¹² / $95/mo waivable¹²	Premier: 3.00% APY on all Bluevine Business Checking balances (no cap)*	Sub-users supported	Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard® team cards with spend controls	APY at scale via Premier tier; Treasury services included on Premier ($50K minimum balance on Standard/Plus)
Relay (Starter / Grow / Scale)	$0 / $30/mo / $120 (limited-time $90)	Scale: 3.21% APY on savings account balances (variable)*	User permissions + team roles + multi-step approval rules (Grow+)	Relay Visa® Credit Card (charge card; invitation only)	No separate treasury product
Novo (single tier)	$0 (no monthly fee, no minimum balance)	No APY on checking	Additional users supported (full access only); reports exportable for your accountant	Novo Business Credit Card™ (issued by Continental Bank)	No separate treasury product
Chase (Business Complete / Performance / Platinum)	$15/mo / $40/mo / $95/mo (each waivable¹²)	No interest on Business Complete or Platinum; interest-bearing Performance option available (variable rate; no monthly fee waiver)		Chase Ink Business portfolio (Cash, Unlimited, Preferred, Premier)	Cash-management tools on Performance/Platinum
BofA (Fundamentals / Relationship Banking)	$16/mo waivable¹² / $29.95/mo waivable¹²	None (Business Advantage checking is non-interest-bearing)	Account Management (owner + sub-users; view or transact access)	Business Advantage credit card portfolio	Multi-account bundle: second Relationship Banking account and Business Advantage Savings with no monthly fee
Lili (Core / Pro / Smart / Premium)	$0 / $15/mo / $35/mo / $55/mo	Savings: 2.25% APY on balances up to $500K; 4.00% APY on $500K–$1M (variable; all plans)*	Additional users / accountant access supported	No charge/credit card program (Visa® Debit Card only; Business Credit Access via partner lenders on all plans)	No separate treasury product
Amex Business Checking	$0	1.00% APY on account balances up to $500,000 (variable)*	Multi-user (employee) access; banking and cards managed together online / in the Amex® App	Full Amex business card portfolio (Platinum, Gold, Cash, Green) + Business Line of Credit	No separate treasury product; APY caps at $500K

What it costs to get equivalent banking + bookkeeping + 1099 features elsewhere

Consulting and agency businesses typically run a stack: banking + bookkeeping + 1099 contractor management + tax tools. Most providers in this article offer banking only — bookkeeping and 1099 contractor management have to be added through third-party tools. Found bundles banking + bookkeeping + real-time tax estimates + Schedule C generation + 1099 contractor management into its free plan at $0/month. The comparison below shows what an equivalent stack costs if assembled from a competitor’s banking + QuickBooks for bookkeeping + QuickBooks Contractor Payments for 1099-NEC management (Mercury files 1099s natively, so its row has no separate contractor tool). Novo and Lili are noted separately because they include some of those layers natively at their own price points; their rows use Gusto Simple, Gusto’s lowest current plan, for contractor payments.

Note on scope: this stack focuses on the dominant consultant-specific need — paying 1099 subcontractors (W-9 collection, ACH transfers, and 1099-NEC e-file at year-end) — not W-2 payroll. Most consulting and agency businesses in the 1–5 person target audience pay subcontractors rather than W-2 employees. Consulting firms with W-2 employees should see our Best business bank accounts for growing businesses with employees article and factor in Gusto Simple ($49/month + $6/employee) or Gusto Plus ($80/month + $12/employee) on top of the stack costs below.

Stack	Business checking	Bookkeeping	1099 contractor management + 1099-NEC e-file	Required monthly fees¹³
Found (free plan)¹³	Included	Included (automated)	Included (W-9 collection, ACH payments, free 1099-NEC e-file)	$0
Mercury (free) + Mercury Books	Mercury (free) ($0)	Mercury Books ($35; fee waived through Dec 31, 2026 for customers who subscribe by Dec 1, 2026)	Included in Mercury (W-9 collection + 1099-NEC e-file; $5 per filing on the free plan)	~$35+ / month plus $5 per 1099 filed
Bluevine Standard + QuickBooks + QuickBooks Contractor Payments	Bluevine Standard ($0)	QuickBooks Simple Start (~$38)	QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25; up to 20 contractors; includes 1099 e-file)	~$63+ / month
Relay Starter + QuickBooks + QuickBooks Contractor Payments	Relay Starter ($0)	QuickBooks Simple Start (~$38)	QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25; up to 20 contractors; includes 1099 e-file)	~$63+ / month
Novo (single tier) + Gusto Simple	Novo ($0)	Included (Novo AI-powered bookkeeping)	Gusto Simple ($49 base + $6/person)	~$55+ / month plus per-person fees
Chase Business Complete + QuickBooks + QuickBooks Contractor Payments	Chase Business Complete ($15)	QuickBooks Simple Start (~$38)	QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25; up to 20 contractors; includes 1099 e-file)	~$78+ / month
Lili Smart + Gusto Simple	Lili Smart ($35)	Included (Lili tax prep + invoicing on Smart tier)	Gusto Simple ($49 base + $6/person)	~$90+ / month plus per-person fees

Note on QuickBooks pricing: QuickBooks offers a $0/month “QuickBooks Free” plan, which includes income and expense tracking, 2 invoices per month, one connected bank, and a profit & loss report, for 1 user with no accountant access and without the mobile app or third-party integrations. Automated bookkeeping and automatic expense categorization — the capabilities compared in this article — begin with QuickBooks Simple Start at $38/month. Figures are regular monthly list prices verified at quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing on October 19, 2026; promotional intro pricing may be lower. See QuickBooks for current plans and pricing.

Note: QuickBooks (~$38) and Xero (~$27) figures are regular monthly list prices; promotional intro pricing may be lower. Gusto no longer offers its Contractor Only plan to new customers (as of October 1, 2026). QuickBooks Contractor Payments is $25/month and includes up to 20 contractors and 1099 e-filing ($2 per additional contractor); Gusto Simple is $49/month base plus $6 per person, billed only in months a contractor is paid. Totals assume one contractor; per-person fees scale with the number of contractors paid.

What to consider when choosing a business banking option for your consulting business

1. How many subcontractors do you pay regularly?

This is the single biggest decision driver for consultants and agencies. If you pay 3+ 1099 subcontractors regularly (designers, developers, fractional specialists, account managers, copywriters), Found’s bundled 1099 contractor management — W-9 collection, ACH payments, and free 1099-NEC e-filing at year-end at no extra cost — is a strong fit, and Found includes the full workflow on every plan. Mercury also handles W-9 collection and 1099-NEC/MISC e-filing natively ($5 per filing on its free plan; unlimited on paid plans from $29.90/month billed annually). The other providers here (Bluevine, Relay, Novo, Chase, BofA, Lili, Amex Business Checking) either lack 1099 management or route it through a separate contractor-payment or payroll service like QuickBooks Contractor Payments ($25/month, up to 20 contractors, includes 1099 e-filing). Assembled with QuickBooks for bookkeeping, that stack runs ~$63+/month.

2. Do you file Schedule C or have you elected S-Corp status?

Tax structure changes which features matter. Schedule C filers (default for single-member consulting LLCs taxed as sole props) benefit most from Found’s in-app quarterly tax payments⁸ on Plus¹ and Pro¹, plus real-time tax estimates on every tier. S-Corp-elected consultants (common at $80K+ net income) need Form 1120-S generation — Found supports this on all tiers, but the in-app quarterly tax payment feature is Schedule-C-specific, so S-Corp filers will handle estimated payments via their preferred method. See the ‘Tax considerations by structure’ section below for a deeper breakdown. Tax tools across this comparison are informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional for guidance on your specific situation.

3. Do you need built-in bookkeeping, or are you already in QuickBooks or Xero?

Found, Novo, Lili (Smart/Premium tiers only), and Mercury (via its paid Mercury Books add-on) include some form of built-in bookkeeping; the other five providers don’t and rely on QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, or a bookkeeper (Relay adds bookkeeping automations that sync to QuickBooks Online and Xero). If you already have a working bookkeeping setup, you may not need bundled bookkeeping — Mercury, Bluevine, Relay, Chase, BofA, and Amex Business Checking all integrate with QuickBooks (and most with Xero). If bookkeeping is a real pain point, Found bundles automated bookkeeping plus tax estimates and Schedule C generation on the free plan, Novo bundles AI-powered bookkeeping on its single tier, and Lili includes tax prep + invoicing on Smart ($35/month) or Premium ($55/month).

4. Do you bill clients on retainer, or per-project?

Most consulting and agency businesses bill some mix of retainer (monthly fixed fee) and per-project (milestone or hourly). Both billing models work on every provider in this comparison via built-in invoicing (Found, Novo, Relay, Chase Business Complete, Lili Smart/Premium), QuickBooks Online integration (Mercury, Bluevine, BofA, Amex Business Checking), or direct invoicing apps. The bigger question for retainer-heavy consultants is what to do with cash sitting between projects — see the APY question below. For per-project consultants billing in milestones, look at sub-account / envelope / Pockets / Reserves features (Found Pockets, Relay multi-account, Novo Reserves) so client retainers, subcontractor pools, and tax reserves stay visibly separated.

5. Do you need APY on operating cash or client retainers held between projects?

Consulting and agency businesses often carry meaningful cash — retainers held for upcoming work, tax reserves, owner draws between projects. Where you put it matters. Bluevine Premier earns 3.00% APY on all Bluevine Business Checking balances with no cap (variable; see Bluevine’s terms). Lili savings earns 2.25% APY on balances up to $500K and 4.00% APY on balances $500K–$1M (variable; all Lili plans). Mercury Treasury earns up to 4.08% annually (variable; as of October 16, 2026, for total Mercury deposits of $20M+) but is a separate cash-management product, not a bank deposit, and requires a $250,000 minimum balance across Mercury accounts¹¹. Found Pro¹ earns 2.50% APY on all balances⁷ (variable) — applied to your primary account balance rather than a separate savings or treasury product. Novo does not pay APY on checking. Always read the activity requirements — many APY products require minimum monthly debit-card spend or maintained balance thresholds.

6. Do you run multiple LLCs or consulting engagements as separate entities?

Found supports up to 5 separate business entities under one login with shared accountant access at no extra cost. For fractional executives running multiple consulting engagements as separate LLCs, for consultants with a primary practice plus a holding company, or for owners running parallel client books, this consolidates the banking experience materially. Bluevine (single sign-on for multiple businesses on every plan), Lili, and Mercury also support managing multiple businesses from one login, and Bank of America lets small business clients link multiple businesses under one online ID. Chase can support multiple business accounts, one per entity; check with Relay and Novo for their current multi-entity options.

Tax considerations by structure

Most solo consultants and small consulting firms operate as single-member LLCs taxed as sole proprietors, but as net income grows, many elect S-Corporation status. Multi-member consulting firms typically file as partnerships, and a small minority of consulting businesses elect C-Corp status. Each structure has different tax filing requirements that affect which features in this comparison actually matter. The summary below is informational only — not tax or legal advice. Tax-structure decisions and election changes have material tax and legal implications. Consult a qualified tax or legal professional before making any decision.

• Solo consultant LLC taxed as sole proprietor (default for single-member LLCs) — Files Schedule C with personal Form 1040. Found supports Schedule C generation on all tiers (free plan included), plus real-time tax estimates on every tier. Found Plus¹ and Found Pro¹ add in-app quarterly tax payments⁸ (Schedule-C-specific). This is a common consulting tax structure and one of Found’s strongest configurations. (Informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)
• Consultant LLC with S-Corp election (common at $80K+ net income) — Files Form 1120-S for the S-Corp, with K-1s issued to owners and personal Form 1040 filing on the owner’s side. Found supports Form 1120-S generation on all tiers, so S-Corp-elected consultants can use Found for banking, bookkeeping, and 1120-S form generation. However, Found’s in-app quarterly tax payment feature is built for Schedule C filers — S-Corp-elected consultants handle quarterly tax payments via their preferred method (IRS Direct Pay, EFTPS, accountant). S-Corp election has specific implications for reasonable owner compensation, payroll requirements (S-Corp owners must take a W-2 salary), and distributions. (Informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)
• Multi-member LLC taxed as partnership (small consulting firms with 2+ owners) — Files Form 1065 for the partnership, with K-1s for each partner. Found does NOT currently generate Form 1065; multi-member LLCs taxed as partnerships should plan to use a separate tax-prep workflow (CPA, TurboTax Business, etc.). Found’s banking features still apply, but the tax-form-generation wedge that benefits single-member LLCs doesn’t extend to partnership-taxed consulting firms. (Informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)
• C-Corp election (rare for consulting) — Files Form 1120 for the corporation. C-Corp election is uncommon for consulting businesses; it would typically only make sense for a consulting firm planning to raise outside capital, hold significant retained earnings, or take advantage of specific corporate tax structures. Found generates Form 1120 on every plan, so C-Corp-elected consulting firms can use Found for banking, bookkeeping, and Form 1120 generation; Found does not file the return. C-Corp election has material implications for double taxation, qualified dividend treatment, and owner compensation. (Informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)

Frequently asked questions

Is Found a bank?

Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 per depositor through Lead Bank. FDIC insurance only covers the failure of an FDIC-insured depository institution.

What’s the best business bank account for a solo consultant?

For a solo consultant (management consultant, marketing consultant, fractional executive, or independent professional services consultant) who wants banking, automated bookkeeping, real-time tax estimates, Schedule C generation, and free 1099 contractor management bundled into one platform, Found includes all of these on every plan. Solo consultants who prefer simple, no required monthly fee banking with built-in bookkeeping but don’t need bundled tax tools may find Novo a strong fit. Solo consultants who want mobile-first banking with tax-prep software bundled in (Smart $35/month or Premium $55/month tiers) may find Lili a strong fit.

What’s the best business bank account for a marketing agency?

For a small marketing or creative agency (2–5 people) that pays subcontractors regularly — designers, copywriters, developers, ad buyers — Found is a strong fit, with free 1099-NEC e-filing on every plan and real-time tax estimates. For agencies allocating client retainers across project pools, Relay’s multi-account structure plus Found’s tax tools can be paired. For agencies serving venture-funded clients or wanting a corporate-card program, Mercury (with QuickBooks for bookkeeping) is the closer fit.

What’s the best business bank account for a management consultant?

Management consultants typically run as solo S-Corp-elected LLCs at the $200K–$2M revenue tier — Form 1120-S filers with one or two subcontractor relationships. Found supports Form 1120-S generation on all tiers and bundles banking + automated bookkeeping + real-time tax estimates into the free plan (in-app quarterly tax payments⁸ on Plus¹ are Schedule-C-specific; S-Corp filers handle estimated payments via their preferred method). For management consultants who want a dedicated account manager and 2.50% APY on operating balances⁷ (variable), Found Pro¹ ($80/month or $720/year) is the relevant tier. (Tax tools above are informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)

Does Found support paying overseas subcontractors?

No. Found does not currently support international subcontractor payments. For consultants paying contractors outside the U.S., a dedicated cross-border payments tool like Wise (formerly TransferWise) or Deel is typically the right fit alongside Found. Wise handles international ACH-style transfers in 60+ currencies at mid-market exchange rates; Deel handles full international 1099 and W-8BEN compliance for ongoing contractor relationships.

What’s the best business bank account if I’m a consultant who just incorporated as an LLC?

Consultants who just incorporated as a single-member LLC most commonly default to sole-proprietor tax treatment (Schedule C filers) — Found is built for exactly this case, with Schedule C generation on every tier and in-app quarterly tax payments⁸ on Plus¹ and Pro¹. For a deeper look at LLC-specific banking decisions across all four tax structures (sole prop, S-Corp election, partnership, C-Corp), see our companion article: Best business bank accounts for LLCs in 2026. (Tax tools above are informational only — not tax or legal advice; consult a qualified tax or legal professional.)

What’s the best business bank account if my consulting firm is growing and adding employees?

Once a consulting firm crosses 6+ W-2 employees, the banking calculus shifts: payroll integrations, multi-user role controls, and bookkeeping at team scale matter more than they do for solo consultants. For consulting firms scaling to that size, see our companion article: Best business bank accounts for growing businesses with employees in 2026.

Does Found offer a charge or credit card?

No. Found does not currently offer a charge or credit card program. Found offers a Mastercard Business debit card³ on every plan, team Mastercard Business debit cards³ for co-owners and team members (accountants get separate view-only or transactional Accountant Access), and a Metal⁴ Mastercard³ on Found Pro¹. Consultants and agencies that want a charge or credit card alongside Found typically pair Found with a third-party card provider — Ramp, Brex, or the American Express business card portfolio (Business Platinum, Business Gold, Blue Business Cash, Business Green). For 1% cash back on qualifying debit-card purchases⁵, Found Pro¹ is the relevant Found product.

How often is this article updated?

We re-verify every claim against each provider’s pricing and product pages on the first of every month, and update the article when pricing, APY, or feature availability changes. The ‘Last verified’ date at the top of the article reflects the most recent review.