Head-to-Head
Axos Bank Business Checking
Basic = $0 monthly + unlimited items + unlimited domestic ATM rebates. Interest = waivable $10 + declining-tier APY.
VS
Chartway Premium Business Checking
Credit-union business checking with tiered dividends up to 4.00% APY and a $10 fee waived at $2,500 ADB
Monthly Fee
Basic: $0 unconditional. Interest: $10/mo waived if average daily balance ≥ $5,000
$10.00/month
Checking APY
Basic: none. Interest: tiered variable — 1.01% ($0–$49,999.99), 0.20% ($50k–$249,999.99), 0.10% ($250k–$4,999,999.99), contact RM at $5M+
Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026)
Rating
8.1/10
7.7/10
Costs & Fees
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Basic: $0 unconditional. Interest: $10/mo waived if average daily balance ≥ $5,000 | $10.00/month |
| Fee waiver | Interest Checking only — $5,000 ADB waives $10 monthly fee. Basic has no monthly fee. | Waived if average daily balance of $2,500 maintained during the month. Product page also markets 'No Minimum Balance' for ongoing operation. |
| Transaction fees | Basic: unlimited items (debits, credits, deposited items). Interest: 100 free items/month then $0.50 each. RDA deposits count as 2 items; 60 RDA items/month cap on both. | Hybrid limited analysis — not classic earnings-credit. No published excess fees for ACH batches, teller visits, checks written, or electronic items. |
| Overdraft/NSF | NSF paid or returned item $25 (max $75/day); no fee if negative balance less than NSF fee. Returned deposited item $10. Linked-account OD transfer free. | Overdraft Privilege $30/transaction (can cover up to $750 per fee schedule; ODP brochure cited $500 — conflict). NSF/returned item $30. Returned deposited item $20. Opt-in required. OD transfer from linked savings/MM $0. |
| ATM fees | Axos charge $0. Unlimited domestic third-party ATM surcharge reimbursements on both products. International ATM surcharges not reimbursed. | Chartway-owned / CO-OP Network $0 Chartway fee. Out of Chartway-owned and out of CO-OP: $1 inquiry + $1 transaction (owner surcharge extra; no rebate disclosed). |
| Wire/ACH | Incoming domestic + international: $0. Outgoing domestic: $15. Basic reimburses 2 outgoing domestic wires/month. Outgoing international: $50. Online/automated transfers free. ACH origination is treasury add-on. | Outgoing domestic wire $25. Incoming domestic, incoming/outgoing international, ACH origination per-item/monthly fees not disclosed on business fee PDF. |
Interest & Yields
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Checking APY | Basic: none. Interest: tiered variable — 1.01% ($0–$49,999.99), 0.20% ($50k–$249,999.99), 0.10% ($250k–$4,999,999.99), contact RM at $5M+ | Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026) |
| Savings APY | Business Premium Savings advertised up to 3.60% APY as of 9/2/2026 — separate product, not checking APY | Business Money Market Plus separate — relationship APYs 1.25% ($10k) to 4.00% ($1M+) plus 1.00% relationship bonus with business checking and ≥$10k ADB in MM |
| FDIC coverage | Standard FDIC $250,000 per depositor per ownership category at Axos Bank (Cert 35546) |
Features & Access
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Branch/ATM network | No SMB retail branches. Any U.S. ATM with unlimited domestic surcharge rebates (~90,000+ network cited). Cash deposits at deposit-taking Allpoint+/MoneyPass ATMs only. | ~33–42 branches in VA/NC, Utah, Houston TX (2025 snapshot). CO-OP Network ~37k–50k surcharge-free ATMs plus Chartway-owned. Direct Teller ITMs expanding (~50 path cited). |
| Mobile app | iOS ~4.7; Android ~4.6 (~10.1K reviews); NerdWallet weighted ~4.52 (Feb 2026) | Chartway Mobile Banking iOS 4.5/5 (5.7K ratings); Android 4.2/5 (~2.7–2.8K reviews). General app, not separate business treasury app. |
| Virtual cards | Standard Visa debit only; virtual employee cards not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Opening deposit | Basic: none. Interest: $100 | $100 membership share |
| Eligibility | U.S. companies only — sole prop, GP, LLC, LP/LLP, C-corp, nonprofit corp, association/HOA. U.S. resident signer with SSN and physical business address required. | Sole prop, GP/LP, LLC (SMLLC may use SSN), corporation (incl. incorporated nonprofit), unincorporated association/club. Beneficial ownership required. |
Pros & Cons
Axos Bank Business Checking
Pros
- Basic: $0 monthly, $0 open, unlimited item processing (Agreement 07/2025)
- Unlimited domestic ATM surcharge rebates on both products
- Incoming domestic and international wires $0 on fee schedule
- Basic reimburses two outgoing domestic wire fees per month
- Interest Checking publishes dated deposit APY (1.01% as of 9/2/2026) with no spend gate; IntraFi ICS to $265MM
Cons
- No branches; cash is ATM/retail-constrained with possible retailer fees
- Interest Checking: $0.50/item after 100 plus 60-item RDA cap; APY falls sharply above $50k
- RDA availability can be five business days by contract
- Business support weekday-only; reviews cluster on holds, portal bugs, slow ops
- Outbound international wires $50 + undisclosed FX; no multi-currency; weak native multi-user
Chartway Premium Business Checking
Pros
- Official tiered checking APY up to 4.00% with no spend or direct-deposit gate (site Sep 2026)
- $10 monthly fee waived at relatively low $2,500 ADB
- NCUSIF insurance at federally chartered CU — not fintech/partner-bank stack
- Cash management (ACH origination + online wires) explicitly tied to Premium tier
- Loan origination and rate discounts for Premium holders; CO-OP ATM + shared-branch access
Cons
- 4% APY only at $500k+ — most SMBs earn 0.50–2.50% on lower bands
- Business fee PDF omits incoming, international, ACH origination, FX, and card replace prices
- Analysis fees on cash above $10k in+out and deposited checks above 250/month
- $250k NCUSIF only — no extended-insurance sweep for large balances
- Shared debit card number across authorized users; regional membership and branch footprint
Verdict
Axos Bank Business Checking
Axos Bank offers two online SMB checking accounts at a direct FDIC member bank (Cert 35546). Basic Business Checking is structurally cheap: $0 monthly, $0 open, unlimited items, free incoming wires, and two reimbursed outgoing domestic wires — ideal for digital SMBs. Business Interest Checking adds tiered APY (1.01% below $50k as of 9/2/2026) but charges $10 unless $5k ADB and meters items after 100. Both cap mobile deposits at 60 items with up to 5th-business-day availability. IntraFi ICS to $265MM helps large balances but checking APY collapses above $50k. Weak on branches, cash, multi-user, and 24/7 support. Price Interest against the $50k APY cliff and item cap.
Chartway Premium Business Checking
Chartway FCU Premium Business Checking is NCUSIF-insured share checking with $10/mo (waived at $2,500 ADB), $100 membership share, tiered APY to 4.00% at $500k+, and limited analysis on excess checks/cash. Outgoing domestic wires $25; many wire/ACH prices undisclosed. Treasury Management requires this tier. No ICS sweep above $250k NCUSIF. Strong for regional CU relationship and high-balance yield; weak for national digital-first SMBs and thin multi-user controls.