Head-to-Head
Axos Bank Business Checking
Basic = $0 monthly + unlimited items + unlimited domestic ATM rebates. Interest = waivable $10 + declining-tier APY.
VS
Primis Business Checking
$0 monthly + $1 open; pick 1% debit cash-back or 1.75% checking APY, plus 4.00% business savings — online nationwide, cash only in VA/MD footprint
Monthly Fee
Basic: $0 unconditional. Interest: $10/mo waived if average daily balance ≥ $5,000
$0 unconditional on all three digital products
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+
Unlimited: 0% APY (1% debit cash-back reward). Pro: 1.75% APY on all balances, no tiers, no earnings limit.
Rating
8.1/10
8.4/10
Costs & Fees
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Primis Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | Basic: $0 unconditional. Interest: $10/mo waived if average daily balance ≥ $5,000 | $0 unconditional on all three digital products |
| Fee waiver | Interest Checking only — $5,000 ADB waives $10 monthly fee. Basic has no monthly fee. | N/A — already $0; no balance or activity waiver needed |
| 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. | No per-item fees on digital line. Marketing 'unlimited transactions'; operational channel caps on ACH/wires/ATM apply (see limits). |
| 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. | $0 NSF; $0 overdraft item; $0 return deposited item. Not an invitation to overdraw; bank may return items. OD protection not disclosed as priced product. |
| ATM fees | Axos charge $0. Unlimited domestic third-party ATM surcharge reimbursements on both products. International ATM surcharges not reimbursed. | Primis ATM $0. Any U.S. ATM — no Primis fee; foreign operator surcharge rebated (~15th of month; account must remain open). Daily ATM cash-out cap $550. |
| 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. | Incoming domestic wire $0 (+ originating-bank fee refund + $10 if requested within 30 days with docs). Outgoing domestic $5. Incoming intl $0. Outgoing intl $35 (FX markup not disclosed). App ACH in/out $0 but volume capped. |
Interest & Yields
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Primis 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+ | Unlimited: 0% APY (1% debit cash-back reward). Pro: 1.75% APY on all balances, no tiers, no earnings limit. |
| Savings APY | Business Premium Savings advertised up to 3.60% APY as of 9/2/2026 — separate product, not checking APY | Business Savings: 4.00% APY on all balances; no account maximum on marketing. Separate account from checking. |
| FDIC coverage | Standard FDIC $250,000 per depositor per ownership category at Axos Bank (Cert 35546) | Standard FDIC $250,000 per depositor per ownership category at Primis Bank. Primis + 316 Financial + Panacea aggregate. |
Features & Access
| Metric | Axos Bank Business Checking | Primis 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. | 24 full-service VA/MD branches (YE2025). Any U.S. ATM for withdrawal — surcharge rebate on checking. Cash deposit at ATM implied Primis machines in VA/MD only. |
| Mobile app | iOS ~4.7; Android ~4.6 (~10.1K reviews); NerdWallet weighted ~4.52 (Feb 2026) | Primis Digital Banking iOS ~4.6 (289 ratings); Android ~4.9 (~232 reviews). Legacy Classic Business Android ~3.0 (~29) — treat as deprecated. |
| Virtual cards | Standard Visa debit only; virtual employee cards not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Opening deposit | Basic: none. Interest: $100 | $1.00 |
| 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 props and small business marketed. Entity list not fully published. Beneficial ownership information 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
Primis Business Checking
Pros
- Unconditional $0 monthly, $0 NSF/OD, $0 item fees on digital line (12/1/2025 schedule)
- $1 opening; Pro 1.75% APY and Business Savings 4.00% APY with no balance tiers (stamp 7/1/2025; observed 9/1/2026)
- Incoming wires $0 plus originating-fee refund + $10 program
- Nationwide ATM surcharge rebate; automatic extra FDIC up to $2M on Business Savings
- V1BE free cash courier in Mid-Atlantic; real Virginia-chartered FDIC bank (Cert. 57968)
Cons
- Marketing 'no fees' conflicts with $5 domestic / $35 international outgoing wires and ancillary fees
- App ACH capped at $18,000/day and $100,000/month undercuts 'unlimited' claim
- Cash deposit regional only — VA/MD branches and V1BE, no national retail rail
- Integrations and multi-user controls thin vs specialist business banks; export-only QBO
- Digital products unavailable in PR/territories; reviews cite denials, freezes, hold friction
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.
Primis Business Checking
Primis Bank (FDIC Cert. 57968) offers a digital trio: Unlimited (1% debit cash-back), Pro (1.75% APY), Business Savings (4.00% APY), each $1 to open and $0 monthly. Fee schedule (12/1/2025) prices outgoing wires at $5/$35 despite 'no fees' marketing. Channel limits bind before item fees: app ACH $18k/day and $100k/month. Savings auto-sweeps for up to $2M FDIC. Bill pay, positive pay, and cash-flow analytics included; not a full treasury stack. Strong yield-focused pick for modest-volume digital SMBs.