Head-to-Head
Brex Business Account
Startup / mid-market treasury + multi-user spend platform; $0 banking fees; no cash/ATM
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
$0 banking. Software: Essentials $0/user; Premium $12/user; Enterprise custom.
$10.00/month
Checking APY
None — uninvested Checking cash earns no yield
Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026)
Rating
8.6/10
7.7/10
Costs & Fees
| Metric | Brex Business Account | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | $0 banking. Software: Essentials $0/user; Premium $12/user; Enterprise custom. | $10.00/month |
| Fee waiver | N/A — banking already $0; software is plan-priced | Waived if average daily balance of $2,500 maintained during the month. Product page also markets 'No Minimum Balance' for ongoing operation. |
| Transaction fees | No published per-item or excess-item fees. Effectively unlimited electronic items at $0. | Hybrid limited analysis — not classic earnings-credit. No published excess fees for ACH batches, teller visits, checks written, or electronic items. |
| Overdraft/NSF | Overdrafts not permitted. Dollar fee amounts not disclosed. Negative 30+ days → closure per Column DDA. | 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 | Not offered — no ATM network. No cash withdrawal from account or Brex cards. | 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/outgoing domestic and international wires $0 Brex-issued. ACH domestic and international $0. Intermediary/recipient fees possible. Customer reimburses intermediary costs per Column DDA. | Outgoing domestic wire $25. Incoming domestic, incoming/outgoing international, ACH origination per-item/monthly fees not disclosed on business fee PDF. |
Interest & Yields
| Metric | Brex Business Account | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Checking APY | None — uninvested Checking cash earns no yield | Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026) |
| Savings 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 | Checking: $250,000 at Column N.A. per ownership category (all sub-accounts share cap) |
Features & Access
| Metric | Brex Business Account | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Branch/ATM network | None. No branches, ATMs, or cash rails. | ~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 | Google Play 4.6 (~2.16k–2.18k reviews). iOS U.S. rating should be re-checked live. | 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 | Included — charge card product with spend limits and policies (Premium: multiple customizable policies) | Not disclosed |
| Opening deposit | $0 | $100 membership share |
| Eligibility | U.S.-organized C-corp, S-corp, LLC, LLP only. Not sole props, consumers, unincorporated partnerships, or foreign-registered entities. Nonprofits case-by-case. | Sole prop, GP/LP, LLC (SMLLC may use SSN), corporation (incl. incorporated nonprofit), unincorporated association/club. Beneficial ownership required. |
Pros & Cons
Brex Business Account
Pros
- $0 opening, maintenance, ACH, check, and wire fees (Brex-issued)
- Three-bucket design: Column DDA + up to $6M Vault sweep + DGVXX Treasury (3.71% as of 09/01/26)
- 512 sub-checking accounts with distinct account/routing numbers
- Same-day outbound ACH at $0; 3:15 p.m. ET cutoff documented
- Tight coupling to expense, bill-pay, virtual charge cards, and API
Cons
- No cash, no ATM, no branches
- Checking and Vault earn 0%; Treasury yield is MMF/SIPC, not FDIC checking APY
- Eligibility excludes sole props and foreign entities; scale screen plus abrupt closure history
- Checking FDIC only $250k across all sub-accounts; $6M is sweep-only with caveats
- Card FX up to 3%; Premium software $12/user; wire FX markup not published
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
Brex Business Account
Brex business account is a three-bucket cash-management stack at Column N.A. (FDIC #58224, routing 121145349). Checking 0% APY with $250k FDIC shared across 512 sub-accounts. Vault sweeps to program banks for up to $6M FDIC (0% yield). Treasury in DGVXX via Brex Treasury LLC — up to 3.71% 7-day yield as of 09/01/26, not FDIC. Banking fees $0 on ACH/wires/checks. No cash/ATM/branches. Corp/LLC/LLP only; scale underwriting. Premium $12/user. Capital One acquired Brex Apr 2026. Closure risk is operational concern — keep backup bank. $1,000 card promo through Sep 30, 2026.
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.