Head-to-Head
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
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 unconditional on all three digital products
$10.00/month
Checking APY
Unlimited: 0% APY (1% debit cash-back reward). Pro: 1.75% APY on all balances, no tiers, no earnings limit.
Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026)
Rating
8.4/10
7.7/10
Costs & Fees
| Metric | Primis Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly maintenance | $0 unconditional on all three digital products | $10.00/month |
| Fee waiver | N/A — already $0; no balance or activity waiver needed | 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 per-item fees on digital line. Marketing 'unlimited transactions'; operational channel caps on ACH/wires/ATM apply (see limits). | Hybrid limited analysis — not classic earnings-credit. No published excess fees for ACH batches, teller visits, checks written, or electronic items. |
| Overdraft/NSF | $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. | 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 | 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. | 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 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. | Outgoing domestic wire $25. Incoming domestic, incoming/outgoing international, ACH origination per-item/monthly fees not disclosed on business fee PDF. |
Interest & Yields
| Metric | Primis Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Checking APY | Unlimited: 0% APY (1% debit cash-back reward). Pro: 1.75% APY on all balances, no tiers, no earnings limit. | Tiered variable share dividends — progressive bands by balance (site Sep 2026) |
| Savings APY | Business Savings: 4.00% APY on all balances; no account maximum on marketing. Separate account from checking. | 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 Primis Bank. Primis + 316 Financial + Panacea aggregate. |
Features & Access
| Metric | Primis Business Checking | Chartway Premium Business Checking |
|---|---|---|
| Branch/ATM network | 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. | ~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 | Primis Digital Banking iOS ~4.6 (289 ratings); Android ~4.9 (~232 reviews). Legacy Classic Business Android ~3.0 (~29) — treat as deprecated. | 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 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Opening deposit | $1.00 | $100 membership share |
| Eligibility | Sole props and small business marketed. Entity list not fully published. Beneficial ownership information required. | Sole prop, GP/LP, LLC (SMLLC may use SSN), corporation (incl. incorporated nonprofit), unincorporated association/club. Beneficial ownership required. |
Pros & Cons
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
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
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.
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.