With all the attention paid to maximizing credit card benefits, it’s easy to forget that checking accounts can play an important role in finances, too. As a business owner, if you choose a business checking account that’s the wrong fit for your needs, you could find yourself paying hefty fees. That’s where we come in. Our reviews of business checking accounts can help you compare fees, limits, and benefits. In this review, we’ll break down the three Hancock Bank business checking accounts, as well as describe top alternatives to each account. Let’s get started.
The 3 Hancock Bank Business Checking Accounts, Reviewed
Hancock Bank Essential Business Checking
Business checking accounts with words like “essential” and “basic” in their names are typically geared toward new businesses and small businesses, and the Hancock Bank Essential Business Checking account is no exception. If you own a small business or are a sole proprietor, you probably don’t need a high cash deposit limit or a high monthly transaction limit. And if you’re a new business, you might not have the kind of cash flow security that can accommodate an account with a high minimum balance requirement.
The Hancock Bank Essential Business Checking account requires a $50 minimum initial deposit, but after that there is no minimum balance requirement and no monthly service charge. Your transactions on the account are limited, however. Up to 100 transactions per month will be free, as will up to $5,000 in monthly cash deposits. After 100 transactions, a fee of $0.50 for each transaction over 100 will kick in. The charge for exceeding the cash deposit limit is $0.15 per $100.
Monthly fees and limits:
- $50 minimum initial deposit
- No monthly service charge
- 100 free transactions per month
- $5,000 in free monthly cash deposits
Best for:
- Small or new businesses with limited cash needs
- Business owners making fewer than 100 transactions per month
Hancock Bank Interest Business Checking
As you might have gleaned from the name, the Hancock Bank Interest Business Checking account lets you earn interest on the balance in your account. This benefit kicks in for balances over $2,500, with tiered interest rates for higher deposit amounts. If you hate the thought of the money in your business checking account just sitting there without earning you any return, you may find this interest-bearing account intriguing.
The minimum deposit to open an account is $50, and there is no monthly service charge for your first 30 days as an account-holder. After that, you’ll owe a monthly service charge of $25 unless you can maintain an average daily balance of $25,000, or $50,000 across all your deposits and loans with the bank. This $50,000 limit includes your personal accounts, too.
Monthly fees and limits:
- $50 minimum initial deposit
- No monthly service charge for the first 30 days
- After the first 30 days, monthly service charge of $25 unless you maintain an average daily balance of $25,000, or a combined balance of $50,000 across your loans and deposits with the bank (including personal accounts)
- 500 free transactions per month
- $20,000 in free monthly cash deposits
Best for:
- Businesses with a high transaction volume that need plenty of free cash deposits
- Business owners who can maintain the minimum balance required to waive the monthly fee
Top Alternative to Hancock Bank Interest Business Checking: Axos Business Interest Checking
Axos Business Interest Checking is another option for business owners who want their business checking account balances to earn them some interest. The Axos account has a $100 minimum opening deposit. After that, you’ll have to maintain a $5,000 minimum average daily balance requirement to waive the $10 monthly maintenance fee.
The transaction limit on the account is lower than on the Hancock Bank Interest Business Checking account, at 100 free transactions per month. However, if you don’t have a high transaction volume and you’re really just looking for the best deal on your interest payments, it’s worth reaching out to the banks to compare the interest rates they’re offering.
Best for:
- Business owners who want to earn interest and don’t have a high transaction volume
Hancock Bank Preferred Business Checking
Last up on our rundown of the Hancock Bank business checking accounts is the Hancock Bank Preferred Business Checking account. The Hancock Bank Preferred Business checking account has the same $50 minimum opening deposit as the other accounts from the bank. There is no monthly service charge for the first 30 days. After that, a $15 monthly service charge will apply unless you can maintain an average daily balance of $5,000 in the account.
Alternatively, you could waive the fee by maintaining a combined balance of $25,000 across your loans and deposits with the bank (excluding personal accounts), by making $2,000 in monthly business credit card purchases, or by having an active Merchant Services account with Hancock Bank.
The best part of the Hancock Bank Preferred Business Checking account is the high limit on both free transactions and free cash deposits. If your monthly transactions tend to fly fast and furious and you find yourself dealing in large amounts of cash, this account could be a good fit for your needs.
Monthly fees and limits:
- $50 minimum initial deposit
- No monthly service charge for the first 30 days
- After the first 30 days, monthly service charge of $15 unless you maintain an average daily balance of $5,000, or a combined balance of $25,000 across your loans and deposits with the bank (excluding personal accounts), make $2,000 in monthly business credit card purchases, or have an active Merchant Services account with the bank
- 750 free transactions per month
- $40,000 in free monthly cash deposits
Best for:
- Businesses that need a very high transaction volume and cash deposit limit
- Business owners who have a Hancock Bank business credit card or loan and can meet the requirements to waive the monthly fee
Top Alternative to Hancock Bank Preferred Business Checking: Chase Performance
Looking for an alternative to the Hancock Bank Interest Business Checking account? We get it. It’s always good to comparison shop. An alternative you may want to consider is the Chase Performance account. This account comes with a $200 welcome bonus. You’ll need at least $25 as an opening deposit. Once you have an account, a monthly fee of $30 will apply unless you can maintain a minimum balance of $35,000.
You’ll get 250 transactions free per month, plus unlimited electronic deposits and incoming wires. The free cash deposit limit is $20,000 per month. If you’re running more of a midsize business and you don’t need quite as many free transactions as the Hancock Bank Preferred Business Checking account offers, the Chase Performance account could be more your speed. It’s geared toward midsize businesses.
Bottom Line on Hancock Bank Business Checking Accounts
Each of the three Hancock Bank business checking accounts does something a little different. Before you decide between one of the three accounts, the alternatives we’ve discussed here, or another account entirely, it’s worth doing your homework. How many transactions do you make in a month? How much cash do you deposit? What’s your average daily balance? Armed with the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to make an informed decision that can help you maximize benefits and minimize fees.
Sally Lauckner
Sally Lauckner is the editor-in-chief of the Fundera Ledger and the editorial director at Fundera.
Sally has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Previously she was the senior editor at SmartAsset—a Y Combinator-backed fintech startup that provides personal finance advice. There she edited articles and data reports on topics including taxes, mortgages, banking, credit cards, investing, insurance, and retirement planning. She has also held various editorial roles at AOL.com, Huffington Post, and Glamour magazine. Her work has also appeared in Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan magazines.