The Fintech Index
20 reviews 5 categories 1 research report Updated Sep 23, 2026
BNK / Business banking & treasury

Mercury

Business banking platform covering checking, savings and cards, with treasury and bill pay, provided by partner banks. Privately held. Based in San Francisco, California.

Founded
2017
Ownership
Private

Best for

Startups and small firms in the US wanting free business banking, a fee schedule that is clear, and one place for bill pay, cards and treasury.

Not ideal for

Firms needing deep controls on expenses across many entities, phone-based support, or accounts not in the US.

Verdict

Mercury is this group's most complete free account for business. Checking and savings carry neither monthly nor overdraft fees, while ACH and domestic wires cost nothing, and partner-bank sweep networks supply FDIC coverage of up to $5M. A buyer can calculate the entire cost on the pricing page, which lists plan prices along with wire and FX fees.

The limits appear around the edges. Treasury requires $250K held across accounts at Mercury, smaller accounts repay the IO card each day, and support is available by chat and email with no phone line. Mercury has conditional approval for its own bank charter and still depends on Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.

Score breakdown

How Mercury is scored on criteria buyers in this category care about.

Buyer outcomes

Accounts and payments8.6

Free checking and savings: no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, free ACH, free domestic wires and free USD international wires, and FDIC coverage of up to $5M via partner-bank sweep networks.

Cards and spend controls7.4

IO Mastercard returns 1.5% cashback, with limits tied to Mercury balances, and lower-balance accounts begin on daily repayment. Controls on expenses are lighter than on platforms built for spend.

Treasury and yield7.8

Mercury Treasury cites up to 3.91% net for September 18, 2026, only when total balances reach $250K, and the top rate requires more than $20M inside an ultra-short bond fund.

Accounting integrations7.5

Connects to QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite, while NetSuite's enriched integration requires a paid plan. An API is offered.

Company and commercial

Product depth and roadmap8.2

Includes credit, banking, treasury, invoicing, bill pay, loans and accounting software, with conditional OCC approval for forming Mercury Bank, N.A.

Onboarding and support7.5

In-app chat runs at all hours, with typical replies inside five minutes, plus a public status page and email. There is no public phone line, and relationship managers are offered for Pro plans or for accounts with balances above $10M.

Pricing transparency8.7

Published plans cost $0, $35 and $350 per month, and fees for wires, FX and treasury are listed.

Contract terms7.8

Base plan carries no minimum balance and no monthly fee. Loans are unavailable for businesses that operate in California, while treasury begins at $250K.

The field at a glance

Placement of Mercury by Overall Score among Business banking & treasury companies reviewed by us.

Use-case fit

Use caseFitNotes
Startup operating account at no chargeStrongNo monthly fees, with ACH and domestic wires free.
Keeping large cash balancesStrongSweep networks bring FDIC coverage of up to $5M, while Treasury opens at $250K.
Managing expenses company-wideMixedCards and bill pay serve well, but policy controls run lighter than with Brex or Ramp.
Multi-currency operations beyond the USPoorAccounts serve US-registered businesses, and non-USD wires include a 1% conversion fee.

Who it's for

Good fit

  • US startups seeking a free account with published fees
  • Firms holding several million dollars and seeking wider FDIC coverage
  • Small finance teams comfortable with chat support and a self-serve setup

Poor fit

  • Businesses registered outside the US
  • Enterprises needing deep multi-entity controls on spend
  • Teams expecting phone support

Key facts

ProductsIO credit card, checking and savings, working capital loans, bill pay, invoicing and Treasury Source
Partner banksMembers FDIC: Choice Financial Group, Column N.A. Source
Deposit coverageFDIC insurance of up to $5M via partner banks and the sweep networks they run Source
Plans$0, $35 or $350 per month, less if billed annually, and custom plans Source
TreasuryNet yield up to 3.91% on September 18, 2026, and a minimum of $250K Source
Bank charterOCC conditional approval in April 2026 for Mercury Bank, N.A. Source

Sources

  1. Mercury pricing: https://mercury.com/pricing (As of September 23, 2026)
  2. Mercury business banking: https://mercury.com/business-banking (As of September 23, 2026)
  3. Mercury IO credit card: https://mercury.com/credit (As of September 23, 2026)
  4. Mercury Treasury: https://mercury.com/treasury (As of September 23, 2026)
  5. Mercury accounting integrations: https://mercury.com/accounting-integrations (As of September 23, 2026)
  6. Mercury banking disclosures: https://mercury.com/legal/disclosures/business-banking (As of September 23, 2026)
  7. Mercury support contact options: https://support.mercury.com/hc/en-us/articles/31501481890708-Contacting-our-Support-Team (As of September 23, 2026)
  8. Mercury national bank charter application: https://mercury.com/blog/occ-national-bank-charter-application (As of September 23, 2026)
  9. Mercury Series D announcement: https://mercury.com/blog/series-d-announcement (As of September 23, 2026)
  10. Mercury Technologies on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Technologies (As of September 23, 2026)

Methodology

This page sets out an independent evaluation of Mercury for companies choosing a provider in Business banking & treasury. The Fintech Index accepts no payment for placement, sponsorship or advertising, and Mercury paid nothing for this review.

The Overall Score averages eight criteria, each given a score from 0 to 10. Four measure outcomes that matter to buyers in this category, and four address the company, including its commercial terms.

Scores are our editorial reading of public information: filings, compliance disclosures, product documentation, and pricing and legal pages. Lab tests were not run and accounts were not opened for this review. We checked the facts on September 23, 2026.