Relay vs. Chase (2026): which is best for your business?

With the emergence of digital banking, small business owners no longer need to go to their local branch to get their business finances in order. Now, they can sign up and do all of their banking from the comfort of their own home. But how does this experience stack up against traditional banking?

To help guide your choice, we've broken down the differences between Chase—one of the most popular traditional banks among business owners—and Relay (that's us). We'll give you a full rundown of the fees, features, and functionality to help you decide with confidence.

What is Relay?

At Relay, we know how much cash flow clarity contributes to entrepreneurial success. And getting clear on your cash flow starts with business banking. That's why we worked with small business owners, their accountants, bookkeepers, and CPAs to develop a banking platform that works for everyone—from the online startup to the established brick-and-mortar operation.

Relay is built to help business owners stay on top of exactly how much they're earning, spending, and saving.

You can open a business checking account with no minimum opening deposit either online or on our mobile app. Once approved, you get an account with no monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees, and no minimum balance requirements. Each account comes with up to 20 unique checking accounts for bucketing funds, budgeting with multiple accounts, or managing cash using the Profit First method. Relay also integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Gusto, and every transaction carries detailed data to help speed up bookkeeping.

You also get up to 50 debit cards with custom withdrawal and spending limits and no ATM fees at 32,000 AllPoint ATMs. Relay's paid plans add more: the Grow plan ($30/month) unlocks automated accounts payable and multi-step bill approvals, and the Scale plan ($120/month) adds 10 free same-day ACH transfers per month.

What are Chase's business banking options?

Chase offers three small business checking options with different businesses in mind:

1. Chase Business Complete Banking: The essentials, with a $15 monthly fee that's waived if you meet one of several requirements—including a $2,000 minimum daily balance. You get unlimited debit-card purchases and electronic transactions, with a $5,000 limit on cash deposits per statement cycle.

1. Chase Performance Business Checking: For a $40 monthly fee (raised from $30 in early 2026, waived at a $35,000 combined average beginning-day balance), your cash deposit limit increases to $20,000 and you get unlimited electronic deposits and incoming wire transfers.

1. Chase Platinum Business Checking: The monthly fee is $95, waived at a $100,000 combined average beginning-day balance. The cash deposit limit increases to $25,000 and cash management support is unlocked.

Chase describes the Complete Banking account as best for small businesses, so that's our focus here.

Beyond checking, Chase offers savings accounts with interest rates near 0.01%–0.02% APY. Their savings accounts have perks for business checking customers, including waived monthly fees and higher interest. If you're looking to open both a checking and savings account, that's worth considering.

Differences between Relay and Chase

For a quick summary, here's a comparison table of the key features business owners look for in a business bank account. Then read on for a deeper breakdown of how Relay and Chase compare.

Features comparison chart

¹For Relay Subscription Plans with an interest-bearing deposit account, the interest rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on your account are accurate as of 5/1/2026 and are variable and subject to change based on the target range of the Federal Funds rate. Fees may reduce earnings. Starter Plan: 1.10% interest rate, 1.11% APY. Grow Plan: 1.74% interest rate, 1.75% APY. Scale Plan: 2.96% interest rate, 3.00% APY. Interest is paid monthly.

³The Relay Visa® Debit Card is issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.

⁵International payment services are provided by Community Federal Savings Bank ("CFSB"), a federal savings bank chartered in the United States. These services are facilitated by Nium, Inc., which operates under a program sponsored by CFSB. Relay provides access to these payment services through its platform.

⁶All testimonials, reviews, opinions or case studies presented on our website may not be indicative of all customers. Results may vary and customers agree to proceed at their own risk.

*** Please note the information on Chase's business banking services is gathered from its website and promotional materials. While we have conducted checks to ensure accuracy, the information is subject to change.

Multiple checking accounts

With a Chase checking account, you get exactly one checking account. If you want to open more, each has the same terms and conditions as the first. So if you want separate accounts for different purposes, you'd need to meet the minimum balance requirement for each—otherwise you're paying a monthly maintenance fee for every additional account.

Relay makes setting up multiple accounts easier and more affordable. We understand that using multiple bank accounts for budgeting is a great way to enable cash flow clarity, so you get up to 20 checking accounts per Relay account. This lets you create individual accounts for operating expenses, payroll, tax budgeting, and more right out of the box.

A full suite of services

Beyond bank accounts, Chase offers business loans, lines of credit, credit cards, and merchant services. Combining services is what lets you claim perks from Chase. For example, the checking account's monthly maintenance fee is waived if you spend enough on a Chase Ink Business Card or process enough card payments using Chase QuickAccept.

At Relay, we focus on working with the infrastructure you already have. Your experience isn't affected by making a switch elsewhere in your business, nor do we lock perks behind using certain products. You get the same quality banking services at a clear price.

Monthly maintenance fees

A Chase business banking account starts at $15 per month but can be waived if you meet certain requirements. To have the monthly fee waived, you must meet one of the following:

• Maintain a $2,000 minimum daily balance. This means you can't fall under $2,000 for a single day in a month.

• Spend at least $2,000 on a Chase Ink credit card during the month. This can be challenging for businesses that don't want or need a credit card.

• Accept at least $2,000 in deposits from a Chase payment processor. For businesses already on another payment solution like Square, Stripe, or Shopify, this requires a change in infrastructure.

• Link a qualifying Chase Private Client Checking account, which has its own eligibility criteria.

• Provide qualifying proof of military status.

Busy business owners shouldn't have to track these easy-to-miss details just to save on a monthly fee.

At Relay, our accounts have no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance. You get to enjoy a bank account with no monthly maintenance fees regardless of your cash flow in any given month—no unexpected fees or obsessing over account conditions.

Powered up payroll

Relay's banking platform connects directly with Gusto to enhance payroll. Setting up team access to your Relay account is easy, since you can import all employee data directly from Gusto.

To ensure no direct deposit transactions bounce, our platform notifies you if you're short of the current payroll amount. This lets you move money around ahead of paying employees, avoiding the hassle of processing payroll a second time. Once the payment is processed, the transaction in Relay gets a detailed breakdown of wages, taxes, and garnishments.

Chase does not offer payroll integrations with any providers. You'd have to log into a separate account for details on payroll payments or to confirm your balance will cover all wages, salaries, and payroll taxes.

For businesses working with contractors and freelancers, Relay also makes the 1099 process easy. Any freelancer can input their own W-9 forms and payee information, so you have one less thing to worry about when filing 1099s.

Accounts payable automation

Nobody loves the bill-paying process. That's why Relay's Grow plan comes with an automated accounts payable solution. Any bills recorded in QuickBooks or Xero are imported directly into your Relay account for review and payment.

You have full flexibility to create workflow rules that suit your organization—whether automatically approving bills under a specific limit or delegating approval to another team member. To cover a bill, you can choose between any of Relay's payment options, like ACH payments, wire transfers, and checks.

While Chase offers bill payment solutions, it lacks the ability to import bills from your accounting software or mark them paid afterward. That makes paying bills a multi-step process of reviewing the invoice in your accounting software, making the payment in your banking platform, and then going back to mark the invoice as paid.

Customer support

Some business owners choose traditional banks because they think in-person means better support. But Relay doesn't have branch hours. We're available by phone between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM ET, provide email support outside those hours, and offer online chat accessible from a web browser or our mobile banking app. You're never left waiting for a branch to open to reach our banking experts.

What are the best alternatives to Chase business banking?

If Chase's monthly fees, balance minimums, or single-account structure don't fit, several business banking alternatives are worth comparing—each with a different strength:

• Relay—no monthly maintenance fees or minimums, with up to 20 checking accounts and up to 2 savings accounts, built for cash flow organization and multi-account budgeting.

• Bluevine—business checking with a high-yield option (its Premier tier runs about $95/month) for businesses that want to earn meaningfully on their balance.

• Mercury—software-forward banking popular with startups and e-commerce businesses.

• Novo—a lightweight, fee-conscious option for solopreneurs and freelancers.

• Bank of America and Wells Fargo—legacy branch banks with a model similar to Chase: monthly fees offset by balance-based waivers and in-person service.

For a small business or LLC that values keeping money organized without monthly fees, Relay is often the closest fit; for businesses that want a single provider for loans, credit cards, and merchant services under one roof, Chase or another legacy bank may make more sense.

Choosing between Relay and Chase: what's best for your business?

The best business checking account for you depends on what you value most from a bank. A Chase account works best for businesses that want a full suite of services from a single institution. If you're looking to open a checking account, credit card, savings account, and adopt a new payment processor, Chase can be a one-stop shop—each account offers perks that make it an enticing all-in-one package, but know you'll be locked into that ecosystem.

With Relay, you get a platform that works with the tech you already have and whatever you switch to in the future. You're not locked into services you don't want, and can freely shop elsewhere for payment processing, business loans, credit cards, and more. Our in-platform tools help you budget for the future, manage team spending with up to 50 Relay Visa® Debit Cards³, and automate accounts payable. Plus you still get ATM access at 32,000+ AllPoint ATMs.

Get started today or see how we measure up against other providers like Bank of America.

³The Relay Visa® Debit Card is issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a monthly fee for a Chase business checking account?

Yes. Chase Business Complete Banking has a $15 monthly service fee, which can be waived by meeting one of several requirements. Performance Business Checking is $40/month and Platinum Business Checking is $95/month, each waived at higher balance thresholds.

How do you avoid the Chase business account fee?

On Business Complete Banking, you can waive the $15 fee by keeping a $2,000 minimum daily balance, spending $2,000 on a Chase Ink card, accepting $2,000 in Chase payment-processing deposits, linking a qualifying Chase Private Client account, or meeting Chase Military Banking requirements.

What's the best bank for a small business LLC?

It depends on how you manage money. If you want to organize cash across multiple accounts with no monthly fees or minimums, Relay is a strong fit for an LLC. If you want branch access and a full suite of loans and merchant services from one provider, Chase or another legacy bank may suit you better.

Is Relay a good alternative to Chase?

For many small businesses, yes—Relay has no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balances, up to 20 checking accounts for budgeting, and standard ACH with no per-transaction fee. Chase may be the better pick if you specifically need business credit cards, in-branch cash handling, or lending from the same institution.