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The latest Amazon Prime Day sales event is coming on October 10 and 11 in the form of a “Prime Big Deal Days” sale, and it should bring another round of great Prime Day Apple deals.

The Prime Day event in July saw considerable discounts on MacBooks, Apple Watches, AirPods, and some of the best iPads, among other Apple products. Amazon’s sale hasn’t arrived yet, but there are several Apple deals available right now.

While we’d be tempted to hold off for an extra ten bucks or so off AirPods (that’s a regular theme on Prime Day), there’s an epic $250 off the M1 MacBook Air that we’d advise you to pounce on right now. That’s the lowest-ever price, and there’s a chance it won’t go cheaper for the rest of the year. It’s hovered around this $750 price since summer, though $200 off is the ‘usual’ deal. Check it out below, and check back on Tuesday to see updated Prime Day deals on these Apple devices and other products.

The best Apple deals you can buy today

Prime Day Apple deals buying advice

When is Amazon Prime Day 2023?

The next Amazon Prime Day sales event in 2023 is set to take place on October 10 and 11. Amazon is calling the two-day event “Prime Big Deal Days.”

Last year, Amazon held a similar mid-October sales event called “Prime Early Access Sale.”

The main Prime Day sales event of 2023, which had the traditional “Amazon Prime Day” designation, took place on July 11 and 12.

Is Prime Day good for Apple deals?

Prime Day sales events often bring solid discounts to Apple products like MacBooks, Apple Watches, AirPods, iPads, and a range of related accessories, but you won’t typically see deals of note on any of the best iPhones. 

Do you need a Prime membership to get access to deals? 

Yes, Prime Day deals, including those in October’s coming “Prime Big Deal Days” event, are exclusive to people and households with Amazon Prime subscriptions. If you’re interested in trying out the service, you can sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial. 

• Israeli officials called on armed civilians to guard their towns following attacks by Hamas. 
• Hamas launched an attack from Gaza on Saturday. Israel has since declared a “state of war.” 
• Ziv Cohen, a tour guide from Mazkeret Batya, is one of the civilians who volunteered to stand guard. 

Ziv Cohen woke up at about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday to the rumble of someone moving furniture in the apartment above him.

“Then, suddenly, after it continued again and again, it came to my head that I’m on the top floor,” Cohen told Insider. “There is no one above me to move a chair. It was an attack.”

Cohen, 54, was actually hearing “barrages of rockets” launched early Saturday by Hamas, the political and military organization governing the Gaza Strip that the United States designates a terrorist organization. The attack has so far killed 150 people and wounded hundreds more. 

In the following hours, Israel officially declared “a state of war,” launching air strikes on densely populated Gaza in response. Israel has held Gaza under a severe blockade since Hamas gained power in 2007, restricting the movement of goods and people. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least 200 have so far been killed in Gaza. 

Local municipalities in Israel are now calling on armed civilians to guard their own communities.

Cohen, a tour guide from Mazkeret Batya, a small town about 24 miles from Gaza, is one of them. 

Cohen told Insider that officials from Mazkeret Batya, close enough to Gaza to be targeted by this morning’s rockets, called for all civilians who are armed and willing to volunteer to do so.

“They said everyone who has a licensed weapon with him is being called to join the group that is guarding and watching the community,” Cohen said. “Israel is in a war. We have to protect ourselves in every house, in every home, in every town.”

Cohen, who has a pistol, volunteered to stand guard at one of the town’s entrances. 

Cohen said he’s stationed at one of the town’s main gates for his three-hour shift, which will stretch into Saturday night. There, he parked his car — a minivan, which on a typical day he’d use to guide tourists around Jerusalem and nearby historical sites — in the road, creating a blockade to slow down traffic. 

He said his team’s responsibility would be to speak with drivers and inspect their cars as they come into town. 

Though the rockets struck homes and cars in his neighborhood this morning, Cohen said he wasn’t nervous to stand guard. He said the job comes with an inherent risk, “but this is something that you don’t think about. You make your duty, and everything has a risk in life.”

Hamas’ surprise attack came on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

“Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address. “This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours.”

• Virtual try-on tech is taking the guesswork out of fit and offering more flexibility for customers.
• It may also be better for retailers’ bottom lines because it can decrease return rates.
• Virtual try-on tech comes in a few different forms using AI and AR.
• This story is part of “Revolutionizing Customer Experience With AI,” a series exploring the game-changing technologies driving customer interactions.

The way we shop is drastically changing, from buy-now, pay-later programs to livestream shows. 

But as online sales have increased, so has the number of returns. Since it can be difficult to tell how something looks on you online, many customers have embraced “bracketing,” or buying the same product in multiple sizes or colors with the intention of returning whatever they don’t like. 

Many stores have begun charging customers for returns to offset the costs. In 2022, Insider Intelligence reported that online returns cost the retail industry $280 billion. But what if there was a way to prevent so many returns in the first place?

That’s where virtual try-on technology comes in. Instead of relying on photos of models wearing the clothes, customers can see themselves in the clothes with virtual try-on tools. 

“If you’re guessing how something might look or how it might hang on you from a picture of somebody totally different, then inevitably that’s going to lead to people being disappointed when they actually receive the item,” Alexander Berend, the CEO of the AI-imaging software company Anthropics Technology, said.

Virtual try-on is taking the guesswork out of fit for customers, and proving to be better for retailers’ bottom lines. 

“Brands can expand the possibility of conversion and discoverability of their products and also reduce returns because customers would make more conscious decisions,” Natalia Modenova, a cofounder of the digital fashion retailer DressX, said.

The founders of two virtual try-on startups, DressX and Zyler, explained the technology and how it can benefit retailers. 

How virtual try-on tech works

Virtual try-on tech comes in a few different forms using AI and augmented reality, or AR. 

One way is an online-shopping model that allows customers to see themselves in clothing before they purchase it. Anthropics Technology has created an AI try-on tool called Zyler using this strategy.

While some tools require a full-body image of the customer, Berend said that Zyler requires only a few measurements and a picture of the customer’s face. 

“We start from the clothes themselves and put the customer into the clothes,” he said, adding that this can be easier for customers to do since they can upload a selfie that they’ve already taken.

Then there is technology that could make in-store purchases easier. DressX is a digital fashion retailer that has been testing an AR mirror. Customers can stand in front of the screen and try on garments without having to physically change in and out of them. 

“If you are not sure about what color of the dress you’re going to like better, you don’t have to take it on and take it off in a changing room,” Modenova said. “You can just swipe and see yourself on the screen and discover even more products from the brand than you would do if you would go in the traditional fitting room.”

Finally, there is technology that allows customers to purchase clothing that only exists online. Once a customer buys a digital-fashion piece on DressX, such as a dress or a jacket, the tech superimposes the piece onto a photo that the customer uploads. DressX uses AI and AR to ensure the clothing fits with a person’s body shape, pose, and — if it’s a video — movement.

“The time of purchase can be more interactive,” Daria Shapovalova, a cofounder of DressX, said. “It’ll provide more opportunity to understand if you really need this item or maybe you can wear this particular item just on your post on social media and then choose something that you will wear every day instead.”

Fewer returns, better for the environment  

The selling point for virtual try-on tech is twofold. First, it can reduce returns by helping customers make more informed purchases. 

“There’s a few different reasons why people return clothes,” Berend said. “People try it on and then they just don’t like how it looks on them, or it could be that it doesn’t fit, or it could be that you don’t like the feel of the clothes. Virtual try-on really goes to those first two in a big way.”

Brands such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis Fashion Rental, and Alfa Vega have used Zyler. “We’ve been seeing declines of about 10% in return rates from people using us,” Berend said.

Second, reducing returns is better for the environment because it saves on wasted inventory and shipping emissions.

In Europe, new legislation requiring fashion companies to cut down on waste could go into effect as soon as 2028, Reuters reported. “Fashion brands want to be aware of how else they can be more sustainable because there are certain guidelines for them now,” Shapovalova said. 

While virtual try-on technology is readily available, retailers have been slow to adopt AI technology. 

“The clothing industry tends to be fairly conservative,” Berend said. “We come from a tech background, which tends to be much more willing to shake things up and see what works.”

• Barack and Michelle Obama met at a Chicago law firm where she was assigned to mentor him.
• They wed in 1992, have two children, and spent eight years in the White House.
• Michelle has been candid about rough patches during their 31-year marriage.

Barack and Michelle Obama celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary on Tuesday.

“Happy anniversary, sweetheart! @MichelleObama, you’re brilliant, kind, funny, and beautiful — and I’m lucky to call you mine,” the former president wrote on Instagram.

The couple met in 1989 when Michelle was assigned to mentor Barack at a Chicago law firm. They wed in 1992.

Here’s a timeline of the former first couple’s relationship.

• In August, home prices climbed a seasonally adjusted 0.68% from July, hitting a record high for the fourth consecutive month, per Black Knight.
• Prices in nearly half the nation’s 50 largest markets climbed by 0.75% or more.
• “Even on a non-adjusted basis, August’s gain of +0.24% was more than 60% larger than the 25-year average for the month.”

Home prices climbed in August and hit a record for the fourth consecutive month, according to Black Knight data released Monday. 

Compared to July, home prices were up in August a seasonally adjusted 0.68%, and prices climbed in nearly half of the nation’s 50 largest markets by 0.75% or more.

Nationally, prices are now 2.5% above the 2022 peak on a seasonally adjusted basis, Intercontinental Exchange data shows.

“After essentially flattening earlier this year, year-over-year home price growth has been reaccelerating for the last few months,” said ICE vice president of enterprise research, Andy Walden. “Even on a non-adjusted basis, August’s gain of +0.24% was more than 60% larger than the 25-year average for the month. Either way you look at it, the increase was sufficient to push annual appreciation up to a stronger-than-expected +3.8%.”

He added that August marked the third month of “clear acceleration” in home price growth at the national level.

There could be some reprieve in store for buyers this fall, though. According to Zillow, the housing market is actually showing signs of cooling in a rare moment of opportunity for buyers this year. The percentage of home listings that had a price cut jumped 9.2% in the week leading to September 16, the real estate firm said in a note Thursday. 

“For determined buyers, with enough budget room to accommodate the recent jump in mortgage rates, this fall is looking more and more like a sweet spot: There are more motivated sellers and more active listings overall than any time since last December, improving buyers’ chance to find the right fit,” Zillow senior economist Jeff Tucker said. 

While competition among homebuyers has kept prices elevated, high mortgage rates have also pushed many potential house hunters to the sidelines. Last week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.31%, per Freddie Mac, the highest level in over two decades.

Zillow economists have previously predicted home prices would steadily increase through the first half of next year, regardless of the current signs of cooling. 

• Russia is painting silhouettes of its valuable Tu-95 strategic bombers on the tarmac of an air base.
• The decoys could be an attempt to confuse possible Ukrainian strikes, The War Zone reported.
• But they are easy to spot even on commercially available satellite imagery.

Russia is painting the silhouettes of its prized Tu-95MS strategic bombers at its main bomber base as a decoy, a report says.

Satellite imagery obtained by The War Zone shows the two-dimensional painted decoys on the tarmac of Engels-2, a strategic bomber base east of Saratov in Russia.

The War Zone noted that the pictured decoys might be made with a cloth or canvas, but it said paint was most likely given the lack of dimension seen in the images taken on September 29 by Planet Labs.

An image of decoys can be seen here.

Russia has been known to attempt makeshift defenses of its bombers at the base, previously using car tires to shield its Tu-95s.

The newly pictured decoys appear to also have what looks like car tires depicted on them, suggesting that they have tried hard to make them appear realistic.

The Engels air base has come under attack several times since the conflict in Ukraine began, despite being deep in Russian territory, hundreds of miles southeast of Moscow.

Russia blamed the attacks on Ukraine, but Kyiv did not claim them, keeping in line with its policy to not claim attacks on Russian soil.

The decoy paintings at Engels-2 could be aimed at confusing any possible Ukrainian strike operations or drone operators.

However, The War Zone notes that they are unlikely to be effective, given that it is easy to spot as fake even in commercially available satellite imagery.

The use  of infrared reflective or absorptive paints could confuse weapons like cruise missiles, but it’s unclear how effective the two-dimensional decoys will be, the outlet said.

Decoys can be highly effective

Decoys — whether they’re inflatable, wooden knockoffs, or high-quality lookalikes — can be highly effective on the battlefield, say military experts

Russia has used various decoy tactics on the battlefield in Ukraine, including using inflatable tanks.

A military expert previously told Insider that those decoys were unlikely to work as they were not very convincing.

Ukraine has also deployed decoys during the conflict, including fake wooden tanks, fake rocket launchers made of wood, and decoy radar reflectors made of cut-up barrels designed to lure Russia into using up valuable munitions.

They are mainly used to trick enemy forces into wasting ammo and potentially giving away their position. They are also a lot cheaper than real tanks and can be transported quickly, he said

• As a beginner, it can be difficult to navigate Facebook’s basic features
• There are also hidden hacks to make the flow of information easier to manage.
• From notification management to data conservation to saving favorites, Facebook offers lots of ways to customize.

Over three billion people — almost 40% of the world’s population — are active on Facebook every month, the company said during the second-quarter 2023 Meta earnings results announcement. 

1. Save posts

See something interesting in your News Feed but don’t have time to look at it now? You can save it for later.

Click the three dots next to any post and hit “Save post.”

Your bookmarked links, videos, photos, places, and more are accessible from the “Saved” page on your Facebook profile. The page is included under the “Menu” tab in the Facebook mobile app.

2. Turn off auto-playing videos in your News Feed.

If you don’t want videos on Facebook automatically playing when you scroll past them in your News Feed, make sure to turn the setting off.

Under Menu tab on the righthand side of the Facebook mobile app, tap Settings & Privacy, and then under Preferences, select “Media.” From there, under Autoplay,  you can choose to auto-play videos over cellular and Wi-Fi connections, just Wi-Fi, or never.

3. Unfollow people without unfriending them

If you want to stop seeing someone’s posts in your News Feed but don’t have the guts to completely unfriend them, you can unfollow them to hide their activity.

From someone’s profile in the Facebook mobile app, tap on “Friends” under their profile picture and then “Unfollow” to get rid of their posts completely. You can also tap the three dots next to a post and select “Unfollow” or “Snooze,” which will temporarily Unfollow the person for 30 days.

You can do this for multiple people in the Settings section of Facebook, under News Feed Preferences.

4. See your Facebook activity on the same day from years past.

Facebook’s “On This Day” feature shows your activity on its social network on the same day from years past. Think of it like your personal time capsule on Facebook.

Only you see your “On This Day” activity, and you can find the feature from the link facebook.com/memories. Facebook also lets you hide certain people from showing up in your past activity, which is helpful for not seeing memories of your ex. You can also hide certain dates, or choose whether Facebook sends you notifications of all memories, highlights, or none at all.

5. Activity Log

Your Activity Log shows everything you’ve liked, shared, and commented on in the past. Tap the Menu tab, then tap your name. Under your name on your profile, next to “Edit Profile,” tap the three dots and select “Activity Log.”

You can also go to the Menu tab, under Settings, scroll to “Your Activity” to find the Activity Log.

Your Activity Log on Facebook documents all of your activity on the social network. It’s easily accessible on your profile from both the mobile app and desktop site.

6. Favorites

If there are certain people or pages you want to see first in your News Feed no matter what, you can select them in the Facebook mobile app. 

Tap “Settings” under the app’s Menu tab and then “News Feed Preferences” to get started.

People and pages you’ve marked to see first will have a little blue star next to their posts in your feed.

7. Tell people how to pronounce your name correctly.

Sick of people pronouncing your name wrong? You can teach them on Facebook.

In the app on your profile, tap “Edit Profile,” then at the bottom, tap “Edit Your About Info.” Scroll below “Basic Info.” You can also add a nickname or maiden name for yourself to display with your profile.

8. Friend vs. Follower

There are two ways you can connect with someone on Facebook: by becoming friends with them or by following them. 

Being friends means that you and the other person have approved the connection and likely know each other, while following an account means that the person hasn’t added you back as a friend.

When someone follows you, they’ll only see posts you share publicly. You can turn off the ability for people to follow your account at any time from the “Followers” section of your account settings.

9. Post-specific privacy options

Your Facebook posts can be shared with your friends, specific friends, or anyone on the Internet. 

You can select these sharing options on a case-by-case from the drop-down menu at the top right of a post. On the mobile app, select “Edit Privacy” and select one of the options. From the desktop, just click the little friends or globe icon next to a post’s time stamp.

If you want everyone except a few people to see a post, you can choose to hide it from specific people by selecting “Friends except…” on the mobile app and “Custom” on the desktop. If you’ve created Friend Lists on Facebook, you can also hide posts from entire lists.

If you’ve tagged people in the post, you can also choose whether their friends can see it.

10. See what your profile looks like to others

This is handy for seeing what on your profile is visible to others, including individual friends you may have hidden certain information from in the past.

On the app, go to your profile, click the ellipsis next to “Edit Profile,” and then “View as…” You can type in any name, from friends to non-friends, to see what your profile looks like to them.

11. Hide your list of friends from everyone but you.

If, for some reason, you don’t want people seeing who you’re friends with, you can hide the list entirely.

On the desktop, click the “Friends” tab on your profile, then next to “Find Friends,” click the ellipses and then “Edit Privacy.” Then, you can change who can see your friends list, the people you follow, and your followers.

12. Hide your relationship status change from your friends.

It could be potentially disastrous for your Facebook friends to see your relationship status change. The good news is that you can prevent relationship changes from being seen by anyone except you. This means the change won’t appear in your friends’ News Feeds.

In the app on your profile, tap “Edit Profile,” then at the bottom, tap “Edit Your About Info.” Scroll down to “Relationship,” change the privacy filter to “Only Me.”

13. Block people from being able to contact you.

If someone is spamming you with messages or you just want to ensure they can’t see your profile, go to their profile page and click on the three dots to the far right. Select “Block.”

14. See everywhere you’re logged into Facebook and remotely log out.

From the Facebook mobile app, tap the far right Menu tab, then Settings, Accounts Center, Password & Security, and finally, “Where You’re Logged In.” You’ll see all your Meta accounts. You can open details for each session and log out of Facebook if you like.

From your Security Settings on Facebook’s desktop site, the “Where You’re Logged In” menu shows active logins and lets you end them.

15. Get alerted whenever a log-in attempt is made for your account.

Facebook Login Alerts and Login Approvals can be enabled under Security Settings in the mobile app and desktop site.

From the Facebook mobile app, tap the far right Menu tab, then Settings, Accounts Center, Password & Security, and under Security Checks, “Login Alerts.”

You can choose to get in-app notifications or email whenever a login is made to your Meta accounts. Login Approvals mean that you must enter a secondary code sent to your phone before logging in to Facebook on a new device.

16. Unsubscribe from notifications for posts you’ve commented on.

We’ve all probably commented on a post and regretted it later because of the onslaught of notifications that followed from other people commenting. 

You may not know that you can unsubscribe from activity on any post, which could be a godsend next time you decide to comment on a friend’s politically charged opinion.

When you get a notification for a comment or like on a post on Facebook’s desktop site, click the “X” to the right of the notification and then “Turn off.”

The reverse is also true. You can turn on notifications for activity on any post from the right drop-down arrow.

17. Get a notification every time a specific person posts something.

If you want to keep tabs on someone’s Facebook activity, you can get alerted whenever they share something. Just add them to your Close Friends list. To do that, go to the Friend’s profile, tap “Friends” and “Edit Friend Lists.”

18. Search for posts and photos liked or commented on by you

You can search for posts you’ve either created, liked or commented on with certain search phrases.

You can even get specific and look for things just from today. You can also look for all posts liked by your friends.

19. Search for specific keywords and topics

Facebook lets you search for a lot more than just other people’s profiles.

Everything that’s publicly shared on the social network is searchable, which means that if you search for something like “James Bond” or “iPhone help,” you’ll see related posts from news sources, friends, and other pages.

20. Make Friend lists 

Designating groups within your list of friends can be useful for filtering what everyone is talking about in your News Feed. For instance, you may want to see what everyone from your hometown is sharing or just your friends from college.

Facebook creates a list of friends by default based on common affiliation, whether it be the same hometown, school, etc. On Facebook’s desktop site, you can see all of your friend lists at facebook.com/bookmarks/lists and add people to them. This creates individual News Feeds within Facebook for you to browse.

21. Give yourself a short bio.

Facebook lets you create a short bio for yourself that sits above your other profile information, such as city, work, and relationship status.

You can edit it anytime from your profile on the desktop site and mobile app.

22. Download all your data

On the Menu tab under the Settings gear, scroll to “Your Information,” where you can tap “Download Your Information.” You can now also “Transfer Your Information” in the same section – with easy options to transfer to popular services like Dropbox or Google Photos.

Our experts answer readers’ banking questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess banking products). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

If you’ve started a new business, a business checking account may be worth considering. Business checking accounts can help separate your business finances from your personal finances. 

We reviewed over a dozen financial institutions to find the best business checking accounts with no monthly bank maintenance fees. These institutions have stayed as our top picks for the last few months because they continue to stand out for their minimal bank fees and unique perks.

Best Business Checking Accounts

If you’re looking for a personal checking account, you might consider going through our best checking accounts guide.

Compare the Best Business Checking Accounts

Best Free Business Checking Accounts FAQs

Best Free Business Checking Account Reviews

Best Free Business Checking Account Overall

Axos Bank Basic Business Checking Account

The Axos Bank Basic Business Checking Account is a well-rounded option. It has a large ATM network, and if you use an out-of-network machine, Axos refunds all fees charged by an ATM provider. You may also be eligible for a cash bonus of up to $200 if you meet certain requirements.

Max. monthly transactions: Unlimited

Minimum opening deposit: $0

What to look out for: There’s a $50 international wire transfer fee. However, most banks charge a similar international wire transfer fee.

Best Free Business Checking Account for Earning Interest

BlueVine Business Checking Account

The BlueVine Business Checking Account lets you open an account with $0. You’ll earn 2.00% APY on balances up to $250,000 if you meet certain requirements. This sets the account apart from the others on our list, which don’t pay interest at all. It is also one of the few online business checking accounts that give you a way to deposit cash.

Max. monthly transactions: Unlimited

Minimum opening deposit: $0

What to look out for: BlueVine doesn’t have physical locations, so you might not have easy access to your account. You also won’t earn any interest on balances over $250,000.

Best Free Business Checking Account From a Brick-and-Mortar Bank

Citizens Bank Clearly Better Business Checking Account

The Citizens Bank Clearly Better Business Checking Account has a low minimum opening deposit. Citizens Bank also gives you two overdraft protection options: Either transfer money from savings or tap into a line of credit.

Citizens Bank has more than 1,000 branches and 3,100 ATMs along the East Coast. 

Max. monthly transactions: 200

Minimum opening deposit: $0

What to look out for: You’ll pay $3 each time you use a non-Citizens Bank ATM, plus any fee charged by the ATM provider. Citizens Bank only has branches in 14 states and Washington, DC, so this could be a problem if you frequently travel to other parts of the US.

Best Free Business Checking Account for an Online-Only Banking Experience

Live Oak Bank Small Business Checking

You might like Live Oak Bank Small Business Checking if you’re comfortable with online-only banking. This business checking account doesn’t charge monthly service fees, overdraft fees, or incoming wire transfer fees.

Max. monthly transactions: Unlimited

Minimum opening deposit: $100

What to look out for: Live Oak Bank doesn’t accept cash deposits. You’ll need to transfer money from an external bank account to deposit funds. 

Best Free Business Checking Account for Domestic Wire Transfers

NBKC Business Checking Account

The NBKC Business Checking Account account gives you a lot of freedom. There’s no minimum opening deposit, monthly service fees, or overdraft fees. NBKC also is a great option for avoiding domestic wire transfer fees. You won’t charge for incoming domestic wire transfers, and there’s a low fee for outgoing domestic wire transfers.

If you use a non-MoneyPass ATM and the ATM provider charges a fee, NBKC reimburses you up to $12 per month.

Max. monthly transactions: Unlimited

Minimum opening deposit: $0

What to look out for: This is primarily an online account, but there are branches in Kansas City, Missouri. So if you want in-person banking, you’ll need to look elsewhere unless you live in Kansas City. NBKC also only gives business loans to people in the Kansas City area.

Best Free Business Checking Account for ATM Reimbursements

Novo Business Checking Account

The Novo Business Checking Account does not have an ATM network, but if an ATM provider charges you a fee, Novo will refund you. It also features management tools such as Slack, QuickBooks, and Shopify.

Max. monthly transactions: Unlimited

Minimum opening deposit: $0

What to look out for: You won’t be able to send domestic wire transfers through your Novo account. You can make free ACH transfers, although these may take a couple more days to process than wire transfers would. Novo is also an online-only platform so you’ll have limited access to your account. 

Other Business Checking Accounts We Considered

We looked at multiple business checking accounts before selecting our favorites. Many were strong contenders, and you still may prefer one that isn’t on our list, depending on what you’re looking for. Here are some other options:

• American Express Business Checking: This business checking account is a solid option if you’re eligible to open it. You must have an American Express consumer or business credit card, and you aren’t eligible if you have an American Express® Rewards Checking Account.
• First Horizon Bank BizEssentials Checking Account: First Horizon Bank has a free business checking account, but it’s only available in 12 states. You’ll need at least $100 for a minimum opening deposit, and you may have to deal with typical bank fees for domestic wire transfers.
• Bank OZK Small Business Checking Account: Bank OZK (previously Bank of the Ozarks) is a good option if you want a brick-and-mortar experience, but it only has locations in eight US states.
• First Citizens Bank Free Checking Account: First Citizens Bank doesn’t charge monthly service fees, but it only offers 100 free monthly transactions.
• Huntington Bank Business Checking 100: Huntington Bank doesn’t charge monthly service fees, but it only offers 100 free transactions. Our top picks allow you to make at least 25o transactions without paying a fee.
• OneUnited UNITY Small Business: This is a good option by the largest Black-owned bank in the US, but you can only open a business account at a branch in Southern California, Miami, or Boston.
• Navy Federal Credit Union Business Checking: This is a good option if your family or housemate is associated with the military, or if you are a Department of Defense contractor or civilian personnel. But you can only make 30 free non-digital transactions every month.
• Chase Business Complete Checking: There’s a $15 monthly service fee unless you meet certain criteria.
• Wells Fargo Initiate Business Checking: There’s a $10 monthly fee unless you maintain a $500 balance or $1,000 average ledger balance.
• Bank of America Business Fundamentals Checking: Unless you qualify to waive monthly fees, you’ll pay $16 each month. You might like this account if you prioritize getting a bank account bonus on a business checking account, though. New business checking account customers may be eligible for a $200 cash bonus when you deposit $5,000 or more in new money within 30 days and maintain an average of $5,000 for the next 60 days (offer ends December 31, 2023) and is available online only.
• U.S. Bank Silver Business Checking Package: This is a good large, national bank option, but you’re only allowed 125 free monthly transactions.

Bank Trustworthiness and BBB Ratings

The Better Business Bureau grades companies based on responses to customer complaints, advertising, and transparency about business practices. Here are the BBB scores for our top picks:

Most of the companies on our list have received strong scores from the BBB. According to the BBB, Novo has an F grade because it received multiple customer complaints on the BBB website and had government action taken against the business.

Citizens Bank has an NR (No Rating) grade because the BBB is in the process of reviewing its profile. Live Oak Bank has an A rating because its received three customer complaints on the BBB website.

Some of these companies have recent public controversies.

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Citizens Bank and claimed that the bank denied customers’ claims of unauthorized credit card use and billing mistakes, didn’t fully refund customers when they reported fraud, and didn’t properly respond to customers when they contacted Citizens Bank about these issues.

Novo has also been involved in one recent public controversy: The platform used the URL “banknovo.com” and the word”banking,” but Novo isn’t licensed as a bank. Novo is a banking platform and is insured by a bank. In 2022, it received a cease and desist order from the California Department of Financial Protection specifying it would no longer use these terms and add a disclosure that Novo is not a bank.

In 2021, Live Oak Bank and digital banking platform Apiture agreed to pay $4.65 million in a settlement that accused Live Oak Bank, Apiture, and nCino of having an agreement where they would not hire employees from other companies in Wilmington, North Carolina so the three banking companies could avoid offering competitive salaries.

If these recent scandals worry you, you may decide to bank with one of our other top picks.

Why You Should Trust Us: Experts’ Advice on Choosing a Business Checking Account

To learn more about what makes a good account and how to choose the best fit, four experts weighed in.

Our experts focused on what will make a business checking account the most useful, including low fees, transaction limits, branch locations, and more. Here’s what they had to say about finding an account. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)

How can someone choose the business checking account that’s right for them?

Tania Brown, certified financial planner at SaverLife:

“Consider how you will use the bank account, and what features the account needs to have for you to run your business with ease. Here are a few examples of questions to think about:

“How much is your average account balance?  If you are new and broke, you may not see the benefits of a business checking account with free services for balances over $100k. 

“What types of transactions do you do the most?  Do you write a lot of checks or do a lot of wire transfers?  Whatever transactions you do the most, you want to make sure you choose a bank that will charge the least  (preferably nothing) for these services. 

“Do you want to be able to integrate your accounting software with your bank?  If you, check your accounting software program to see how easily the program integrates with your potential bank.”

Roger Ma, certified financial planner with lifelaidout® and author of “Work Your Money, Not Your Life”:

“Someone may want to consider whether they value having a physical branch nearby. If so, they may prefer to use a brick-and-mortar bank instead of an online bank. In addition, someone should also consider their business’s other financial needs. Down the road, would they want to be able to work with the same bank to open a business credit card, open a line of credit, or get a business loan?”

What should someone look for in a brick-and-mortar bank?

Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com:

“How accessible it is. Where are the branches? And if I am to go out of town or something, how accessible is my money to me?”

Sophia Acevedo, certified educator in personal finance, banking reporter, Personal Finance Insider:

“If you’re more comfortable with a traditional bank experience, I would compare several nearby banks and see which accounts allow you to waive most fees. For example, with a business checking account, I would pay attention to monthly service fees, out-of-network ATM fees, and wire transfer fees.”

What should someone look for in an online bank?

Tania Brown, CFP:

“With an online bank, absolutely online customer service, because you do not have the advantage of walking inside and talking to a human being. How often are you able to get them? What are their hours?”

Mykail James, CFEI:

“What type of securities do they provide? Do they have two-factor identification? If it’s an online bank, they should definitely have — at the bare minimum — two-factor authentication in how easy it is to change your passwords and things like that, because you want to be a little more hypersensitive about the cyber security for a strictly online bank.”

Our Methodology on the Best Free Business Checking Accounts

Personal Finance Insider’s mission is to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We understand that “best” is often subjective, so in addition to highlighting the clear benefits of a financial product or account — a high APY (Annual Percentage Yield), for example — we outline the limitations, too. We spent hours comparing and contrasting the features and fine print of various products so you don’t have to.

We reviewed over a dozen financial institutions before selecting our top picks for free business checking. First, we looked at accounts that are actually free, meaning they don’t charge any monthly service fees. 

Then we looked at the minimum amount you need to open the account. We looked at how many free transactions you can make each month with an account. All our top choices let you make at least 250 monthly transactions, and many offer unlimited transactions.

See our full ratings methodology for checking, business checking, savings, and money market accounts »