
When it comes to financial solutions for your small business, finding the right banking partner can be a challenge. As a key player in the mobile and online banking industry, Capital One is a partner worth consideration. We’ve dug a bit deeper and actually used a Capital One bank account. Here’s what we found out:
Business Banking Accounts
As far as business accounts go, you want to make sure you’re making the right choice for your organization’s specific needs. Here is a breakdown of the account features and targeted business types of Capital One’s two Spark Business checking accounts.
Business Checking Account Type | Business Type | Account Features |
Spark Business Basic Checking | • Sole Proprietors
•Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
•Partnerships
•Corporations
•Non-profits
•Other small organizations
| • Unlimited monthly transactions
• Free cash deposits up to $5,000
• Online Account Access
• Mobile Checking
• Free Overdraft Protection with a linked account
|
Spark Business Unlimited Checking | Perfect for businesses as listed above with regularly high balances and a high volume of monthly transactions | • All features included in Basic Checking
• Unlimited free cash deposits
• Next-day access to deposit funds
• No fee for incoming domestic wires
• ProDeposit service with remote scanner
|
Minimum Deposit and APY
With a minimum deposit of $250, starting an account can be an investment. It’s also important to be aware that your Spark Business Checking Account does not earn interest.
Mobile App Ratings
The mobile app was ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Mobile Banking Apps” for the second year in a row by J.D. Power. The app receives a 4.7 out of 5 stars in the Apple Store (112.4k ratings), and the same 4.7-star rating in the Google Play Store for Android users (700.3k ratings).
Mobile App Features
As a predominantly online bank, Capital One has a high standard to uphold with their mobile presence. Not one to just go by what others have said about the app’s quality, here are just a few of the pros and cons that I developed from downloading the Capital One banking app.
Pros | Cons |
Intuitive UX Design
The app design is convenient, customizable, and easy to use on the go.
| Glitchy
The app can sometimes fail to load correctly or lag during transfers and mobile deposit processing.
|
Purchase Notifications
Keep an eye on when and how your money is being spent with instant purchase notifications. See something that shouldn’t be there? Instantly pause any of your company cards for added fraud protection.
| Limited Account Access
Not all features of your account are accessible by the mobile app which can be annoying, especially if you’re looking to make changes to existing accounts or bill pay options.
|
Pros and Cons for Small Businesses
While mobile presence is important, there are other factors to consider when thinking about opening a new business banking account. Here’s a list of pros and cons that can give you a better idea of what banking with Capital One is like.
Pros | Cons |
Merchant Services
Payment processing and e-invoicing options can make handling customer payments easy and flexible.
| Low Rates
Most accounts yield less than 1% APY, if they gain interest at all.
|
Spark Credit Cards
With unlimited rewards, the Spark Business credit cards can make your expenditures work for you with unlimited potential to earn cash points or mileage. | Bank Branches
The convenience of mobile and online banking can’t always replace the personal touch of in-person banking, and there is a relatively low number of physical branches.
|
Retirement Accounts
Customizable 401k plans allow small business customers to offer competitive benefits to employees.
| Overdraft Fees
While overdraft protection is available, be sure to replace funds as soon as possible to avoid fees.
|
No review of Capital One’s services would be complete without mentioning the Spark Business IQ program. Designed with entrepreneurs in mind, this is a great resource to help you manage everything from cash flow to business operations.
Conclusion
When it comes to seamless online banking platforms, Capital One seems to know how to serve their clients in a fast-paced online environment. For small business banking, they rank 4 out of 5 for outstanding mobile presence and customer service. Not sure if it’s right for your business? You can find other bank reviews like this at Revenued.com
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