Bluevine Bank vs. Found Bank: Choosing The Right Fit For Your Biz

As an entrepreneur or business owner, choosing the right bank is one of the most important decisions you can make for the financial success of your business. Your bank can be a crucial partner, providing you with the necessary financial products and services to run and grow your business. With so many different banking options available, however, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. In this blog, we'll explore the key factors to consider when selecting a bank for your business, and why this decision can have a significant impact on your company's financial health and long-term success.

We’re taking some time to discuss how Bluevine Bank compares to Found Bank. They are both built with small business banking in mind. They both offer free business checking accounts that also help perks that help you with the administrative side of your business.

Quick Overview of Bluevine Bank vs. Found Bank

Bluevine Bank Features

Bluevine is an all-digital bank that offers business checking and lines of credit.

Banking

Their business checking was created with small businesses in mind. They have no monthly or overdraft fees and no minimum balance required. They feature a rather high-yield APY of 4.25% (on select accounts) that is well above the national average. (They only offer this APY rate if you meet certain monthly debit transaction or deposit requirements.)

Their online small business banking also comes with online bill pay, the ability to create up to 5 sub-accounts with designated account numbers, the choice to create separate logins for different members of your team, and integrates with QuickBooks Online.

Bluevine also offers a business debit Mastercard. You can withdraw money fee-free at over 37,000 MoneyPass ATMS. In our research on their website, there was no mention of any cash back rewards in regards to their debit card.

Additionally, Bluevine offers the Bluevine Business Cashback Mastercard®, which is available to Bluevine Business Checking customers through invitation only. There is no annual fee and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase.

Business Lines of Credit

Apart from business banking, Bluevine also offers lines of credit for businesses. They offer up to $250,000 with rates as low as 6.2% for qualifying businesses. You are able to draw the funds on demand, have access to revolving credit as your credit line replenishes as you make payments, and your credit limit grows with your business. In order to qualify for Bluevine’s business loans, your business needs to have a 625+ FICO score, been in business for over 2 years, and have a minimum $40,000 revenue per month.

Bluevine Bank Pros and Cons

Found Bank Features

Like Bluevine Bank, Found Bank was created with small businesses in mind - freelancers, self-employed individuals, gig workers, and entreprenuers. Found has a basic, free checking account that boasts no fees, e-commerce and cash app integration, and tax and bookkeeping features.

As mentioned, Found Bank’s business checking account contains no fees of any sort - no monthly or annual fees for their basic account, no minimum balance, no ACH transfer fees, and free unlimited transactions. Although Found doesn’t directly charge an ATM fee, they don’t have any of their own ATMs, and you will be charged a fee by whatever ATM you choose to withdraw from.

Found Bank has two types of business checking accounts - a free, basic plan and a paid Plus plan. Found’s free business checking account includes no fees, no minimum balance, a free debit card, easy connectability to bookkeeping and e-commerce apps, and bookkeeping and tax tools. You can also create up to 10 additional virtual debit cards to categorize expenses and reduce your chances of fraud.

Your free business checking account through Found can also easily integrates with QuickBooks, Stripe, Cash App, PayPal, Square, Lyft, Uber, Venmo, eBay, and more. All of your income from multiple places can all be under one account. It should be noted that Found doesn’t support any cash or check deposits.

Found’s bookkeeping feature that comes with their free, basic account includes automatic expense tracking, receipt capture, live reporting, invoice management, and the ability to create categorization rules.

Their tax features that also accompany the free business checking account includes auto-saving for taxes, tax estimate, find and track write-offs, and pay your taxes right from the Found app.

Found Bank has a paid plan called Focus Plus that includes all of the above features, and also comes with unlimited category rules, custom bookkeeping categories, photo receipt capture, export bookkeeping details, and the ability to pay your quarterly taxes through Found.

Found Bank Pros and Cons

General Comparison of Bluevine Bank vs. Found Bank

Both Bluevine and Found are digital and mobile banks that offer business checking that is built for small businesses.

They both boast no fees - no minimum balance, no ACH fees, no monthly or annual fees, or overdraft fees.

Found Bank and Bluevine Bank both seamlessly integrate with Quickbooks and both offer free debit cards with their business checking account.

They differ in the perks their business checking accounts offer. Bluevine offers up to 4.25% APY if you meet account requirements, while Found offers no form of APY. Found also has a paid Plus plan for $14.99 a month that includes upgraded features for your account.

While Bluevine integrates with Quickbooks, that seems to be the extent of how far their tax and bookkeeping features go. Found has extensive tax and bookkeeping tools to aid you in your small business.

Bluevine also offers financing through lines of credit, while Found doesn’t.

Neither bank offers credit cards.

Fees

Bluevine has no monthly, ACH, overdraft, minimum balance, or ATM fees at thousands of participating ATMS.

Found also has no monthly, ACH, minimum balance, or overdraft fees. While Found Bank doesn’t charge an ATM fee, they don’t have any ATMs available through them exclusively, so you will pay whatever fee the particular ATM charges. Found also has an upgraded business banking account called Found Plus for $14.99.

Availability by Region

Bluevine is currently not available outside of the United States and they cannot accept or initiate international wires.

In order to apply for a Found business checking account, you’ll need to provide a US-based address and phone number.

Security

Both banks are FDIC insured. Bluevine accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000 through a partner bank, Coastal Community Bank. Found Bank is FDIC-insured through Piermont Bank for up to $250,000 as well.

Found Bank offers data encryption, a secure infrastructure, and fraud monitoring.

With Bluevine, your account and personal information are secured with advanced authentication and data encryption.

Mobile App

Both Bluevine and Found are digital/mobile banks and are available for both Android and Apple products. They both are also compatible with desktop. You can complete all of your banking tasks on their mobile apps.

Debit Cards

Both Bluevine’s and Found’s checking accounts come with debit cards.

Bluevine offers fee-free withdrawals at over 37,000 Moneypass ATMs, with an out-of-network fee of $2.50 per transaction. Their debit card does not come with any form of cash back rewards.

Found checking accounts come with debit cards. Found Bank doesn’t have any participating ATMs, so any money that you withdraw from your Found account will be subject to an ATM fee. You can apply for up to 10 separate debit cards for your business.

Credit Cards

Bluevine doesn’t currently offer a direct credit card. However, they do offer a line of credit for different large personal or business purchases up to $250,000 with interest rates as low as 6.2%.

Found Bank currently does not offer credit cards.

Customer Service

Bluevine has phone and email listed as ways to reach them. Their phone lines are open M-F 8 AM - 8 PM EST. For email, they say they will “get back to you shortly,” so it is typical to expect a few hours wait time during regular business hours. No live chat is available.

Through our research on Found’s website, it appears they don’t have a dedicated phone line to help customers, but you can email their support team.

Both Bluevine and Found have extensive help centers that includes in-depth guides and FAQs.

Benefits and Drawbacks Between The Banks

The Value of Qualitative Insights

Quantitative data, such as fees and APY rates, is crucial, but qualitative insights bring a story to life. Personal experiences highlight the real-world applicability of each bank's offerings, emphasizing the importance of user-friendliness, customer service, and the overall banking experience. For instance, multiple users praised Bluevine's customer service responsiveness, contrasting with mixed reviews for Found's support system.

The Balance Between Online and Physical Banking Needs

A key takeaway from comparing these banks is the trade-off between the convenience of digital banking and the value of traditional banking services. While digital banks offer innovative tools and fewer fees, they might not suit all businesses, especially those dealing with cash or requiring in-person services.

Why Choose Bluevine?

Bluevine was designed with business needs in mind. Within your checking account, you can create up to five sub-accounts, each with their own account number, for better categorizing according to your business’s needs.

They also offer a higher APY at up to 4.25% (an industry-leading percentage) for your checking account. However, you only receive this rate if you meet certain balance and transaction amount requirements. You must spend $500 a month using your Bluevine-issued debit card on qualifying purchases or receive $2,500 per month in customer payments into your Bluevine checking account or sub-accounts to qualify for the 2.0% APY. It states that if you do not meet these requirements, your account doesn’t yield any interest for that month. If you make a lot of purchases on certain things, and use your Bluevine checking account as your place where you deposit enough income, earning the 2.0% shouldn’t be an issue.

Bluevine also offers a revolving line of credit to qualifying businesses up to $250,000.

Bluevine seems like a good choice if you are a smaller business or are just starting out and want something simpler that has the potential to earn you a higher APY.

Why Choose Found?

If you are self-employed or a freelancer and need some extra help and guidance doing your bookkeeping and taxes and primarily get paid through e-commerce apps like Stripe, Venmo, etc., then Found Bank’s business checking is the way to go.

Found Bank comes with extensive tax and bookkeeping tools that even automate some of the tasks for you.

Your account also seamlessly integrates with a whole host of money apps for easy transferring.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is the right bank for you of these two depends on your small business’s needs. Not very savvy when it comes to taxes and bookkeeping? Found Bank may be the way to go. Want an account with APY and the option to apply for financing? Bluevine may be for you.

If you would like to explore comparisons of other similar banks, check out our entire blog series to help you decide which digital bank best fits your own business’s needs. Learn more here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of businesses are Bluevine and Found Banks best suited for?

Both Bluevine and Found Banks are designed with small businesses in mind, including freelancers, self-employed individuals, gig workers, and entrepreneurs. They cater to a range of business types, but the choice between them may depend on specific business needs.

What are the standout features of Bluevine Bank's business checking account?

Bluevine offers a high APY of 2.0% on its checking account if certain monthly debit transaction or deposit requirements are met. It also allows you to create up to five sub-accounts for better categorizing your finances. Additionally, Bluevine provides lines of credit for qualifying businesses, with credit limits of up to $250,000.

What are the standout features of Found Bank's business checking account?

Found Bank's basic business checking account comes with no fees, easy integration with e-commerce apps, and robust tax and bookkeeping tools. You can create up to 10 virtual debit cards for expense categorization and fraud prevention. Found Bank also offers a paid Plus plan with additional features.

Are these banks secure?

Yes, both banks are FDIC insured, offering protection for your deposits up to $250,000. They also employ data encryption, secure infrastructures, and fraud monitoring to ensure the safety of your financial information.

What factors should I consider when choosing between Bluevine and Found Bank?

Your choice between these banks should depend on your specific business needs. If you require a higher APY and potential financing options, Bluevine may be suitable. On the other hand, if you need extensive tax and bookkeeping tools and frequently use e-commerce apps for payments, Found Bank could be the better fit for your business.

About The Author

Bryan Huynh

Product Tester & Writer

Bryan Huynh, a committed Product Tester and Writer, ensures that you are well-informed, guiding you in discovering and comparing top-rated financial services, including personal loans, business loans, credit repair, and tax relief.

Articles by Bryan Huynh

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