America First is a great credit union for businesses seeking cost-effective business checking solutions. It offers a free basic business checking account with 250 free transactions, an analyzed checking account with a low monthly maintenance fee and earnings credit, and an interest-earning checking account that offers interest from 0.10% to 0.30%.
All accounts include access to digital banking, free online bill pay, and a complimentary Business Visa Debit Card. Other America First products include non-profit checking, business savings, credit cards, and lending products.
America First operates exclusively in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. However, membership is limited to applicants with ties to select communities. Jump to our America First Business Checking Requirements section for more details. If you are eligible to open an account, you can do so online.
Pros
- No monthly fee for basic account
- 250 fee-free transactions for basic account
- Highly-rated mobile app
Cons
- Branches only in six states
- Inflexible membership requirements
- $50 monthly fee for interest-earning account
Features
- Free customizable Business Visa Debit Card
- Digital banking with free online bill pay
- Speech Access telephone banking
- Integration with QuickBooks and Zelle
- Savings accounts, money market accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), certificates of deposit (CDs), credit cards, and lending products
- Business registration services through MyCorporation
How America First Stacks Up With Its Competitors
When America First Is a Good Fit
- You want to bank without a monthly fee: There is no monthly fee for America First’s Basic Business Checking.
- You have a low to moderate monthly transaction volume: The Basic Business Checking account provides 250 fee-free transactions per monthly statement cycle.
- You are a new business owner: America First offers business registration assistance through MyCorporation document filing services to help you with business paperwork. You can form a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation, register a doing-business-as (DBA) name, apply for an employer identification number (EIN), and formulate LLC operating agreements.
When to Choose an America First Alternative
- You prefer in-person banking but operate outside America First’s jurisdiction: America First’s brick-and-mortar branches are solely in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. For broader in-person banking access, consider Chase, which has over 4,700 branches nationwide. Our review of Chase business checking can help you determine which account suits your business best.
- You do not qualify for membership with America First: Only those from select communities and organizations qualify for membership at America First. For affordable banking, choose U.S. Bank. It has a free business checking account with an opening deposit of $100. Read our U.S. Bank business checking review for more information.
- You want to earn interest on checking balances: America First’s Basic Business Checking does not earn interest. We recommend Bluevine Standard Checking, which offers a 2.0% annual percentage yield (APY) on qualifying balances up to $250,000. Our review of Bluevine business checking contains the requirements to qualify for the APY.
America First Business Checking Requirements
Applicants wanting to open a business bank account need to apply for membership with America First Credit Union. Only individuals who meet the following criteria qualify:
- Those who live, work (or regularly conduct business in), worship, volunteer, or attend school in select areas For more information, visit America First’s page on membership requirements. in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, or Utah
- Owners, employees, or suppliers involved in the Utah food industry
- Members and employees of America First’s select employer groups (SEG) or affiliated associations
- Immediate family members or household members of existing or eligible America First members
- Spouses of members who died within the field of membership
- Employees of America First Federal Credit Union or its subsidiary corporations
The application form will ask all signers and anyone who owns 25% or more of the business for the following:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Identification information
- Existing account number (if applicable)
Part of the America First Business Checking requirements is for applicants to prepare certain business documents. Click on your entity type below to learn more.
- Social Security number or federal tax identification number (TIN) filed with the IRS
- Business registration with the state in which the business is located
- Federal TIN or Social Security number for single-member, single-employee LLCs only
- Articles or certificate of organization
- Business registration with the state in which the business is located
- Federal TIN
- Articles of incorporation
- Business registration with the state in which the business is located
- Federal TIN
- Partnership agreement
- Business registration with the state in which the business is located
- Social Security number or federal TIN
- Documentation of association officers/leaders/authority, such as meeting minutes or team roster
For guidance, see our article on how to open a business bank account. It contains a downloadable checklist of documents typically required upon account opening.
America First Business Checking Features
Business Visa Debit Card
The America First business checking account comes with a free customized Business Visa Debit Card accepted in over 23 million locations worldwide. It can function as a debit, ATM, or credit card. Businesses needing extra funds can apply for limit increases on their cards.
Digital Banking
America First customers can access their checking accounts through America First’s website, iOS app, and Android app. Digital Banking lets customers transfer money, pay bills automatically, apply for loans, check FICO scores, track spending, review debts, manage budgets, and calculate net worth.
The app received positive feedback, with a rating of 4.8 on the App Store[1] (from around 58,000 reviews) and 4.7 on Google Play[2] (from about 37,000 reviews). Users praised the app for the ease of paying bills and the convenience of tracking tax-deductible transactions. Some reported encountering login issues, but others said the provider actively fixes bugs.
SpeechAccess Telephone Banking
SpeechAccess lets you conduct the following banking tasks via phone call:
- Make a balance inquiry
- Track check-clearing progress
- Check card history
- Inquire about last payroll deposit, last deposit, or last withdrawal
- Transfer funds between accounts
- Make a credit card or loan payment
Other America First Business Products
The interest-earning Non-Profit Business Checking offers 250 fee-free transactions per month. After the limit, transactions cost 15 cents per item. The account earns interest at a rate of 0.10%.
America First Business Visa Credit Cards can earn either cash back or rewards. Points can be redeemed for cash, travel, merchandise, and items at the America First online store. Business credit cards come with Visa Business Reporting, a tool that tracks and analyzes card spending. Chip-enabled (EMV) and Card Guard protect America First credit cards from fraud and theft.
America First’s business savings offerings include Business Share Savings, Business Money Market Savings, Dedicated Savings, Health Savings (HSA), and Business Certificates.
- Business Share Savings: America First members automatically receive a Business Share Savings account after applying. It has no monthly fees and limits for withdrawals and deposits. It earns an interest of 0.05% for a minimum balance of $1.
- Business Money Market Savings: This account offers tiered APY and higher interest as your business balances grow. The APY rates range from 1.50% to 4.60%. It has no minimum balance requirement and limits for withdrawals and deposits.
- Dedicated Savings: To help businesses save for future expenses, America First’s Dedicated Savings account automatically deducts shares from a main account every month and then earns interest on the deducted funds over a set period. The minimum contribution is $10, while the maximum is $10,000. Accounts can hold a maximum of $100,000.
- Health Savings: Through America First’s HSA offerings, employers can give their employees fee-free health savings accounts with low premiums and high deductible coverage. Employers can make pre-tax contributions to their employees’ HSAs through checks or automated clearing house (ACH).
America First offers regular business, bump business, flexible business, and ladder business certificates. The minimum opening deposit for any America First business certificate is $500.
- Regular Business: Terms from three months to five years are available with rates ranging from 4.20% to 5.25%.
- Bump Business: Businesses have the option to move their funds to higher rates as rates increase. The APY rates range from 4.05% to 5.10%.
- Flexible Business: Businesses get penalty-free access to certificate balances for the first five calendar days per quarter. Only 12-month flexible certificates are available.
- Ladder Business: Account holders can access premium rates and keep their funds on hand by setting up CD ladders that ladder the maturity rates of certificates automatically.
The lending products America First offers include lines of credit, vehicle loans, equipment and machinery loans, unsecured capital loans, business acquisition loans, commercial real estate (CRE) loans, and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.
- Lines of credit: Connect your America First checking accounts with a line of credit to access funds quickly for business expenses. Monthly payments can be as low as $25 or 3.5% of the balance.
- Vehicle loans: Low-rate loans with terms of up to 84 months are accessible to purchase new company vehicles. Fees may apply if loans exceed $50,000.
- Equipment and machinery loans: Terms of up to 7 years with low down payments and no pre-payment or annual fees are available to pay for industrial equipment, medical equipment, or additional business equipment.
- Unsecured capital loans: No-collateral loans are available for a maximum amount of $15,000 and a maximum term of 60 months.
- Business acquisition loans: America First offers competitive rates for business owners looking to purchase franchises or independent businesses. Details are available upon request.
- CRE loans: Loans with as little as a 10% down payment and term lengths of up to 25 years for businesses needing to buy, build, or improve business properties. Financing for acquisition and construction are both available.
- SBA loans: This loan is available online for business owners needing capital.
Through a partnership with MyCorporation’s document filing services, America First helps new business owners meet legal business document requirements. You can ask for assistance with the following activities:
- Forming an LLC or corporation
- Legitimizing your DBA name
- Applying for an EIN
- Formulating LLC operating agreements
America First Business Checking Reviews from Users
Users who left an America First Business Checking review complained about the overdraft fees charged by the credit union. Some even claimed that the provider froze their account and locked their cards without sending a warning or email, which prevented access to their funds.
Most negative comments mentioned the poor customer service they received from the representatives. They reported unprofessional and rude treatment from the staff when they visited a branch. Another user also complained about closed branches during weekends.
Here’s how America First is rated on third-party sites:
- DepositAccounts[3]: 2 out of 5 based on nearly 40 reviews
- WalletHub[4]: 2.6 out of 5 based on about 260 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There is no opening balance requirement when you open an American First business checking account.
Yes, America First charges monthly fees, except for its Basic Business Checking account. Premier Business Checking has a monthly fee of $8, while High-Yield Business Checking has a monthly fee of $50.
America First’s branches are in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah.
No. America First’s accounts are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), which is a National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) arm. Your regular share accounts and your individual retirement account (IRA) account are insured separately for up to $250,000.
Bottom Line
America First offers great business checking products that align with various business needs. Its basic checking account makes banking affordable through a generous monthly transaction allowance and no monthly fee. Additionally, its business registration services streamline the process of securing essential business paperwork. However, its inflexible membership requirements limit services within its service area only.
User review references:
- [1]App Store
- [2]Google Play
- [3]DepositAccounts
- [4]WalletHub
