How to Set Up Mercury for Business Banking

Apply Online

Navigate to mercury.com and click the sign-up button to begin your application. You will need to provide basic information about your business, including the legal entity name, business type such as LLC or C-Corp, your state of incorporation, and the industry your company operates in. Mercury supports startups, e-commerce businesses, and freelancers alike. The application form is streamlined and typically takes under ten minutes to complete, making it one of the fastest business bank account applications available today.

Verify Your Business

After submitting your application, Mercury will request documentation to verify your business identity. This usually includes your Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, your articles of incorporation or organization, and a valid government-issued photo ID for each beneficial owner holding twenty-five percent or more of the company. Upload these documents directly through the Mercury dashboard. Verification typically completes within one to three business days, though some applications may require additional review depending on the business structure.

Configure Your Accounts

Once approved, log in to your Mercury dashboard and set up your checking account. Mercury allows you to create multiple sub-accounts for organizing funds by purpose, such as separating operating expenses from tax reserves or payroll. Label each account clearly so your bookkeeping stays organized from the start. You can also set up a savings account that earns interest on idle funds, which is particularly useful for startups holding venture capital that has not yet been deployed into operations.

Add Team Members and Permissions

Invite your co-founders, accountants, or finance team members by navigating to the Team section of the dashboard. Mercury offers granular permission controls so you can assign roles like Admin, Member, or View-Only to each person. Admins can initiate transfers and manage settings, while View-Only users can monitor balances and transactions without making changes. This role-based access control is essential for maintaining proper financial governance as your company scales and adds more stakeholders to the banking workflow.

Link External Accounts and Cards

Connect your existing bank accounts for easy fund transfers by adding them through the External Accounts section. Mercury supports ACH transfers and domestic wires for moving money between institutions. You can also order physical and virtual debit cards for team members directly from the dashboard. Virtual cards are generated instantly and can be assigned spending limits, making them ideal for managing software subscriptions, advertising budgets, or employee expenses without sharing a single company card number.

Set Up Integrations and Automations

Mercury offers powerful integrations with popular accounting and financial tools. Connect QuickBooks, Xero, or other bookkeeping platforms to automatically sync transactions and simplify reconciliation. You can also integrate with Stripe, Gusto, and other payment processors for seamless payroll and revenue tracking. For developer-oriented teams, Mercury provides a robust API that lets you programmatically create transactions, pull account data, and build custom financial dashboards tailored to your specific business reporting needs.

Fund Your Account and Start Transacting

Deposit your initial funds into Mercury via ACH transfer from another bank, wire transfer, or by updating your direct deposit information with clients and payroll providers. ACH transfers are free and typically settle within one to two business days. Wire transfers settle same-day but may incur fees from the sending bank. Once funded, you can immediately start making payments, issuing checks through Mercury's mail-check feature, and using your debit cards for business purchases both online and in person at any merchant that accepts Mastercard.