7 Reasons Novo Is Your Best Bet for Small Business Checking

ovo offers free business checking accounts to freelancers, startup founders, and small business owners with no minimum balance requirements. Our platform is secure, convenient, and easy to use. Read more to learn how Novo differs from big banks.

1) What Is Novo?

Novo is an award-winning online business banking platform (powered by Middlesex  Federal Savings) built for today’s modern entrepreneur. With Novo, you’ll get an account with no hidden fees or paperwork, no minimum balance ever, free debit card access, and a dashboard with integrations to the business tools you might already use and love. You can apply anytime, anywhere in under 10 minutes, and save time and energy going to the bank. Manage your business finances all in one place on the Novo mobile app.

2) Is Novo a Bank?

No, to be clear: we are an independent tech company, and we don’t operate like a traditional bank. Instead, we leave the banking to our incredible partner, Middlesex Federal Savings (MFS). They give us all the financial capabilities and FDIC security we need; empowering us to do what we do best: innovate and build products that can actually help entrepreneurs run their business.  We chose to partner with MFS because Novo is committed to helping community banks, which don’t have the same resources and backing that big banks do, yet they play an important role in building communities.  

3) What Customers Does Novo Serve?

Our business checking account caters to all kinds of entrepreneurs, so to get an account, you’ll have to be a business owner. You can apply for a Novo account if your business is registered as:

 
• Sole Proprietorship: When an individual runs a business and that person gets all the profits and is responsible for all the losses.
 
• Limited Liability Company (LLC): With this organization, the members of the business are not liable for its debt.
 
• Corporation: A company or group of individuals who declare themselves an independent legal entity that is overseen by a board of directors.
 
• General Partnership: A mutual understanding through which two or more people share in all assets, profits, and liabilities of a company.
 
• Non-Profit Organization: An organization in which the goal is not to make a profit, and none of the income goes to its members, directors, or officers.

Novo customers include small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Check out this story of our customer Mark Tsigounis, Founder of Hibear, a startup that offers the world’s most versatile water bottle.  

Want Novo? Open an Account Today

4) What Does Novo’s Customer Service Provide?

Here at Novo, we have a customer support team that is available to answer your questions during business hours. You can contact us directly through the app so we're always here when you need us. Our team will support you throughout your Novo account lifecycle to assist you in keeping your business banking running smoothly.  Novo’s platform supports most small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, allowing you to conduct your business to the best of your ability. Visit our FAQ for more info.  

5) Does Novo Charge Any Fees?

Big banks require you to hold a minimum account balance or you’ll be charged a fee, we don’t. Novo wants to put that money back in your account because we care about your business, not your balance.   With Novo you get:  

 
• No minimum balance requirements
 
• No fees on Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers
 
• No hidden fees
 
• Incoming wires are free of charge, both domestic and international

Novo also provides you with a debit card that is accepted worldwide and is EMV chip protected. We don’t charge you ATM fees or international card fees and you can choose if you want notifications on your device for every card transaction.  

6) How Does Novo Empower Users?

Think of Novo as your financial watchtower from where you can conduct and see all your transactions. You have the convenience to complete transfers and cash checks from your device. We give you the flexibility to make unlimited transactions, while the app’s TouchID login makes it easier to use your account. Novo also operates 100 percent online, so you can take care of business from any place, at any time.  You can read more about Novo’s features here.

7) What Tools Is Novo Integrated With?

Novo is the center of your digital banking needs, and we have teamed up with industry-leading banking software like:

 
• Novo is the first U.S. digital banking platform to integrate with Xero, a global accounting software that serves over 1.8 million subscribers in more than 180 countries.
 
• We are linked up to Plaid, a software that connects us with your bank account.
 
• Novo is integrated with Zapier, a tool that connects to your everyday apps to automate your banking tasks.

The Takeaway

Novo has an actual mobile application with an intuitive dashboard and seamless navigation, while traditional banks still have clunky apps, or none at all! With us, you get the convenience of accessing your account remotely, fee transparency, and a reliable customer support team. Trust us, we love being a part of the next ‘big thing.’ And, in the world of banking, Novo is it.  Here at Novo, we’re all for the entrepreneurial spirit because we believe that revolutionary business ideas change the world, and we value the talented minds behind these ideas. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur looking to make a change, apply for Novo today!