How FinanceProspector Evaluates Financial Providers
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Choosing a financial provider means understanding more than a headline price or a list of features. FinanceProspector researches documented product terms, explains how they affect everyday decisions, and uses defined criteria to score specific features. This page explains our shared editorial standards, followed by the scoring framework for the different categories.
Our Shared Editorial Methodology
What Our Reviews Cover
We identify the provider, product, and plan being reviewed before assessing its features. A capability included in a paid upgrade does not automatically count as part of a base plan. Separate credit, savings, treasury, and partner products are identified so readers can distinguish the account itself from additional services.
Our broad editorial framework considers eight areas: Features & Fit, Pricing & Fees, Value & Benefits, Access & Usability, Security & Protection, Customer Support, Reputation & Transparency, and Tools & Integrations. These areas guide our research and written analysis. They are not eight completed scores for every provider, and we do not combine them using category percentage weights.
The features we score depend on the category and the evidence available. A review identifies each scored feature and what its score measures.
How We Research and Verify Facts
For product facts, we use official pricing pages, fee schedules, account agreements, help articles, product documentation, and relevant bank or regulatory disclosures. We record the source, the supporting information, the applicable plan, and material conditions.
We distinguish a documented absence from a research gap. A provider explicitly stating that a service is not offered establishes a different fact from our being unable to confirm whether it is offered.
When official sources conflict, we investigate rather than choosing the more favorable statement. An unresolved fact is excluded from scoring. We do not turn missing information into an assumed fee, capability, or score.
Competitor reviews and independent reporting can provide context or identify questions to investigate. They do not replace official evidence for a scored product fact. Third-party community ratings remain separately attributed.
What FinanceProspector Adds
Our analysis connects documented facts to practical decisions: which account fits a business's payment patterns, how fees change with transaction volume, when a paid plan becomes less expensive under stated assumptions, and which eligibility or access conditions deserve attention.
Illustrative calculations identify their assumptions and exclusions. They are examples, not forecasts of a reader's costs or guarantees of savings. A FinanceProspector's Take explains our interpretation of the evidence; it does not introduce an unsupported product claim.
We describe hands-on testing only when it has actually been performed. Reading a public website does not establish account-opening speed, support quality, app reliability, or the experience of using a funded account.
How to Read Scores and Averages
A feature score measures the defined criteria for that feature. It does not assess every aspect of a provider.
Where we show an average, we label the number of feature scores included. Each included feature score receives equal weight. We add the displayed feature scores, divide by their count, and round the result to one decimal place.
For example, three illustrative feature scores of 9.5, 9.1, and 8.5 produce an average of 9.0: (9.5 + 9.1 + 8.5) ÷ 3 = 9.033…, rounded to one decimal. These fictional figures demonstrate the calculation only.
An average of selected feature scores is not a comprehensive overall rating. Unscored features are excluded rather than assigned zero. The number and identity of included features matter: two averages based on different feature sets do not provide an equivalent comparison of the whole account.
Community Ratings and Editorial Independence
Community ratings reflect reviews collected by third-party platforms. We identify the platform and display its rating separately. Community ratings do not contribute points to our feature scores or enter the average.
FinanceProspector may earn compensation when readers act on certain links. Compensation does not determine our scoring criteria, feature scores, or editorial conclusions. A commercial relationship is not evidence that a product meets a scoring criterion. Read our Affiliate Disclosure for details.
Updates and Corrections
Fees, rates, features, eligibility requirements, and agreements can change. We review the affected evidence when updating an article and recalculate a score when a confirmed input changes. We distinguish an editorial update from a change to the scoring rules.
A review's update date does not guarantee that every provider term remains unchanged afterward. Readers should confirm current terms and eligibility directly with the provider.
If you find an error or an outdated detail, email hello@financeprospector.com with the page and the information that needs review.
Business Banking Scoring Framework
Scope and Eligibility for a Feature Score
Our Business Banking comparisons assess the named account plan. Providers qualify separately for each feature comparison. Every required input must be confirmed, comparable, and applicable to that plan before we publish its score for that comparison.
All providers scored within the same comparison use the same inputs, point allocations, and fee tiers. Each comparison has a maximum of 10 underlying points. These allocations are editorial choices about the specific facts measured; they do not claim to represent every business owner's priorities.
Included services can count when access is subject to documented eligibility or approval, with that restriction explained. A score does not promise that every applicant will qualify. Paid upgrades and separately approved products do not earn points for the base account. An embedded partner service can count when the provider documents that it is initiated inside the provider's own application and paid from the account; a referral to a separate partner website does not establish an included account feature.
For fee comparisons, we use the specified online route and standard charge, including the first transaction where charges vary with monthly volume. We disclose relationship waivers, third-party charges, and failed-transfer fees separately. A fee stated only as an unresolved ceiling, or dependent on an unreadable qualification, cannot support a score.
The Feature Score Scale
Business Banking feature scores are displayed on a scale from 7.5 to 9.5, using this formula:
Displayed feature score = 7.5 + 2 × (underlying points ÷ 10).
We round each displayed feature score half-up to one decimal place. Zero underlying points displays as 7.5; five points displays as 8.5; ten points displays as 9.5. This is a compressed display scale: 7.5 does not mean a provider earned 75% of the available points, and 9.5 is the highest score under this framework.
The criteria below explain what earns the underlying points. A low point result measures those criteria only; it is not a judgment about the entire provider.
The Nine Feature Comparisons
1. Domestic Transfer Costs — The Three Specified Standard Transfer Fees
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Fee to send one standard-speed ACH payment online | 4 | fee = $0: 4 · $0 < fee ≤ $1: 2 · fee > $1: 0 |
| Fee to send one domestic wire online | 3 | fee = $0: 3 · $0 < fee ≤ $15: 2 · $15 < fee ≤ $25: 1 · fee > $25: 0 |
| Fee to receive one domestic wire sent from another bank | 3 | fee = $0: 3 · $0 < fee ≤ $15: 1 · fee > $15: 0 |
2. Monthly and Overdraft Fees — The Two Specified Charges
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee on the named plan | 5 | no fee: 5 · a fee that a published balance or account-activity condition removes: 2.5 · a fee with no such condition: 0 |
| Overdraft fee per item | 5 | stated as none: 5 · $0 < fee ≤ $15: 2 · fee > $15: 0 |
Introductory fee-free periods, daily caps and grace thresholds are disclosed and not scored.
3. Cash Deposit and ATM Access — Documented Availability and Provider ATM Fees
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Whether cash can be deposited, by any route | 5 | offered: 5 · stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether cash can be withdrawn at an ATM, and whether the provider charges for it | 5 | offered with no provider fee at its own ATMs, a named network or any ATM: 5 · offered but the provider charges at every ATM: 2 · stated as not offered: 0 |
Deposit routes, deposit fees, deposit limits and withdrawal limits are recorded beside the score and not scored. No preference is given to branches over retail networks.
4. Payment Options — The Four Specified Payment Methods
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Whether an international payment can be sent from the account | 3 | offered: 3 · stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether a bill-pay tool is included in the named plan | 3 | included: 3 · paid plans only, or stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether the provider prints and mails a check to a payee | 2 | offered: 2 · stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether the customer can write paper checks on the account | 2 | checks supplied or stated as orderable: 2 · stated as not offered: 0 |
5. Team Access and Included Cards — User Permissions and Included Team Cards
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Additional users, and whether their access can be limited | 5 | distinct roles or permissions: 5 · full access only: 3 · stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether cards for team members come with the account | 5 | team cards: 5 · a card for the account holder only: 2 · stated as no card: 0 |
6. Invoicing and Accounting Connections — Included Invoicing and Accounting Sync
| Input | Points | Tiers |
|---|---|---|
| Whether an invoicing tool is included in the named plan | 5 | included: 5 · paid plans only, a separate service, or stated as not offered: 0 |
| Whether transactions sync automatically to named accounting software | 5 | automatic sync or bank feed: 5 · only file export or import stated: 2 · stated as none: 0 |
Payment-processor connections are recorded and not scored.
7. Outgoing USD International Wire Fee
One input, 10 points: the fee to send one international wire in U.S. dollars, online, by the provider's standard option.
| Tier | Points |
|---|---|
| fee = $0 | 10 |
| $0 < fee ≤ $25 | 6 |
| $25 < fee ≤ $40 | 3 |
| fee > $40 | 0 |
A provider that states it cannot send international wires is "Not offered" and has no cost score.
8. Expedited ACH Fee
One input, 10 points: the fee to send one $1,000 payment by the provider's expedited ACH service. Only services the provider documents as ACH are included. Percentage fees are applied to $1,000, then the published minimum and maximum. Same-day and same-or-next-day delivery are disclosed.
| Tier | Points |
|---|---|
| fee = $0 | 10 |
| $0 < fee ≤ $5 | 7 |
| $5 < fee ≤ $15 | 4 |
| fee > $15 | 0 |
9. Provider Foreign-Currency Card-Purchase Fee
One input, 10 points: the provider's own fee on a $1,000 card purchase in a foreign currency, on a card that comes with the account. Card-network charges and exchange rates are disclosed and not scored.
| Tier | Points |
|---|---|
| fee = $0 | 10 |
| $0 < fee ≤ $10 | 6 |
| $10 < fee ≤ $20 | 3 |
| fee > $20 | 0 |
Features Without a Published Score
If any required input remains unresolved, the entire feature comparison stays unscored for that provider. We do not score the remaining inputs and increase their weights. Other independently supported feature scores can still be published.
“Not offered” means the provider states the service is unavailable. In a capability comparison, that documented fact can earn zero points for the relevant input. In a fee-only comparison, a service that is not offered has no fee score; an unavailable service is not treated as free.
“Insufficient confirmed information” means the evidence cannot support the comparison. It is neither a low score nor proof that the capability is unavailable.
Important Facts Beyond the Scores
The nine comparisons measure specific costs and documented capabilities. They do not measure the full quality of a banking relationship.
We also explain relevant facts about account eligibility, deposit protection, security controls, support channels and hours, transfer conditions, interest rates, account organization, and additional products. These facts can materially affect a reader's decision even when they do not contribute points.
A documented support channel does not establish responsiveness. A published security feature does not establish the overall safety of an account. A cost score does not establish total account cost.
Comparing Accounts Fairly
Compare individual feature scores using the same criteria and plan scope, then consider the facts that matter to your business. An account with the highest score for one feature may not be the best fit for your transaction patterns, cash needs, team, or eligibility.
Equal underlying point totals within a feature comparison remain tied. We do not use affiliate compensation to separate them. A selected-feature average does not automatically establish a category ranking, a “Best Overall” designation, or an Editor's Pick.
Our reviews provide research and analysis to support your decision. They do not guarantee approval, service access, future pricing, or a particular customer experience.
Methodology Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a FinanceProspector Feature Score Measure?
A feature score measures the specific costs or capabilities identified in its comparison. For Business Banking, the criteria and point thresholds appear in the Business Banking scoring framework. The score does not measure the entire account or every aspect of the provider.
Why Do Business Banking Feature Scores Run from 7.5 to 9.5?
FinanceProspector converts zero to ten underlying points into a displayed score from 7.5 to 9.5. Zero points displays as 7.5, and ten points displays as 9.5. The displayed number is not the percentage of criteria met; the point tables show what the provider earned.
Is the Average of Feature Scores an Overall Provider Rating?
No. The average summarizes only the feature scores included in that review, with equal weight for each. Its label identifies how many scores contribute. Unscored features, community ratings and other account facts do not enter that calculation.
Why Do Reviews Include Different Numbers of Feature Scores?
A provider qualifies separately for each feature comparison. We publish a score only when every required input is confirmed and applicable to the named plan. A review can therefore explain an account feature without assigning it a score.
Can I Compare Two Providers Using Their Displayed Averages?
Check the included features first. Averages based on different feature sets do not measure an equivalent selection of account capabilities. Compare matching individual feature scores and consider the unscored facts relevant to your business.
Does an Unscored Feature Mean the Provider Does Not Offer It?
No. Insufficient confirmed information means we cannot support a score. A documented statement that a service is not offered is a separate finding and is treated according to that comparison’s rules.
Do Community Ratings or Affiliate Payments Affect the Scores?
Community ratings are displayed separately and are not included in feature scores or their average. Affiliate compensation does not determine our scoring criteria, scores or editorial conclusions.
Does FinanceProspector Open and Test Every Account?
No. Document-based research and hands-on account testing are different activities. We identify testing when it has actually been performed; provider documentation and supplied interface illustrations are not evidence of our own account use.
Methodology Glossary
Feature Comparison
A defined assessment of a specific cost or capability, using the same inputs and point rules for every provider scored within that comparison.
Underlying Points
The points earned under a comparison’s criteria before conversion to the displayed feature score. Each Business Banking comparison has a maximum of ten underlying points.
Displayed Feature Score
The number shown for a scored comparison. In Business Banking, zero to ten underlying points are converted to the 7.5–9.5 display scale and rounded half-up to one decimal place.
Selected-Feature Average
The equally weighted arithmetic mean of the displayed feature scores included in a review, rounded to one decimal place. It excludes unscored features and is not a comprehensive overall provider rating.
Plan Scope
The named product and plan to which a fact or score applies. Base-plan functions, paid upgrades and separately approved products are distinguished rather than treated as one offering.
Unscored Feature
A feature comparison without a published score for that provider. It is excluded from the average, not assigned zero; insufficient evidence does not establish that a service is unavailable.