Getting Mercury working, in order

Why now, The documents are open and the company is eligible, so there is nothing left to prepare.

Start the application and work through it in one go, using the legal company name exactly as it appears on the formation document. Do not abbreviate it or use a trading name where it asks for the registered one.

Mismatches between the name on the application and the name on the formation document are the most common cause of a review dragging on.

Done when, The application is submitted and you have a confirmation.

You'll know it worked when the name you entered matches the formation document character for character.

• Get your bank application right before you submit it

  Use this in the few minutes before you submit the application.

  Submit an application that clears review the first time.

  Catches the name mismatches and missing owners that stall reviews for weeks.

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Why now, The application is in, so this is now a waiting step with one active duty.

Watch the email you applied with. If the review asks for another document or a clarification, send it the same day. Approval often lands within a few days, and the cases that take weeks are usually the ones where a request sat unanswered.

The review is the whole gap between applying and having a usable account. Your response time is the part of it you control.

Done when, The account is open and you can sign in to it.

You'll know it worked when you are signed in and looking at an account number and a routing number.

• Work out why your bank application is stuck

  Use this when the application has been sitting in review with no explanation.

  Find the one thing holding up your account.

  Works out the most likely cause and gives you one thing to do today.

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Why now, The account exists and is empty, which is exactly when this costs nothing.

Turn on two step sign in, save the recovery method somewhere that is not the same phone, and use a password you do not use anywhere else. Do this while the balance is still zero.

This account will hold the business money. Securing it later means securing it while there is something to lose.

Done when, Two step sign in is on and the recovery details are stored somewhere separate.

You'll know it worked when sign out and back in to confirm the second step actually triggers.

Why now, The account is open and secure, so it can now be spent from.

Order the physical debit card, and create a virtual card for anything on subscription. Set a spending limit on each one. The virtual card is the one that saves you later, because if a supplier is compromised you cancel that card and nothing else breaks.

Separating subscriptions onto their own card with its own limit is a habit that costs five minutes now and saves an afternoon of untangling later.

Done when, A physical card is on its way and at least one virtual card exists with a limit set.

You'll know it worked when the cards page lists your cards with the limits you set showing against them.

Why now, The account is live, so the feed has something to feed.

Link the account to your accounting software so transactions arrive automatically. If you are using QuickBooks, connect it there. Doing it now, while there are almost no transactions, means the history starts clean.

Bank feeds set up after six months of trading mean six months of categorising in one sitting. Set up on day one, it is a few minutes a week.

Done when, Transactions from the account appear in your accounting software without you exporting anything.

You'll know it worked when make a small card purchase and confirm it turns up in the accounting tool.

• Accounting software to receive the feed

  Unconfirmed

  The software that turns transactions into books your accountant can use.

  Connecting the account to accounting on day one means the categorising never piles up. Mercury records money moving; it does not decide how any of it should be treated.

  You get

  Automatic transaction records and far less work at the end of the year.

  You'll need

  An open bank account and an accounting subscription.

  Do this

  Connect the bank feed from inside your accounting software.

  Check it

  A card purchase made today shows in the accounting tool without any export.

  Then

  Point your incoming money at the account.

  Haven't got it? That's fine, The transactions are still all there in Mercury. You simply enter or import them yourself later, which takes far longer.

  Read our take on QuickBooks

  Biz Spouse research · The specific connection between these two products has not been verified by us step by step, so it is marked unresolved rather than claimed.

Why now, Only applies if you answered yes to the cash question at the start.

Applies when Only when the business receives physical cash.

If any part of the business takes physical notes, open a second account at a bank with a branch nearby and use it purely for depositing cash, then transfer it across. Keep Mercury as the main operating account. Do not try to make Mercury do this: cash cannot be deposited into it.

This is the one place where the online only model genuinely does not stretch, and pretending otherwise leaves cash sitting in a drawer.

Done when, Either you take no cash, or there is a named account where cash gets deposited.

You'll know it worked when you know exactly where the next twenty dollar note the business receives is going to end up.

• Plan what to do with physical cash when your bank is online only

  Use this if any part of your business receives physical notes.

  Solve the one thing an online only account cannot do.

  Produces a simple arrangement for cash that keeps your online account as the main one.

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Why now, This is the first fork. Every later step assumes you have passed it.

Answer one question before anything else: does your business ever end the day holding physical cash. If the answer is no, an online only account is the right call and Mercury is a strong one. If the answer is yes, you still cannot deposit that cash into Mercury, so you need either a bank with a branch instead, or Mercury for everything electronic and a local account for the cash.

This is the only real limitation of the product, and it is the one that cannot be worked around later. Everything else about Mercury is a straightforward improvement on a traditional business account.

Done when, You can say plainly whether your business handles physical cash, and what your plan is if it does.

You'll know it worked when read Mercury's own ATM page. It states directly that cash cannot be deposited into the account.

• Work out whether an online only bank account fits your business

  Use this before you apply anywhere, while you are still deciding whether online only banking suits how you get paid.

  Get a straight answer for your own business, not for businesses in general.

  Turns the online only question into a verdict about how money actually reaches you.

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Why now, You have decided online only works for you, so the next question is whether Mercury will have you.

Read Mercury's eligibility page and check your business against it. The company must be formed and registered in the United States or a United States territory, and some business types are not supported. Five minutes here is cheaper than an application that gets declined.

Approval is a real review rather than a formality. Knowing where you stand before applying means you are not left without a bank account halfway through opening a business.

Done when, You have checked your business type and your state of registration against Mercury's published eligibility.

You'll know it worked when your business type is not on the unsupported list, and your entity is registered in the United States or a territory.

Why now, You have confirmed you are eligible, so the next barrier is purely administrative.

Collect the state filed formation document for the company, such as articles of organization or a certificate of formation, your employer identification number from the IRS, and identification and ownership details for everyone who owns a meaningful share of the business.

The application is short only if the documents are already open. Stopping halfway to hunt for a formation certificate is what turns a fifteen minute job into an evening.

Done when, The formation document, the employer identification number and the ownership details are all open on your screen.

You'll know it worked when you could paste the exact legal name and the identification number without going to look for either.

• A formed company with its filing document

  The state filed document that proves your company exists, such as articles of organization or a certificate of formation.

  Mercury will not open an account for a business that is not registered. The formation document is the first thing the application asks for.

  You get

  The ability to apply at all.

  You'll need

  A decision on which state and which entity type.

  Do this

  Form the company first. If you have not, do that before returning here.

  Check it

  You are holding a state filed formation document with your company name on it.

  Then

  Get the employer identification number.

  Haven't got it? That's fine, There is no application to make. Mercury requires state filed formation documents confirming registration.

  Read our take on Northwest Registered Agent
  Official instructions

  Official source · as of September 2026 · Mercury's own document requirements page, read on 10 September 2026.

• An employer identification number from the IRS

  The federal tax identification number for the business, issued free by the IRS.

  It identifies the company on the bank application. Without it the application cannot be completed.

  You get

  The bank application, and later payroll and tax filings.

  You'll need

  A formed company.

  Do this

  Apply on the IRS website directly. It is free and takes minutes. Never pay a third party for it.

  Check it

  You have the number in writing from the IRS.

  Then

  Apply to Mercury.

  Haven't got it? That's fine, The application stops. The identification number is part of the required information.

  Official instructions

  Official source · as of September 2026 · IRS official application page, read on 10 September 2026.

Why now, This becomes relevant when the team grows or the finance work gets more complicated.

Applies when Only when the free account starts limiting something you actually need.

Stay on the standard account until something specific pushes you off it, such as needing more approval controls or more automation. When that day comes, read the current pricing page rather than any figure you remember.

The standard account covers what a single owner or a small team needs. Upgrading before there is a reason is money spent on a feeling of seriousness.

Done when, You have either stayed on the free account deliberately, or upgraded for a reason you could name out loud.

You'll know it worked when you can say which specific feature you are paying for.