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Provider review · 4.9 advisor score

Mercury: fees, currencies and how to apply.

US banking for startups and non-resident founders

1-2 weeks in our cases

Time to open

4.9

Advisor score

No monthly fee

Monthly cost

Open a Mercury account
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Mercury

US-registered entity

Time to open

Typically 1-2 weeks in our cases

Currencies

USD account; outbound payments in 40+ currencies

To open

No published minimum

Licence status

Fintech; accounts held at partner banks Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC

 
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Advertising disclosure. Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you open an account we may be paid a fee, at no extra cost to you. Order is set by our published criteria and cannot be bought.

What Mercury actually is

Mercury is a US financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts and deposits are held at its partner banks Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., both members of the FDIC, so cover reaches you on a pass-through basis rather than from Mercury itself.

It is the fastest route we see to a working USD account for a newly formed US company, including one owned entirely by non-residents. Domestic ACH and USD wires are free, the dashboard is genuinely good, and there is an API for teams that automate payouts.

Best for

Founders with a US LLC or C-Corp, including non-residents

Fees and pricing

Checked against the provider’s published pricing in September 2026. Figures vary by country and plan.

Monthly fee

No fee on the standard account

Minimum balance

No published minimum

Local transfers

Free

International transfers

Free from Mercury; recipient bank charges may apply

Currency exchange

About 1% on the converted amount

Cards

Included

Where it works well

  • No monthly fee and free USD payments in and out
  • Remote onboarding with no US visit and no US personal credit history needed
  • Treasury option once balances grow, plus a clean API

Watch out for

  • A US entity is required; there is no path for a foreign company
  • FDIC cover is pass-through via partner banks, not Mercury itself
  • Several industries are declined outright, including most crypto and money services

Who can open it

  • A company registered in the United States with an EIN
  • A US registered agent address (a virtual mailbox is accepted)
  • Owners and directors can live anywhere, with a small list of restricted countries

Documents to prepare

  • Certificate of incorporation and company registry extract
  • Passport and proof of address for every director and owner above 25%
  • Description of the business, customers and expected monthly volumes
  • EIN confirmation letter from the IRS
  • Company website or product description

Ready to apply to Mercury?

Have the documents above ready and the application usually takes under 20 minutes.

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