Mercury vs Relay vs Chase: Best Bank Accounts for Lawn Care & Landscaping Businesses
Running a lawn care or landscaping business, even as a solo operator, means keeping your money straight. Mixing personal funds with payments for mowing, leaf blowing, or snow removal can cause big headaches later. A dedicated business bank account keeps your finances separate, protects you legally, and makes tax time easier. It often costs nothing to open and sorts out this problem right away. Here's which bank account is best for your growing lawn care venture.
READY TO TAKE ACTION?
Use the free LaunchAdvisor checklist to track every step in this guide.
The quick answer
Mercury is the best business bank account for online-focused lawn care, like if all your clients pay via Venmo, Zelle, or direct deposit for recurring services. It has no fees and a great online experience. Relay is better if you want to budget specific funds for things like fuel, equipment repairs, or saving for a new commercial mower. Chase Business Complete Banking wins for businesses that regularly take cash payments for jobs like mowing, leaf cleanups, or snow removal and need to deposit that cash at a branch. All three accounts open online quickly, often in under 30 minutes.
Side-by-side breakdown
Mercury: no monthly fees, no minimum balance, FDIC insured. It handles online payments well but does not accept cash deposits. This can be a problem if most of your clients pay in cash for one-off jobs like spring cleanups or emergency snow removal. It's best for managing online invoices for larger landscaping jobs or automated billing for recurring lawn maintenance.
Relay: no monthly fees, up to 20 checking accounts, and 50 virtual debit cards. This is perfect for setting up 'envelopes' for different costs, like 'Fuel & Equipment Maintenance,' 'New Mower Savings,' or 'Tax Fund.' It integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, which is helpful for keeping track of your income and expenses.
Chase Business Complete Banking: costs $15/month, but this fee is usually waived if you keep a $2,000 average daily balance – easily met during a busy summer mowing season. You get 100+ free transactions per month and, most importantly for lawn care, cash deposits are accepted at any Chase branch or ATM. This is key if you often get paid cash after finishing a lawn, trimming hedges, or clearing snow.
When to choose Mercury
Choose Mercury when your lawn care business operates mostly with digital payments. This means clients pay you through apps like Venmo or Zelle, or direct bank transfers for recurring mowing contracts. The excellent online tools and virtual cards are useful for separating out costs like software subscriptions for routing apps, online marketing, or buying specific parts for your weed trimmer online. Mercury is not a good fit if you frequently receive cash payments from clients for yard work.
When to choose Relay
Choose Relay when you want to be smart about your money and budget for specific needs. You can set up separate accounts for 'fuel,' 'equipment repairs,' 'new tools,' 'marketing,' and a dedicated 'tax fund.' This 'envelope method' helps you know exactly how much you have for each expense and ensures you put aside money for a new zero-turn mower or a powerful backpack blower. It's also strong for managing seasonal income, letting you save more from busy summer months to cover slower winter periods or for snow removal equipment.
When to choose Chase
Choose Chase when you regularly collect cash for mowing lawns, trimming hedges, or shoveling snow. Its widespread network of branches and ATMs makes it easy to deposit cash safely after a day of jobs. This is essential for most solo lawn care operators who get paid directly in cash. The monthly fee is usually waived by keeping a small average balance, which is often easy to do during peak season. Having a physical branch can also be helpful if you ever need to speak to someone about a loan for a new work truck or commercial-grade equipment.
The verdict
For a lawn care business that gets most payments online (recurring contracts, Venmo, Zelle): Mercury is a great pick. If your main goal is smart budgeting for gear, saving for taxes, and handling seasonal cash flow swings: Relay is your best bet. If you get a lot of cash payments from clients for mowing, snow removal, or one-off landscaping jobs: Chase is the clear winner because of its easy cash deposits. Open your account today – before your next client payment. Every day you deposit business income from a mowing job into your personal account is a day your legal protection and clear tax records are at risk.
How to get started
1. Choose your bank based on how you usually get paid and your main financial needs. 2. Apply online. You'll need your SSN (if you're a sole proprietor) or your EIN (if you have an LLC), any business documents, and a personal ID. 3. Fund the account with a small initial deposit from your personal account, perhaps $100 from your first few mowing jobs. 4. Update any client invoicing or payment requests to show your new business account details. 5. Set up separate accounts or 'envelopes' for taxes (plan for 25-30% of every mowing or landscaping payment) from day one.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Mercury
Best online business bank — no fees, strong integrations
Relay
Built for profit-first budgeting with multiple accounts
Chase
Best for businesses needing branch access and cash deposits
Some links above are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need a business bank account if I am a sole proprietor?
Legally no, but practically yes. Even as a sole proprietor with no liability protection, a separate business account makes bookkeeping, tax preparation, and expense tracking dramatically simpler. When you form an LLC, a separate account becomes essential for maintaining your liability protection.
Can I open a business bank account without an LLC?
Yes. Most banks will open a business bank account for a sole proprietor using your Social Security Number and a DBA (Doing Business As) registration. However, forming an LLC first and using your EIN is cleaner and protects you better.
How much should I keep in my business account?
At minimum: enough to cover two months of operating expenses. Additionally, set aside 25-30% of gross revenue in a separate tax savings account from day one. Many business owners are blindsided by their first quarterly estimated tax payment — this prevents that.
Apply This in Your Checklist