What is a sub-account and what can I use it for?
As your business grows and your operations become more complex, you may find that budgeting, managing expenses, and separating cash flows through one account is no longer viable.
To organize your finances, you can open up to five sub-accounts with your main Bluevine Business Checking account, for a total of six accounts. Each sub-account has a dedicated account number1 so you can control which accounts your vendors, suppliers, or contractors can bill.
You can set up automatic transfer rules to transfer funds between your Bluevine accounts when certain balance conditions are met. For more information on setting up and managing automatic transfer rules, visit our support article.
Because sub-accounts sit under your main account, you can open one in just a few easy steps. See How to open a sub-account below to start now.
What requirements, fees, and limits do sub-accounts have?
Like your main Bluevine Business Checking account, on a Standard plan, sub-accounts have no minimum balance requirements, no monthly or overdraft fees, and unlimited transactions.2
For Bluevine Premier customers, see our Premier support article for more information about fees and minimum balance requirements.
Sub-account features (debit cards, payment, interest)
You can send payments— via wire, free ACH, or check3—and receive payments into your sub-accounts. However, you can only order a debit card for your main Business Checking account. We do not recommend opening a sub-account if you intend to use it to make purchases via debit card.
On Standard plan4, you can also earn 2% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on balances up to and including $250,000 across your accounts if you meet a monthly activity goal.5
Feature |
Bluevine Business Checking Account |
Sub-accounts |
Debit Card |
Yes |
No |
Incoming ACH / Outgoing ACH |
Yes |
Yes |
Incoming Wire / Outgoing Wire |
Yes |
Yes |
Incoming Check / Outgoing Check3 |
Yes |
Yes |
Send Payments |
Yes |
Yes |
Earn Interest4 |
Yes |
Yes |
Cash Deposits |
Yes |
No |
How to open a sub-account
Opening a sub-account is fast and easy. Follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Bluevine dashboard6
- Navigate to Checking on the left-hand menu
- Click the dropdown arrow next to the Account box at the top
- Click Add sub-account
- Review sub-account features and click Next once you’re done
- Confirm the purpose of your sub-account
- Create a nickname for your sub-account
- Check the box to confirm your beneficial ownership information is up to date
- Click Add sub-account
- Click Done on the account ready screen
- Click Done on the “New sub-account has been added successfully” screen
How to close a sub-account
First, we recommend you use the Transfer Money button on your Bluevine dashboard to move any funds out of your sub-account to your main account. Once your sub-account balance is zero, please contact us to formally close the account.
Your main Bluevine Business Checking account will remain open if you close a sub-account. If you close your main account, any active sub-accounts will automatically be closed.
Sending payments from sub-accounts
- Sign in to your Bluevine dashboard
- Navigate to Checking on the left-hand menu
- Select Send Payment
- Search for your payee or select Add payee
-
Select your sub-account in the Pay from dropdown menu
- Enter the payment amount and bill details
- Choose your payment method, frequency, and send date, then click Next
- Verify the information you entered, then click Send Payment
How to transfer money between accounts
You can transfer money between your accounts by selecting the Transfer Money button on the Checking tab. Choose your accounts in the “Transfer from” and “Transfer to” fields. Your main checking account appears as “Bluevine (XXXX)” and sub-accounts appear as their nicknames, i.e., “Payroll (XXXX)”.Transferring money between your Bluevine accounts and sub-accounts is instant. Transferring money to an external bank account typically takes 3–5 business days.
Navigating between accounts
To navigate between your accounts, go to the Checking tab of your Bluevine dashboard. To see account details or update the nicknames of your sub-accounts, click the account you’d like to view.
Ordering checkbooks for your sub-accounts
Your business can order two free sets of 100 standard checks per year and per business name. Additional checkbook pricing may vary. For more information on ordering checks for your sub-account, see our checkbook ordering support article.
Statements for your sub-account(s)
To see your sub-account statements, navigate to the Documents tab and then Statements on your Bluevine dashboard. In the dropdown Account menu, select which account you’d like to view or choose to download a statement.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are sub-accounts supported on the Bluevine mobile app?
We’re working to bring full mobile app support to you very soon for sub-accounts! Right now, some sub-account features are only available on the desktop or mobile browser version of your Bluevine dashboard. For example, you can only add a sub-account from desktop or mobile browser.
However, you’re able to set up payments and transfers from your sub-accounts using the Bluevine app.
What are sub-accounts typically used for?
Sub-accounts are an easy-to-use feature that allow you to budget, manage expenses, separate business cash flows, and control employee spending. For example, you might open a separate sub-account for payroll and another for tax savings.
With up to five sub-accounts, you can control which accounts vendors can bill and implement growth strategies like the profit-first method.
How does interest work with sub-accounts?
On a Standard plan4, up to and including $250,000, the total collective balance of your main Bluevine Business Checking account and sub-accounts will contribute toward the interest you earn. Earned interest will be deposited into your main Bluevine Business Checking account.
To earn 2.0% APY on a Standard plan, you’ll need to meet at least one of these monthly eligibility requirements:
- Spend $500 per month with your Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard®7, which you can use everywhere Mastercard® is accepted.8
- Receive $2,500 per month in customer payments to your Bluevine Business Checking account or sub-accounts, via ACH, wire, mobile check deposit, or from your merchant payment processing provider.9
If you’ve met one of the above criteria, you’ll receive your interest payout on the first of the following month. Activity does not roll over—these transactions must post to your account or sub-accounts before the end of the month to qualify for that month’s eligibility.
For more information, refer to our earning interest support article.
What happens if I close a sub-account?
If you no longer want or need your sub-account, you can close it without closing your main account. Please transfer your funds out of the account before contacting us to close it.
Can I order a debit card for a sub-account?
We only issue a Bluevine Debit Mastercard® for your main Bluevine Business Checking account. You will not receive a debit card for any sub-accounts you open.
1 Customers will receive a Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard only for use with the main Bluevine Business Checking account.
2 No limit on number of transactions. However, all accounts are subject to the aggregated monthly deposit and withdrawal amount limits of the Account Agreement.
3 Check payment fee are based on your plan type. See our support article on fees for more information.
4 Customers on a Standard plan will earn 2.0% annual percentage yield (APY) on total balances up to and including $250,000 only if they meet the monthly debit transaction or deposit requirements described in section M of the Account Agreement. No interest earned on balances over $250,000. Any interest accrued and payable for an Account or Sub-Account will be paid to your main Account. The national average and comparison are based on interest rates paid by U.S. depository institutions as calculated by the FDIC.
5 Bluevine Premier customers will earn 4.25% annual percentage yield (APY) on total Bluevine Business Checking balances up to $3,000,000. No interest earned on balances over $3,000,000. Any interest accrued and payable for an account or sub-account will be paid to your main account. See our Premier support article for more information.
6 Sub-accounts can only be opened on the desktop or mobile browser version of the Bluevine Dashboard experience.
Debit transactions must post to your account before the end of the month to qualify toward that month’s eligibility requirement.
7 The Bluevine Business Debit Mastercard® is issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated and may be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
8 Debit transactions must post to your account before the end of the month to qualify toward that month’s eligibility requirement.
9 Qualifying transactions only include business deposits such as mobile deposits of customer checks and customer payments transferred via ACH, wire, or from payment processing providers. These transactions must post and finally settle to your account or Sub-Account(s) before 3pm ET on the end of the last business day of the month to qualify toward that month’s eligibility requirement. Transactions that do not qualify include, but are not limited to, cash deposits. Subject to change.