Best Business Debit Cards in Australia for 2025

Learn how Zeller Transaction Account compares to traditional business banks in Australia. Keeping accurate financial records is essential to running a business, and it all starts with a business bank account . However, navigating the muddy waters of bank jargon and fee structures is no easy task. To help make the decision easier for small business owners, we’ve compared the best business banking accounts in Australia, and weighed them up against Zeller, a smarter and more affordable non-bank alternative to your traditional business bank. Read on to discover why you need to open a business bank account , what factors you need to consider, and why an alternative financial services solution like Zeller could be the better choice for your small business. Bank accounts for Australian small businesses Every bank and financial services provider has its own approach to offering business transaction accounts and structuring the fees that come with them. Some have a wide range of add-on services that can be very valuable to the right business, but come at an additional cost. Others require fees simply for continued access and use, without any added benefits. Identifying what’s relevant and useful to your particular business will not only keep costs low, but ensure you are getting the maximum value from the service. Business bank account comparison table To help you find your way through the weeds, we’ve aggregated the fee structures and features of business bank accounts from six major Australian banks — Westpac , CommBank , NAB , ANZ , Suncorp and Bendigo Bank — and compared them to the Zeller Transaction Account in one simple comparison table. Simply select the two banks you would like to compare from the drop-down menu, and scroll down to compare all the different criteria you should consider when choosing a business bank account. What is a business bank account? A business bank account is a specialised bank account designed specifically for the needs of businesses. It is used to manage the financial transactions of a company, such as paying bills, receiving payments from customers, and managing payroll. Business bank accounts can be opened at most banks and financial institutions, and are typically offered in a variety of account types to suit the different needs of both large and small businesses. Why do you need a business bank account? Whether you’re planning a medium-sized enterprise or starting out as a sole trader, any business venture requires separating your personal and business finances. For businesses structured as a partnership, company or a trust, having a business bank account is a legal requirement for tax purposes; For sole traders, a business bank account is not required under Australian law, but is strongly recommended. Separating business from pleasure in your bank accounts makes reconciliation for bookkeeping and tax considerably easier, professional and legitimate. Additional benefits include: Is there an alternative to a traditional bank? Yes, business owners nowadays can access a wide range of non-bank financial services solutions, as an alternative to their traditional business bank. Additionally, you should also re-consider the value you can get from an alternative to the traditional business bank — rather than just an account to store money in, many new providers offer an array of powerful business banking features. When comparing business banks, look for solutions that include features such as instant sub-account creation, the ability to issue virtual and physical business debit cards in a click, real-time fund transfers, a dedicated business banking mobile app, transaction tagging and reporting, integrations with your accounting software, customer-level tagging and relationship management reports,  and more. If you’re considering a non-bank alternative to your traditional provider, sign up for a free Zeller Transaction Account to review all of the features and functionality included that you may never get from a regular business bank. Zeller's financial solution Zeller is a popular Australian alternative to the traditional, outdated business bank, that offers business owners a complete financial services solution with free Transaction Accounts , Business Debit Cards , an EFTPOS Machine , invoicing software , and more, all available from one convenient and free account. If you require a way to store, manage and spend your business funds, and accept electronic payments, but have no need to visit a bank branch, a non-bank such as Zeller is a very compelling choice. With Zeller: Whether you’re paid by card or funds transfer, access to your funds is generally quicker than traditional banks, which often use legacy technology and complex internal processes. You can create multiple accounts and debit cards at the click of a button. Fund transfers are made in real-time. A powerful web portal and leading edge mobile app allow you to send and receive funds transfers, and work with your transaction accounts, debit cards, and real-time card sales. Contacts can be assigned to transactions, and you can add notes and images to transactions, to simplify reconciliation. Everything is consolidated in one, easy-to-use platform: from your EFTPOS payments to transfers, settlements and expenses. You can even write, send and track invoices in your Zeller account. Your Transaction Account can be synced with Xero’s Bank Feeds Integration, for seamless bookkeeping reconciliation A fee-free small business account with no paperwork, no need to visit a branch, and the ability to open sub-accounts and issue debit cards with a click: Zeller is the smarter non-bank alternative to your traditional business bank. How do you open a business bank account? With the major banks, opening a business bank account will depend largely on what kind of business you are running and whether or not you are already a business customer. Depending on what camp you sit in will determine whether you can open an account online or whether you’ll need to go into a branch. As Zeller is an entirely online financial services provider, all customers — no matter the business structure — can open an account online in a matter of minutes. Whichever institution you choose, opening an account will require you to provide: A business name A primary business address An Australian Business Number (if applicable) An industry type Certified identification documents (such as passport or driver’s licence) for all owners or partners Additional documents may be required if your business operates under a particular structure such as a trust, cooperative or association To see specific requirements of each bank, check the comparison table and scroll down to “How to Apply” or visit the bank’s website. Or, if you're looking for a smarter, faster non-bank alternative, follow the prompts to sign up to Zeller for free here . Five things to consider when finding the best business bank account for your small business. 1. Fees, Transaction Limits & Staff-Assisted Transactions Depending on the option you choose, you could be spending as little as $0 or as much as $264 a year on business bank account fees. Beyond the account fee, be sure you understand all the fees associated with using your account – some of which can be hidden in the fine print. Certain accounts from ANZ and Bendigo Bank, for example, only offer a limited number of free electronic transactions per month, while staff-assisted transactions are capped at 20 to 30 per month for nearly all the major banks’ no fee business bank accounts. If you’re not careful, seemingly inexpensive plans can actually end up costing you more to use. To help you decide what you need, let’s break down some terminology: Electronic transactions are any type of transaction that is conducted with your computer, smartphone or other digital device. This could include transferring money between accounts, paying bills, shopping online, or using a debit card or mobile payment app, such as Apple Pay. Staff-assisted transactions are those that require you to go into a bank branch and speak with a teller; to deposit cash or collect change, for example. If you’re going to be making several electronic transactions each day, it’s worth doing the maths: two transactions per day at $0.40 per transaction (as is the case with Bendigo Bank’s no fee business bank account) will end up costing you $24 a month. Staff-assisted transactions can be as much as $3 each, when not included in your plan. If you need to collect change once a week, at a rate of $3 per transaction you’ll be paying $12 a month — more than the monthly fee for most accounts that offer this service for free. 2. Debit Cards All the best business accounts will include a debit card as part of their offer. This is the bare minimum requirement when opening a business account, and all of the options we compare in the table above do indeed provide one. Each will have slightly different features associated with it. While all banks will have maximum daily transaction and cash withdrawal limits for security purposes, most will allow you to increase these limits if you need to. If you’re likely to be withdrawing cash frequently from ATMs or making significant purchases, it’s important to note how much you can increase these limits by. Similarly, if you’re planning on using your business account to manage staff expenses, check the requirements for ordering additional debit cards. The big four banks — Westpac, Commbank, NAB and ANZ — all require that each additional cardholder is an account signatory. This is a potential deal breaker for any small business owner who just wants to give their staff members a card to purchase everyday items, without also giving them the authority to access and manage the whole bank account. Flexibility provided by Zeller Debit Card This is where Zeller has a much more flexible alternative to the traditional business banks. Within your Zeller Account, you can create as many Debit Cards as you like — one for each staff member, for example, which can each draw from a different Zeller Transaction Account. With Zeller’s no fee small business account, Debit Cards are free to create and can be virtual and instant, with the option of plastic cards. 3. Mobile Business Banking Apps How you use and interact with your business bank account will either be a seamless experience or an endless source of frustration. Rather than finding out the hard way, do a little research upfront to make sure the banking app and online platform are going to work for you. A great place to start is by looking at the reviews on the Apple App Store, at the time of writing*, the Zeller App on the App Store was rated the highest with 4.8 stars, while the CommBank Small Business app was the lowest with 2.1 stars. Most banks use the same app for both business and personal banking. Zeller, on the other hand, is a financial services provider solely for business, therefore the app is entirely tailored to what small business owners need. From the Zeller App you can create and manage accounts, issue new cards, build and review payment reports and transaction insights, and manage expenses — all with real-time business data. *Customer ratings on the Apple App Store as of 17 May 2023. 4. Reporting & Analytics Tools One of the most important ways of measuring the financial health of your business is to track your cash flow. When considering what business bank account to choose for your operation, you need to look into what tools and reporting the bank will offer you, because ultimately, these will inform important business decisions, such as: Committing to capital purchases such as a new coffee machine or vehicle When and at what level to roster staff on, and when to take a break If recent marketing has brought in more sales For owner-operators who are short on time, being able to gain these financial insights at a glance is essential. In this domain, the Zeller Business Transaction Account is second to none. From the dashboard on desktop or from the Zeller App , business owners can: Visualise their cash flow with real-time reports in a user-friendly interface Break down incoming and outgoing transfers Categorise and filter transactions by type, contact, date, amount and spend category Assign contacts and attach receipts or notes to transactions to know exactly where the money’s going and why. Your browser does not support the video tag. 5. Customer Support & Service A final and very important consideration when choosing a business bank account is the customer experience. Whether this is over the phone, on a mobile app, or in person at a physical branch, it’s important to choose a provider that is suited to your needs. If you’re leaning towards a bank and need the option of speaking to someone face-to-face, then make sure to look up where your closest branches are before signing up. If you prefer to manage all your finances online, make sure you like the user experience provided on the website or mobile app of your chosen provider. For day-to-day support, have a look at how robust their customer service platforms are including contact channels, customer assistance directories, and support articles — some will be much more comprehensive and easier to navigate than others. Where Zeller offers a considerable advantage over traditional business banking counterparts is its phone, SMS or email customer support (available 9AM to 1AM AET, 7 days a week) as well as 24 / 7 debit cardholder support. So, what’s the best business bank account? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution: every business is structured differently and every owner will prioritise different features. However, if you’re embracing the inevitable shift towards cashless transactions, Zeller’s financial ecosystem is very hard to beat on cost and functionality. Zeller is a non-bank alternative that has been designed for businesses, therefore every feature is tailored to the needs of business owners. To come to a final decision, weigh up all the considerations outlined in this article, consult the comparison table above, do your own research, contact the banks if you require even more detail, and sign up for your free Zeller Account today to give it a try.

Issuing payment cards to employees for business-related spending is a great way of simplifying expense management in the workplace. What’s less simple, however, is understanding the different card types available to businesses. From corporate credit cards to business debit cards, prepaid cards, and expense cards, there’s a bit to get your head around. Below we explain the difference between the most common card types and provide a list of pros and cons for each. Business Credit Cards Business credit cards  are designed for businesses to cover work-related expenses with funds borrowed from an issuing bank. They often provide rewards such as cash rebates or a points program and are available to businesses of all sizes, typically without any minimum annual revenue or spending threshold requirements. They do, however, require a credit check and often a personal guarantee, meaning the business owner is liable for all debt. Because of the risk of misuse, business credit cards are usually only held by business owners, or authorised personnel, not employees. Corporate Debit Cards & Business Debit Cards A  corporate debit card , or  business debit card  is linked to a business’s transaction account. When a transaction is made, funds are deducted from the available balance of the company’s bank account. When a business owner  opens a business bank account , they will receive a business debit card. Unlike credit cards, they are not linked to a line of credit, and spending is limited to what is available within the account. Most debit card issuers don’t offer the ability to easily modify spend limits on individual cards, meaning that whoever has access to the debit card, can access all the funds on it. Prepaid Cards & Expense Cards A  corporate prepaid card, otherwise known as a business expense card, or employee expense card is a payment card that has been preloaded with funds, allowing businesses to control employee spending. These cards are typically very easy to get, with no paperwork or application process required. Prepaid cards are managed by the finance team or CFO, topped up as necessary, and assigned to employees to give them access to company funds. Zeller Corporate Cards Similar to prepaid cards,  Zeller Corporate Cards  are designed for businesses as a convenient way to track and regulate spending while providing employees with a secure and flexible payment method. These cards are linked to your  Zeller Transaction Accounts , and are managed by the finance team or CFO who can set maximum spend limits per transaction and per day, week, fortnight, month, or quarter. Additional cards are very easy to issue (virtual cards can be issued instantly from Zeller Dashboard, or Zeller App), and can be assigned to employees as necessary. Zeller Corporate Cards: Do not require a credit check to qualify Can be set up in minutes Allow you to set spend limits and recurring budgets, reducing admin time Provide a layer of security if cards are lost or stolen Are accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted Do not need to be topped up with funds – cards draw funds directly from the transaction account, but only within the card's pre-defined limits. Learn more about the benefits of Zeller Corporate Cards here What card types are best for managing team spending? Although it’s common practice for businesses to share one business credit or debit card, and to pass it around to employees as they need it, this is not recommended. Not only do you run a greater risk of losing the card, but also, company money could be used irresponsibly. When choosing a card type for managing work-related expenses for your team, it’s important to choose one that has been designed for that purpose. Corporate credit cards are a good option, however, given their strict eligibility requirements, they remain largely inaccessible to many businesses.  The best option for managing team spending is either prepaid or expense cards, or even better: Zeller Corporate Cards .  These options give your employees the flexibility to pay for work-related expenses without the risk. You remain entirely in control of how much your employees have access to. With Zeller Corporate Cards, you will benefit from robust expense management features, which allow employees to easily upload receipts against their transactions, and employers to control spending limits and reconcile expenses from their desktop or Zeller's mobile app. Additional cards are easy to order, and Zeller supports virtual cards, which employees can add to their mobile wallets.

The petty cash box is empty, you can’t find the business credit card, and you’re up to your knees in receipts. Thankfully there’s an easier way to manage team and project expenses. Meet Zeller Corporate Cards. If you’ve ever checked your bank balance at the end of the week, you know how quickly incidental expenses can add up. Now imagine a team of employees, each with their own needs: a round of coffees for clients, a flight for an upcoming conference, a grocery order for the office, a software subscription. The list goes on. If you’re not staying on top of these purchases, not only is it going to hurt your bottom line, but it’s also going to cause many a headache when it comes to your end-of-month finance reconciliation. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to track who’s spending what, and it doesn’t involve flashing corporate credit cards or leveraging sophisticated expense management software . Zeller Corporate Cards are designed to help businesses – and finance teams – stay in control of employee and project-related expenses, while also giving staff the freedom to make necessary purchases. Read on to discover how Zeller Corporate Cards will give you back money, time and peace of mind. Introducing corporate cards Not to be confused with corporate credit cards or corporate debit cards ( learn what these are here ), corporate cards are payment cards linked to a business’s transaction account, and are specifically designed for employees or teams to be able to pay for business expenses. A finance team or CFO can easily order multiple cards, assign them to employees, and individually adjust their spending limits. In addition, they typically have built-in expense management features like recurring budgets that reset periodically, set transaction limits, and tools to help cardholders track and manage their expenses. Zeller Corporate Cards can be created from Zeller Dashboard. Simply follow the prompts to create a new Corporate Card, assign the card to an employee, set the spend limits and choose your card colour. It’s as simple as that. Your card can then be added to your employee’s mobile wallet or a physical card can be ordered. What are the benefits of using Zeller Corporate Cards in your business? 1. Flexibility for staff With Zeller’s corporate card program, your staff are empowered to make purchases as they need them. Rather than having to ask your permission every time they need to process a payment, or paying with their own money and submitting an expense report for reimbursement, a corporate card will give them the freedom to pay for expenses, within the limits that you prescribe. 2. Reduced financial admin Without the burden of having to process employee reimbursements, administrative time is greatly reduced. With Zeller Corporate Cards, all your expenses are centralised into one dashboard, where finance teams can easily and efficiently track who has spent what. 3. Improved tracking Every corporate card is assigned to an individual employee, team, or project, meaning that it's easy to track and isolate expenditure into different areas of your business. Employees will know that their spend is being monitored, engendering a greater sense of responsibility and ownership over expense management — as everything will be traced back to them. What’s more, businesses can choose to make it mandatory for employees to provide certain information, such as the expense category (‘travel’ or ‘entertainment’, for example), the receipt, and a note (with additional information or reasons as to why the purchase was made). 4. Receipt reconciliation With Zeller Corporate Cards, employees can log in to their account on Zeller App or Zeller Dashboard, take a photo of multiple receipts, including tax invoices and transaction receipts, and upload them to a transaction processed with a Zeller Corporate Card. Not only does this do away with having to collect paper receipts, which can get lost or damaged, but it also saves a huge amount of time when it comes to reconciling receipts against their transactions. 5. Cash flow management Zeller Corporate Cards draw money directly from Zeller Transaction Account , which means that you can track your business cash flow in real time. Unlike a corporate credit card which draws on borrowed funds that you need to pay back later (with interest), corporate cards ensure you always know your business’s cash balance – with no hidden surprises at the end of the month. What’s more, you can see a visual representation of your cash flow from both Zeller Dashboard and Zeller App. 6. Budget control for projects Instead of assigning a card to an employee, Zeller Corporate Cards can also be assigned to individual projects. This allows all expenses for a specific project to be paid for on one card, ensuring that the budget is adhered to and that finance teams or managers can easily identify costs directly associated with that project. 7. Fraud protection By allocating corporate cards against individual employees, or by teams or projects, you are able to implement a greater level of fraud protection in your business. You’ll know exactly who is using each corporate card, what the card is being used for, and why — meaning any examples of expenses that fall outside of these guidelines can be identified immediately. 8. Mobile management With Zeller App, you can create and manage cards directly from your smartphone. If a team member needs to pay for a large expense above their usual transaction limit, you can quickly log in to the app and make the necessary changes within a few clicks. The same goes for issuing cards, if you’ve got a new employee or volunteer on the team, simply log in to Zeller App to add a new card, which – if you choose the virtual option – they can start using immediately. 9. Instant virtual card creation Zeller Corporate Cards can be created and added to a mobile wallet instantly. Your employees can start using their virtual card within minutes of you setting it up, meanwhile you can have a physical card sent out in the mail, if you wish. This convenient solution is not only fast to set up, but also ensures your employees will never lose their card. 10. Affordability In comparison to corporate credit card schemes which can cost upwards of $25 per card with establishment fees and late payment charges, or expense management software, which is likely to set you back hundreds of dollars a year, Zeller Corporate Cards are an affordable alternative. There are no monthly or annual subscription fees, and no transaction fees on domestic purchases either. The first 60 days are free, after which you will pay one low, flat cost of $9 per corporate card, per month. Whether you’re running a small business with just a few staff or a rapidly growing company: managing your expenses doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be controlled. Reduce your administrative burden, empower your employees and know where your money is going, all with Zeller Corporate Cards.