All-In-One Corporate Services: Is a Sleek Business Account Right for You?
A full review of the Sleek business account for Singapore companies including its features, fees, and benefits.
If you have an SME (Small or Medium-sized Enterprise), you’ll need to find the best business account to allow you to manage your company finances without unnecessary admin or fees.
SMEs tend to have different requirements compared to very large enterprises, which may mean you’re looking for:
This guide to Singapore’s best SME bank accounts covers popular options from banks like DBS, and non bank providers such as Wise Business. We’ll look at a head to head comparison based on features and fees, and explore each in a bit more in depth to help you discover the best SME bank account in Singapore based on your unique needs.
We'll cover:
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Before we get into the details about the best SME bank accounts in Singapore, let’s kick off with a head to head comparison. We’ve selected bank and non-bank specialist provider accounts from several different providers, which all have a focus on providing features and services which will suit small, medium and growing businesses.
Account | Minimum balance | Monthly fees | Currencies supported | Payment options | Digital banking features |
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DBS Business Multi Currency Account Starter Bundle1 | No minimum balance | 10 SGD | 13 currencies supported | Unlimited digital FAST and GIRO payments 30 SGD flat fee for telegraphic transfers | DBS IDEAL online and mobile banking service available |
OCBC Business Growth Account2 | 1,000 SGD | 10 SGD, waived for 2 months | SGD | Unlimited digital Paynow, FAST and GIRO payments 30 SGD flat fee for telegraphic transfers | OCBC Velocity digital banking service available |
CIMB SME Account3 | No minimum balance | 28 SGD, waived for 12 months | SGD | Unlimited digital Paynow, FAST and GIRO payments 15 SGD flat fee for telegraphic transfers | CIMB BizChannel digital banking service available |
Maybank Flexibiz Account4 | 1,000 SGD | No monthly fee | SGD | 0.5 SGD FAST payments 0.2 SGD GIRO payments Variable fees for outward telegraphic transfers | Business Internet banking (BIB) service available |
Wise Business | No minimum balance | No monthly fees | 40+ currencies supported | Send money locally and internationally with low fees from 0.26% | Fully digital provider (non-bank) |
Airwallex5 | No minimum balance | No monthly fees | 20+ currencies supported | Payments using local transfer methods are free SWIFT payments are 20 - 25 SGD | Fully digital provider (non-bank) |
YouBiz6 | No minimum balance | No monthly fees | 9 currencies supported | FAST payments are free Preferential rates for overseas remittances | Fully digital provider (non-bank) |
Aspire⁷ | 30+ currencies supported | Low-cost SWIFT payments from USD$8, Free local inbound and outbound transfers | Fully digital provider (non-bank) |
*Details correct at time of writing - 16th December 2024
If you're seeking bank accounts tailored for larger enterprises,
➡️ Check out the best corporate bank accounts in Singapore here. |
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When you’re picking an SME business account you’ll need to think about the features you’ll need now - but also in the future. This means it’s crucial to think carefully about what transactions you’ll need to make when you research your options, as well as thinking about minimising fixed costs and accessing all the features which matter to you.
Banks frequently offer new customer deals for business customers, which may waive some ongoing fees or offer extra perks for a fixed period. When you select an account, be sure to consider the costs once these deals expire, to make sure you’re really getting a good deal for the long run.
Here are a few factors to consider when you’re picking a business account:
Let’s move on, to a more detailed look at the business accounts we've picked out for this guide, so you can start your research and choose the right one for your unique needs.
The DBS Business Multi Currency Account supports 13 currencies, and can be opened as a starter bundle if your company has been incorporated in the last 3 years. Choosing the starter bundle means you pay a reduced monthly fee of 10 SGD - instead of 50 SGD for the standard account - and you’ll also have the service charge of 40 SGD a month waived.
Having lower fixed costs can be a big boost to a newer business but it’s also important to consider the transaction fees you’ll incur with this account. Local payments made digitally through FAST and GIRO are free, but fixed fees apply for telegraphic transfers and bulk payments. This can mean that transacting internationally comes with extra costs.
➡️ Read our full DBS business banking review here. |
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The OCBC Business Growth Account is available for Singapore registered businesses, and offers a fairly low minimum deposit requirement of 1,000 SGD. Fall below fees apply if your account balance is lower than this, but the account also comes with all you can use FAST, GIRO and Paynow transfers.
The OCBC Business Growth Account can be a good pick for SMEs looking to transact locally, but does not support foreign currencies for holding and exchange, and has a fixed fee of 30 SGD for telegraphic transfers.
The CIMB SME Account is aimed at newer Singapore businesses, and has no initial deposit requirement and no minimum average balance required. The account operates in SGD only, but has free digital transactions using FAST, GIRO and Paynow, as well as preferential rates on telegraphic transfers to other countries.
The CIMB SME Account has a fixed monthly fee of 28 SGD which is on the high side - but the fee is waived for the first 12 months, giving you a chance to decide if this is the right account for your needs without needing to pay ongoing fees.
Maybank’s Flexibiz Account has no monthly fee, making this a popular choice for new businesses looking to avoid ongoing costs. However, there’s a minimum balance requirement of 1,000 SGD and fall below fees if you fail to retain this amount in your balance, which can be a drawback.
Maybank has low fixed fees for local payments using FAST and GIRO, with variable fees for international transfers depending on where you’re sending money to. Generally sending payments to Malaysia can be cheaper than transferring funds to another country.
➡️ Check out our full Maybank corporate account review here. |
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Wise Business is a fully digital provider offering powerful international accounts which can hold and exchange 40+ currencies. You can open your Wise Business account online or in the Wise app for free, and pay a one time fee of 99 SGD to get full feature access including ways to receive payments in 8+ currencies with local and SWIFT account details.
Affordable and Feature-Rich: Wise Business Account Benefits |
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Airwallex offers accounts which can hold, send, receive and exchange 20+ currencies, with ways to take customer card payments also available for a fee. This makes Airwallex a popular provider for ecommerce businesses and online sellers trading locally and internationally. There are no ongoing fees to pay and there’s no minimum balance to worry about.
Airwallex offers currency conversion with fees of 0.4% or 0.6% depending on the currency in question, which can be very competitive. However, if you need to process an international payment using SWIFT, there’s a 20 to 35 SGD fee for the service.
➡️ Get our full guide to using Airwallex here. |
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YouBiz is the business account from the company behind popular local personal account provider Youtrip. There’s no fee to open a YouBiz account and no ongoing fees or minimum balance to worry about either. Accounts can support 9 currencies, making them handy for businesses trading overseas. There’s no fee to send a payment locally using FAST, with variable fees for international transfers which can depend on the destination and the value of the payment.
➡️ Learn more about YouBiz in our review. |
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Aspire offers a comprehensive financial platform tailored for small and medium-sized businesses, providing a range of services to streamline financial operations. They have a multi-currency business account with competitive currency exchange rates that lets businesses send and receive in 30+ currencies with low, transparent fees, no monthly fees, no initial deposit, and no minimum balance requirements, making it a great choice for companies operating both locally and internationally*. The platform also offers virtual and physical corporate cards to facilitate business spending. Companies can earn unlimited 1% cashback on qualified SaaS and digital marketing purchases when they spend with the Aspire corporate card.
Additionally, Aspire offers integration with popular accounting software, and has expense management features to enhance your financial management and reporting capabilities.
➡️Read our full review of the Aspire Business Account here |
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*Aspire’s fast and low-cost international payments are powered by Wise.
As an SME owner you’ve got a lot to think about when it comes to picking the right transaction account for your specific needs.
Many banks offer attractive deals for new business customers, which may mean you pay lower fees or get extra benefits for a fixed period of time. However, you’ll need to weigh up the costs once promotional offers and discounts end, to make sure the account you select is robust enough for the long run. You’ll also want to think carefully about your preferred provider’s digital banking services.
Being able to manage your money on the move is essential if you want to avoid standing in line in a bank branch, and paying a hefty over the counter fee to complete basic transactions.
Compare a few business bank accounts like those we've picked out for this guide, against non-bank providers like Wise Business. Non-bank services often focus their efforts on reducing the costs of transacting for your business, with smart features including international transfer and exchange services. As they are digital first providers, you’ll also usually find an intuitive online and mobile interface to allow you to manage your money easily no matter where you happen to be.
Use this guide to decide what the best business bank account solution is for your specific needs - and don’t forget to take a look at Wise Business, to manage international payments with low fees and transparent pricing, ensuring that you can handle cross-border transactions with no hidden fees eating into your profits.
💡If you're growing a global business, you'll quickly face a daunting wall of costs, complexity, and hidden fees when receiving international payments. Wise Business helps you bypass this wall, making it easy to receive money from around the world and start getting paid like a local today. |
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➡️Get started with Wise Business today
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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