Do small business owners need a business account?

A separate business account is usually not required by law, but it helps you keep private and business finances cleanly apart and makes bookkeeping much easier to organise.

Can I use a personal account for business?

That depends on your bank. Many banks don't allow business use of a personal account. A dedicated business account is therefore often the better choice.

How long does it take to open an account?

Opening a small business account with Vivid works fully online and takes just a few minutes. Once you're verified, the account is ready for payments right away.

Which documents do I need?

As a rule, you need a valid ID and some details about your business. Depending on your legal form, additional documents may be required.

How much does a small business account cost?

If you're looking for an affordable small business account, what matters most are the features and fees included. With Vivid you can start for free on the Free plan; additional features are available in paid plans.

Open a business account for your small business

With the business account for small businesses, you manage income, expenses and payments in one place. Open your account online in minutes and use smart tools for bookkeeping, cards and cash flow. That leaves more time for clients, projects and growth.

Open a business account

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Industry Leader 2026
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Best SME Service Provider 2026
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German Service Award 2026
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Best Business Account 2026
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Why small business owners choose our business account

Fast online account opening
Open a small business account in minutes, fully online. No paperwork, no complicated processes. Start receiving payments quickly and manage them in one place.
Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Keep track of costs and services at all times. You see every price upfront — no surprises on your statement. Expenses, fees and payment flows stay clear and easy to follow.
Keep business and personal finances separate
With a separate account for your small business, you keep private and business payments cleanly apart. That makes bookkeeping, tax returns and tracking income and expenses much easier.
Smart tools for your business day-to-day
Payments, cards and expenses come together in one app. Bookkeeping and cash flow overviews handle recurring tasks automatically and bring clarity to open items.

What your small business account can do

Transfers and payments

Send and receive payments quickly and easily via SEPA transfer. With the small business account, you manage expenses, invoices and transactions in one place — so everything stays clear at all times.

Company cards for teams

Use business cards for purchases, subscriptions or running costs. Assign cards flexibly and track payments right in the app. Expenses and cards stay organised in one place.

Sub-accounts and budgeting

Organise your money with sub-accounts for taxes, reserves or running costs. Manage budgets clearly and keep reserves, taxes and day-to-day spending neatly apart.

Bookkeeping and integrations

Invoices, expenses and bookkeeping in one place save time. Connect your business account to tools like DATEV — export transactions with one click and sort income faster. Less manual work, more clarity in your financial processes.

Your small business account in 3 steps

Apply online

Open a business account in just a few minutes, fully online. The application is digital — no long waiting times.

Verify your identity

Confirm your identity securely online via VideoIdent or digital verification. It's fully digital and takes only a few minutes.

Start using your account

Once approved, your small business account is ready to use right away. Manage payments, cards and expenses together in the app.

Open a business account for your small business

Please review our website to understand the scope of our services and our Privacy notice for the use and handling of your data.

Security for your account and payments

Safely stored

Your money is safeguarded in full: in segregated client-money accounts with European partner banks and in a Qualifying Money Market Fund (QMMF), which may only hold low risk, highly liquid assets. Unlike traditional banks, we don’t use client funds for risky loans.

Overseen by European financial authorities

All our services are provided by the Vivid Money group: Vivid Money SA is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) of Luxembourg and Vivid Money B.V. is regulated by the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM).

Secured against our insolvency

Your funds are kept separate from our own and safeguarded in full. In the unlikely event of Vivid Money S.A. becoming insolvent, your balance would not form part of its estate and would be claimable by you - there is no upper limit. On top of that, funds we hold for you in our client-money account at Natixis (France) are covered by the French statutory deposit guarantee, up to €100,000 per customer, if that bank were to fail. That cover applies to the funds held in that account, not to your full balance, and money market fund holdings are not deposits and are not covered. The funds in your account are yours, and yours alone.

Superior payment security

We comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards to protect your payment information.

2-step authentication

With 3D Secure and two-step authentication we ensure no payment is made without your authorisation.

GDPR compliance

Our servers are securely hosted in the European Union, ensuring full compliance with GDPR regulations.

Deposit protection

Your balance is safeguarded in full by Vivid Money S.A. Funds at our partner bank Natixis (France) also carry the French deposit guarantee, up to €100,000 per customer.

Plans for small businesses

Monthly

Payment period

Annual

Save up to 24%

Optimal for growing companies with high activity and advanced needs — built to keep fast teams in sync

Free Start
Suited for newly registered companies setting up finances and looking to try key banking features for free
0 € / month
Free of charge at all times
Get started
- Accounts & Interest
  - Free accounts with German IBANs
    Unlimited
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a.*
    4%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 4 months*
    0,1%
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a., USD/GBP*
    5%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 5 months, USD/GBP*
    0,2%
- Cards & Cashback
  - Guaranteed unlimited cashback
    0,1%
  - Cashback on selected categories and brands, up to
    2%
  - Virtual and physical cards
    Free
  - Card spending limits for ads & IT services
    Unlimited
- Transfers
  - SEPA Instant
    Free
  - Incoming SWIFT
    Free
  - Outgoing SWIFT
    Not Available
- Support
  - 24/7 human support
    Yes
  - Dedicated customer success team
    No
Basic
Great fit for small businesses with steady transactions needing reliable everyday banking at a low cost
6,9 € / month
2 months free trial
Get started
- Accounts & Interest
  - Free accounts with German IBANs
    Unlimited
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a.*
    4%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 4 months*
    0,5%
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a., USD/GBP*
    5%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 5 months, USD/GBP*
    1%
- Cards & Cashback
  - Guaranteed unlimited cashback
    0,2%
  - Cashback on selected categories and brands, up to
    4%
  - Virtual and physical cards
    Free
  - Card spending limits for ads & IT services
    Unlimited
- Transfers
  - SEPA Instant
    Free
  - Incoming SWIFT
    Free
  - Outgoing SWIFT
    5 free per month, then 5 €
- Support
  - 24/7 human support
    Yes
  - Dedicated customer success team
    No
Pro
Optimal for growing companies with high activity and advanced needs — built to keep fast teams in sync
18,9 € / month
2 months free trial
Get started
- Accounts & Interest
  - Free accounts with German IBANs
    Unlimited
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a.*
    4%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 4 months*
    1,3%
  - Initial fixed interest rate p.a., USD/GBP*
    5%
  - Fixed interest rate p.a. after 5 months, USD/GBP*
    2%
- Cards & Cashback
  - Guaranteed unlimited cashback
    0,5%
  - Cashback on selected categories and brands, up to
    6%
  - Virtual and physical cards
    Free
  - Card spending limits for ads & IT services
    Unlimited
- Transfers
  - SEPA Instant
    Free
  - Incoming SWIFT
    Free
  - Outgoing SWIFT
    10 free per month, then 5 €
- Support
  - 24/7 human support
    Yes
  - Dedicated customer success team
    Yes

Features you get on every plan

Invoicing
Free
Document uploads for bookkeeping (on every paid plan)
Unlimited
Integrations (sevDesk, Lexware Office, DATEV, ...)
Free
Business travel cashback up to
30%
Crypto Earn rewards up to
8% APY
Maximum loan amount & repayment term
200,000 €,
12 months
Fee for receiving card payments from clients (EEA cards), from
0,79% (+0,25 €)
Business Brokerage (stocks, ETFs, crypto)
Free
Tax filing (for freelancers)
Free
POS terminal
Free
Flat transaction fee (all cards)
Up to 1.49%
Digital employees (personal and legal AI assistants)
Free

Compare all features

Here's why customers love us

Excellent! | 28,000+ reviews

5.0

Recommended for freelancers and business owners

So far my experience with Vivid has been great. From the customer service, the account opening, and the digital experience, I haven't had any issues with Vivid. I can only recommend it!

Erick Daniel, Germany

Trustpilot

5.0

I chose Vivid.Money

I chose Vivid.Money because it allows me to manage accounts for all my businesses in one place. Compared to other online banking systems I’ve tried, it offers the best value for money. For one of my businesses, I upgraded to the Pro account—it gives me access to real human support and the highest interest rates I’ve seen on the market. While their regular customer service is already solid, having the option to speak directly with someone was essential for me to build trust. Beyond the practical benefits, I genuinely appreciate how Vivid.Money supports my financial awareness. It’s a service I enjoy using and one that makes me more financially conscious day by day.

Lorand Balazs Imre, Germany

Trustpilot

4.0

Super quick Business account creation

I’d give 4.5 stars as my experience with Vivid has been great, but there is always room for improvement. Especially setting up the business account was so easy and fast, this really struck me. The new feature with E-invoicing is also quite useful but needs some more work with additional fields (e.g. my own tax ID). Looking forward trying more the cashback programs.

Eric, Germany

Trustpilot

5.0

I really love Vivid Bank

I really love Vivid Bank. Really easy to sign up. I love the fact I can have different space with different account numbers where I can transfer money to. The business account has a great interest rate and most important, the costumer support is excellent, something rare these days. Kudos to you and keep up with the good work!

Shaqueera Grey, Spain

Trustpilot

5.0

Very fast and good

Very fast approval, IBAN with connection to DATEV Unternehmen Online and VISA card within 2 days. Works perferct

Mark, Germany

Trustpilot

5.0

Best business banking platform in Europe

The experience with vivid is super smooth and the terms are great!

Marcel, Germany

Trustpilot

Frequently asked questions about the small business account

Do small business owners need a business account?
A separate business account is usually not required by law, but it helps you keep private and business finances cleanly apart and makes bookkeeping much easier to organise.
Can I use a personal account for business?
That depends on your bank. Many banks don't allow business use of a personal account. A dedicated business account is therefore often the better choice.
How long does it take to open an account?
Opening a small business account with Vivid works fully online and takes just a few minutes. Once you're verified, the account is ready for payments right away.
Which documents do I need?
As a rule, you need a valid ID and some details about your business. Depending on your legal form, additional documents may be required.
How much does a small business account cost?
If you're looking for an affordable small business account, what matters most are the features and fees included. With Vivid you can start for free on the Free plan; additional features are available in paid plans.
How secure is a Vivid business account?
A Vivid business account offers modern security standards for digital financial services. Customer funds are kept separate from company assets and are not used for operational purposes. At one of our partner banks, statutory deposit protection applies on top: up to €100,000 per customer, as at any bank in the EU. The funds remain the customer's property, including any amount above that. The business checking account is also protected by strong authentication and encrypted data processing according to European data protection standards. You can read more about deposit protection here and here.