Once your US LLC is formed and your EIN is in hand, the next critical step is opening a US business bank account. This is where many Pakistani founders hit a wall — traditional US banks like Chase, Bank of America, or Wells Fargo require an in-person visit, and some won't open accounts for non-resident-owned businesses at all. The good news is that three fintech banking platforms have emerged as the go-to solutions for non-resident LLC owners: Mercury, Relay, and Wise Business. Each has meaningful differences, and choosing the right one depends on your specific business needs.
**Mercury — Best for Startups and Tech Businesses**
Mercury is a fintech banking platform specifically designed for startups and technology companies. It is, without question, the most popular choice among Pakistani founders who run SaaS products, digital agencies, or e-commerce businesses. Mercury offers free business checking and savings accounts with no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no transaction fees. The interface is clean, modern, and integrates beautifully with Stripe, Brex, QuickBooks, and other tools common in the tech ecosystem.
For approval, Mercury requires your LLC formation documents (Articles of Organization), your EIN letter from the IRS, a valid government-issued ID (your Pakistani passport works), and a brief description of your business. The application is done entirely online. Approval typically takes 3–7 business days. Mercury provides US routing and account numbers, which means you can receive ACH transfers, wire transfers, and check deposits. You also get a virtual Visa debit card immediately upon approval and a physical card within 7–10 business days.
One important note: Mercury is a fintech platform, not a traditional bank. Your deposits are held at partner banks (Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust) and are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. Mercury has an excellent track record, but it is worth understanding this structure before depositing large sums.
**Relay — Best for Multi-Account Organization and Team Payments**
Relay is a business banking platform that differentiates itself with advanced account organization features. You can create up to 20 individual checking accounts and 2 savings accounts within a single Relay account, which is ideal if you follow the Profit First financial management methodology or want to separate funds for taxes, payroll, and operating expenses. Relay also offers team debit cards with individual spending limits, which is useful for agencies that pay contractors or have virtual assistants managing expenses.
Like Mercury, Relay has no monthly fees, no minimum balances, and offers free ACH transfers. Wire transfers cost $10 per outgoing wire, which is slightly higher than Mercury's $0 domestic wire fee (Relay does offer free wires on higher-tier plans). Relay provides US routing and account numbers and integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and other accounting tools. For Pakistani founders who manage multiple revenue streams or want granular control over their business finances, Relay is an excellent option.
**Wise Business — Best for International Payments and Multi-Currency**
Wise Business (formerly TransferWise) occupies a different niche from Mercury and Relay. Rather than functioning as a primary US business bank, Wise Business excels at international money movement. With a Wise Business account, you get account details in 10+ currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and AUD. This means you can receive payments from clients in the UK in GBP and convert to USD or PKR at Wise's famously low exchange rates.
For Pakistani founders whose revenue comes from international clients across multiple countries, Wise Business is an attractive secondary account. However, Wise is not ideal as a primary US business bank because it lacks ACH processing for some transaction types, doesn't support check deposits, and may have approval friction for certain high-risk business categories. Wise Business accounts have a small setup fee and modest transaction fees for currency conversion, which are still far lower than traditional bank wire fees.
**Which One Should You Open?**
Our recommendation for most Pakistani LLC founders is to start with Mercury as your primary US business bank account. Its combination of no fees, clean interface, Stripe compatibility, and startup-friendly policies makes it the best all-around choice. If your business involves significant international client payments across multiple currencies, add a Wise Business account as a complement to Mercury — using Wise to receive and convert foreign payments and Mercury as your primary USD operating account.
If you have complex team payment needs or follow Profit First, Relay is worth considering over Mercury. For most solo founders and small teams, however, Mercury is the clear default. Formazia has helped hundreds of Pakistani founders open Mercury accounts, and our guidance on the application process and business description significantly improves your approval odds.
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