BNZ is the winner of Canstar's latest Bank of the Year Business Bank Accounts Award for its great transactional and savings accounts.
Bank of the Year Business Bank Accounts Award
For our 2026 Bank of the Year Business Bank Accounts Award, we assessed seven banks: ASB, ANZ, BNZ, Heartland Bank, Kiwibank, TSB and Westpac.
Each was rated across their performance in our two Outstanding Value Business Accounts categories:
- Outstanding Value Business Transaction Accounts
- Outstanding Value Business Savings Accounts
Plus they were scored on our research into the levels of Customer Satisfaction they deliver to their business clients.
Coming out on top of this year's rankings, winning Canstar's Bank of the Year Business Bank Accounts Award is BNZ.
Awarding BNZ its top accolade for the second year in a row, Canstar's research team noted that BNZ's Business First OnCall account was the only product assessed that had increased its base interest rate year-on-year in the declining Official Cash Rate environment.
This made BNZ the most competitive in the saver profile of our research, particularly because most other banks had almost halved the interest rates on their business savings accounts over the same period of time.
Our researchers also highlighted that BNZ recorded strong levels of satisfaction from its business customers across key areas, including: customer service, problem resolution and value for money.
What does BNZ offer business customers?
BNZ offers its business customers one transaction account and two savings accounts:
Business First Transact
- No monthly account fees or charges for electronic and manual transactions
- Mobile Business Banking app
- Cash-flow support
Business First OnCall
- Earn interest with instant access to funds
- No monthly account fees or charges for electronic and manual transactions
Rapid Save
- Earn higher rates of interest
- One fee-free withdrawal per month
- No monthly account fees
Outstanding Value Business Transaction & Savings Accounts
To assess NZ's Outstanding Value business bank accounts, across both transaction and savings profiles, this year our team researched 15 banking products from the following providers: ASB, ANZ, BNZ, Heartland Bank, Kiwibank, TSB and Westpac.
Each bank's accounts were scored across categories including: account features, fees, interest rates and customer service and support across three categories:
- Business High Transactor– business customers who make an average of 100 transactions per month
- Business Low Transactor – customers making around 40 transactions per month
- Business Saver
Based on the results of our analysis, all banking products were awarded our Star Ratings, the best earning our prestigious 5-Star Outstanding Value Awards.
You can read our full methodology here.
Outstanding Value Business Transaction Accounts
Two winners retain their Outstanding Value Business Transaction Accounts Awards:
ASB retains its Business Transaction Account Award for the fourth year in a row due to the sustained performance of its Business Account. The account charges no monthly base fee and no fees for everyday self-service or staff-assisted transactions, meaning businesses can conduct their day-to-day electronic and in-person banking activity at no cost.
BNZ also retains its Business Transaction Account Award, for its Business First Transact account. The account charges no monthly account fees and no fees for common self-service and staff-assisted transactions, allowing small businesses to run their day-to-day banking and manage cash flow without per-transaction costs eating into their earnings.
Outstanding Value Business Savings Accounts
Three banks earn our our top Outstanding Value Business Savings Accounts Awards:
BNZ wins a Business Savings Account Award due to the performance of its Business First OnCall account. The account stands out for offering a competitive interest rate with no deposit or withdrawal conditions, meaning holders can earn interest across their full balance while retaining complete flexibility to access and transfer funds on call. Unlike alternatives that can cap free withdrawals, BNZ's Business First OnCall account applies no per-withdrawal fees, allowing businesses to move money as often as they need without eating into their returns. The savings account must be held jointly with a BNZ business transaction account.
Heartland Bank retains its Business Savings Account Award for a fifth straight year thanks to the ongoing performance of its Business Call account. The account stands out for its competitive base interest rate and lack of deposit or withdrawal conditions. Additionally, there are no account fees and no limit on the number of withdrawals to a nominated account, meaning Business Call pairs a strong return with complete day-to-day accessibility. The account is standalone, meaning it can be linked to a business transaction account at any institution.
Kiwibank holds onto its Business Savings Account Award for the fourth consecutive year due to the strength of its Business Online Call account. The account offers a high interest rate with no minimum balance requirements and no withdrawal fees or restrictions. Kiwibank's Business Online Call can be linked to any account, meaning it's an attractive choice for a business that wants strong returns on its funds, while retaining an existing transaction account set-up.
