U.S. Bank has launched new tools for small and medium-sized businesses to navigate the uncertain macroeconomic environment and find a balance with human touch.

“Almost all of our small business owners are very positive and optimistic about the outlook of their businesses,” Shruti Patel, chief product officer for business banking, told Bank Automation News. “But the macroeconomic stressors weigh very hard on their minds.” 

Some 98% of SMBs are concerned about macroeconomic related uncertainty like tariffs, Patel said, citing a June 16 U.S. Bank 2025 Small Business Perspective report. She added that the bank is deploying technology coupled with human advisers to help businesses handle uncertain macroeconomic conditions. 

The $659 billion bank joins Citizens Bank and HSBC in offering spend management tools to help SMBs monitor budgets and cashflow.  

To aid SMBs in tariff-related macroeconomic uncertainty, U.S. Bank launched two solutions in April: 

• The Business Essential platform, which provides SMBs an “all-in-one checking account,” Patel said. Businesses can access unlimited transactions payments capabilities on Zelle, ACH and other payments networks along with a free card reader and bank account integration into accounting and budget management software. 

• Spend management tools, which the Minneapolis-based bank has made available on its business banking platform at no charge, Patel said. The bank’s 2019 acquisition of fintech Talech and 2021 acquisition of spend management company Bento aided in rolling out this feature, she added. 

Blending tech, human touch 

Businesses expect their financial service providers to be a “one-stop shop” for all financial needs to deal with uncertainty, Patel said, adding that 82% of SMBs are demanding consolidation of digital tools to run operations as tariff-related pressure mounts. 

The big priorities for SMBs are using AI for efficiency gains, managing uncertainty in operations and revenue generation, Patel said.  

“Eight out of 10 [SMBs] said that they would like the banks to provide digital solutions that also incorporate generative AI,” Patel said. “Over the past few months, [the bank has been] tracking AI innovation across the market and small business ecosystem and thinking about ways to invest in and continue to test the technology.” 

The bank is evaluating AI tech that can help businesses better manage cashflow better and provide suggestions for possible business needs, Patel said. 

“We are also working very closely with our branch colleagues, our business banking sales specialists as well as small business specialists who provide very high-touch advisory support to our small business owners,” Patel said. “Our bankers are providing advising around the impact of tariffs, the kind of digital tools and capabilities they can leverage to help them keep their cost down.” 

Citizens Bank is also providing digital banking tools and personalized advisory services to SMBs to help them tackle volatile macroeconomic conditions, Mark Valentino, president of business banking, told BAN.