The 2025 Hawai‘i Banking & Financial Report

Central Pacific Bank’s Business Exceptional Plan

October 3, 2025

Our Advertising Partner,

Mala Market, CPB Business Customer

A leg up for small businesses

A focus on small businesses is one of the core pillars at Central Pacific Bank, along with the belief that small businesses are the economic cog that helps the engine run in the state’s local economy.

That’s why the bank designed its Business Exceptional flagship checking account, which offers more benefits to meet the needs of a wide range of businesses from startups to established companies.

“We know that small businesses face a lot of challenges and we feel that banking shouldn’t be one of them,” says Jane Page, CPB product manager. “We created Business Exceptional to give more value and loaded it with benefits, particularly to support small businesses, that are not available in comparable products.”

Customers with the Business Exceptional plan receive 325 free deposits or checks paid per period, which is significantly more than the 100 or fewer offered elsewhere, and charges less than other financial institutions—about half—for additional deposits or checks paid. On top of that, CPB provides free ACH electronic payments, free incoming wire transfers and free foreign currency requests. The bank also reimburses customers up to $4 per transaction for ATM fees from other banks.

CPB is also the only local bank that offers a cash bonus just for opening or upgrading an existing account to Business Exceptional, with two different options available to accommodate businesses of all sizes. During September and October 2025, customers can receive either $1,200 for depositing $75,000 in new funds, or $400 for $25,000.

“This is a really opportune time for existing customers to make the upgrade, or for new customers to open a new account,” says Page. “Out of all local banks, we are the only one that offers cash bonuses to businesses. We’ve had hundreds of people participate over the last couple of years, and people are thrilled. It’s always nice to get a little bit of cash, right?”

Each Business Exceptional account holder is required to maintain a $10,000 balance to avoid a monthly service charge. Customers can combine balances across all deposit accounts, including checking, savings, CDs and money market funds to meet the daily minimum balance.

Going on 71 years in business, CPB has branches across the Hawaiian Islands. Additionally, Forbes has given the bank high marks each of the past four years, and named it the best “in-state” bank in Hawai‘i multiple times in the magazine’s annual list, including in 2025.

“What really sets CPB apart is the longevity of our business relationships and team behind them that really goes the distance to support these businesses,” Page says. “Earlier this year, we also launched Business Express, the state’s only online loan portal offered by a local bank to make banking more convenient for small businesses. It has proved very popular.”

CPB has always served a wide range of business customers, from the service industry to doctors, churches, even elevator service companies.

“Hawai‘i businesses are very entrepreneurial,” says Page. “We offer a number of benefits that other banking institutions charge for because we feel small businesses need a leg up in the world.”

Visit cpb.bank/business-exceptional for more information.

Offering the tools local businesses need to succeed.

For generations, Hawaii’s businesses have looked to CPB to provide support, guidance and business products tailored to their needs. From our free online hub for business owners, called Rising Tide Hawaii, to our Tidepools by CPB coworking space in downtown Honolulu, we continue to go above and beyond for local businesses.

Another exceptional example of our support for Hawaii businesses is our Business Exceptional Checking Account, which is packed with truly useful features.

Designed for small and medium-sized businesses with high checking activity, our Business Exceptional Checking Account has no charge for the first 325 deposited items and/or checks paid each statement period. There’s no minimum opening deposit. No incoming wire transfer fees. And no charge for business online banking with unlimited bill pay.

Business Exceptional Checking also allows you to begin building your own Business Exceptional Plan, where you can combine business balances across linked accounts.

Want to really put your money to work… in a way that works for your business? We got you.