Cost-Conscious Business Leaders: Transparent Pricing. No Hidden Fees. No Surprises.
You might be wondering about cost. That's fair — and it's exactly why we publish our pricing models here. Since 2011, we've built our reputation on clarity and accountability. Below you'll find exactly how our pricing works, what each engagement includes, and the measurable returns our clients have seen — all before you even pick up the phone.
Why We Publish Our Pricing
Most advisory firms hide their fees behind "contact us for a quote" walls. We think that's backwards. If you're a founder or CFO evaluating whether to invest in banking advisory, you deserve to know the investment range before your first conversation with us — not after three meetings and a proposal deck.
Our pricing is built on three principles that have guided every engagement since we opened our doors on Howe Street in Vancouver in 2011:
Scope Before Price
Every engagement starts with a diagnostic assessment — a 14-day deep dive into your banking relationships, transaction patterns, and cash flow dynamics. We define the scope of work with surgical precision before quoting a dollar figure. This means your quote reflects your actual situation, not a generic menu price. No two businesses are identical, and no two quotes should be either.
Fixed Quotes, Not Estimates
Once we define the scope, you receive a fixed-fee quote in writing. That number doesn't change — even if the engagement takes longer than expected. We absorb scope creep; you don't. In 14 years of operation, we've never sent a surprise invoice. If something falls outside the original scope, we discuss it with you first and provide a separate written quote before any additional work begins.
ROI Accountability
We measure and report the financial impact of every engagement. If the numbers don't justify continuing, we'll tell you — and recommend winding down. Our team of seven specialists tracks every dollar saved, every basis point recovered, and every day of float compressed. You get a written impact report, not vague promises. That accountability is why our median client ROI has hit 4.2× in 2024.
Three Ways to Engage — Each With a Clear Scope and Fixed Quote
Whether you need a one-time audit to uncover hidden banking costs, ongoing advisory to optimize your treasury operations, or a performance-based renegotiation that only costs you when we save you money — we have an engagement model designed for your situation.
Fixed-Fee Engagements
One-Time Diagnostic & Audit
Best for businesses that want a comprehensive assessment of their current banking setup without committing to ongoing advisory. Most new clients start here. The diagnostic typically takes 14–21 business days and culminates in a detailed written report with prioritized, actionable recommendations.
- Banking Relationship Audit: $3,500 – $7,500 — Full review of all deposit accounts, fee structures, service agreements, and relationship pricing across your banking partners. Includes competitive benchmarking against our network of 11 institutional partners.
- Interchange & Payment Processing Audit: $2,500 – $5,000 — Line-by-line analysis of your merchant processing statements, interchange qualification rates, and gateway fees. We identify mis-categorized transactions, downgrade triggers, and processor markup that most businesses never catch.
- Cash Flow Forecast Build (13-week model): $1,800 – $3,500 — Construction of a rolling 13-week cash flow model tailored to your revenue cycle, payroll cadence, and seasonal patterns. Includes scenario analysis for growth, contraction, and delayed receivables.
- Startup Fund Segregation Setup: $2,000 – $4,000 — Design and implementation of a multi-account architecture that separates operating funds, tax reserves, payroll, and investor capital. Critical for startups managing runway visibility and investor reporting requirements.
Final fee depends on complexity — number of accounts, transaction volume, entity structure, and number of banking relationships. You'll receive a fixed written quote before any work begins, typically within 2 business days of our initial call.
Request a Fixed-Fee QuoteMonthly Retainer
Ongoing Advisory & Monitoring
Best for growing businesses with active banking relationships that need continuous optimization, quarterly reviews, and a dedicated advisor on call. Retainer clients typically see the highest long-term ROI because we catch issues in real time — before they compound into costly problems.
- Treasury Management Advisory: $2,500 – $5,000/month — Ongoing cash positioning, liquidity optimization, and bank relationship management. Includes monthly cash positioning calls, sweep account monitoring, and rate environment updates tailored to your portfolio.
- Payment Optimization (ongoing monitoring): $1,500 – $3,000/month — Continuous monitoring of your payment processing costs, interchange qualification, and processor performance. We flag anomalies within 48 hours and renegotiate rates as your volume changes.
- Full-Service Banking Advisory (all services): $4,000 – $8,000/month — Comprehensive coverage across all seven core service areas: deposits, payments, working capital, startup banking, treasury, compliance, and cross-border. This is our most popular retainer tier for companies with $5M–$50M in annual revenue.
Every retainer includes monthly cash positioning calls, quarterly bank fee reviews, quarterly financial health scorecards, and unlimited ad-hoc advisory support via email and phone. Retainers are month-to-month after an initial 90-day commitment — no long-term lock-ins.
Request a Retainer ProposalPerformance-Based
For Banking Renegotiations
Best for businesses that suspect they're overpaying on bank fees, interest rates, or service charges — but want to minimize upfront risk. We earn our performance fee only when we deliver documented, verifiable savings. If we don't save you money, you pay only the modest base fee.
- Bank Renegotiation Services: Fixed base fee + percentage of documented first-year savings. We handle the entire renegotiation process — competitive bid solicitation, term sheet analysis, fee benchmarking, and direct negotiation with your current and prospective banks.
Typical engagement structure: $2,000 base fee + 15% of verified Year 1 savings. For example, if we reduce your annual banking costs by $40,000, our total fee would be $2,000 + $6,000 = $8,000 — delivering a 5× return on your investment in the first year alone.
2024 track record: 91% success rate across all renegotiation engagements. Average savings: 23% reduction in total banking costs. Average engagement timeline: 45–60 days from kickoff to signed new terms. We've completed renegotiations with all five major Canadian banks plus six regional and digital banking partners.
Request a Renegotiation QuoteMeasurable Returns: The Numbers Behind Our Fees
We don't ask you to take our ROI claims on faith. Every number below comes from our 2024 client cohort — 300+ businesses across British Columbia and Alberta, tracked with documented savings reports.
For our 2024 client cohort, the median client saved $4.20 for every $1.00 spent on our services. Top-quartile clients — typically those with complex multi-bank relationships or high transaction volumes — saw returns exceeding 7×.
In most engagements, the savings we identify in the first 90 days exceed the entire annual cost of working with us. That's not a marketing claim — it's a measurable pattern we've seen consistently since we started tracking ROI formally in 2015. You can read specific examples on our case studies section.
How we calculate ROI: We compare your documented banking costs (fees, interchange, interest expense, FX markups) from the 12 months before engagement against the 12 months after. The difference, minus our advisory fees, gives us your net savings. We share this calculation with you in a written impact report — every line item, every data source, fully transparent.
Standard Inclusions With Every Engagement — Regardless of Tier
Whether you choose a one-time audit, a monthly retainer, or a performance-based renegotiation, these five commitments come standard with every VAN Online Business Plus engagement.
- 90-Day Impact Measurement: A written impact report delivered at the 90-day mark documenting dollars saved, hours recovered, payment cycle days compressed, and error rates reduced. This isn't a summary email — it's a detailed analysis with source data, before-and-after comparisons, and a forward-looking projection for the next 12 months.
- A Dedicated Contact: Not a call center, not a rotating rep — one person from our seven-member advisory team who knows your file, your banking relationships, and your business context. Your advisor is reachable by phone at (604) 660-1993 and by email during business hours, with a commitment to respond within 4 hours.
- 11-Institution Benchmarking Access: Every client benefits from our established relationships with 11 financial institutions across Canada. We use these relationships to benchmark your rates, fees, and service terms against current market conditions — giving you leverage even if you choose to stay with your existing bank.
- Quarterly Financial Health Scorecards: A structured assessment of your banking efficiency, cash positioning, payment costs, and compliance status — updated every quarter and reviewed with you during a scheduled call. Over time, these scorecards create a longitudinal view of your financial operations that's invaluable for board reporting and investor communications.
- Annual Candid Engagement Review: Once per year, we sit down with you for a no-holds-barred assessment of whether our engagement is still delivering measurable value. If the numbers don't justify continuing, we'll say so — and recommend winding down. We'd rather lose a client honestly than retain one who isn't getting value.
What if the savings don't materialize?
We track everything. Every dollar. Every basis point. Every day of float compressed. If an engagement isn't delivering measurable value, we'll tell you — and we'll recommend winding down before you ask. Our reputation depends on results, not on retaining clients through inertia.
That's happened exactly four times in 14 years of operation. In each case, the client's banking was already well-optimized — and we identified that within the first 45 days, refunded the prorated retainer, and documented our findings so they'd have a baseline for future comparison. Two of those four clients came back to us within two years when their banking needs changed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Pricing
Answers to the questions we hear most from prospective clients evaluating whether to engage with us.
How quickly can you produce a fixed quote?
Typically within 2 business days of an initial phone or video call. For straightforward engagements — such as a single-entity banking audit or a 13-week cash flow model — we can often provide a quote within 24 hours. More complex engagements involving multiple entities, cross-border operations, or high transaction volumes may require a brief follow-up call before quoting.
Are there any costs beyond what's quoted?
No. Your written quote covers everything. We don't charge for phone calls, emails, follow-up questions, or minor scope adjustments. If a material scope change is needed — for example, you acquire a new business mid-engagement — we'll discuss it with you and provide a separate written quote before doing any additional work.
What's the minimum engagement size?
Our smallest fixed-fee engagement is $1,800 (a 13-week cash flow forecast build). There's no minimum company size or revenue threshold. We've worked with pre-revenue startups managing their first $500K in seed funding and with established companies processing $50M+ in annual transactions. Our startup banking services are specifically designed for early-stage companies.
Can I switch from a one-time engagement to a retainer?
Absolutely — and most clients do. About 65% of our retainer clients started with a one-time banking audit or renegotiation. If you transition to a retainer within 60 days of completing a fixed-fee engagement, we credit the diagnostic findings toward your first retainer month, so you're not paying for the same analysis twice.
How does the performance-based fee work if savings span multiple years?
Our performance fee is based exclusively on documented first-year savings. If the new banking terms we negotiate save you $40,000 per year, we earn 15% of that first year ($6,000) — and nothing on years two, three, or beyond. The compounding benefit of better banking terms accrues entirely to you. Many clients see six-figure cumulative savings over a five-year period from a single renegotiation engagement.
Do you offer different pricing for startups?
Yes. Our startup banking packages are specifically structured for early-stage companies with limited operating history. We offer streamlined audit scopes and reduced retainer tiers for companies under $2M in annual revenue. Contact us at (604) 660-1993 or through our contact page to discuss startup-specific pricing.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept wire transfer, EFT/direct deposit, and cheque. For retainer engagements, we set up automatic monthly EFT on a date that works with your cash flow cycle. Fixed-fee engagements are billed 50% at kickoff and 50% upon delivery of the final report. Performance-based fees are invoiced upon documented verification of savings.
Have a question not covered here? Call us at (604) 660-1993 or send us a message. We respond to every inquiry within one business day.
Ready to Find Out What Better Banking Could Save You?
Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute diagnostic call. We'll review your current banking setup, identify the highest-impact opportunities, and tell you — honestly — whether our services make financial sense for your situation. No obligation, no pressure, no sales pitch. Just a candid conversation about your numbers.
Or call us directly at (604) 660-1993 — Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM PT