More Than a Ranking: What Javelin's Best in Class Designation Means for Q2 Customers

We’re proud that Javelin Strategy & Research has, for the second time in a row, named Q2 overall Best in Class in its 2025 Small Business Digital Banking Vendor Scorecard.  

For us, this recognition isn’t just about being first on a list. It’s about what that means for the financial institutions (FIs) we serve. It means our customers have the tools and flexibility to build digital experiences that truly meet the needs of small businesses.  

This year, Javelin ranked Q2 first overall and first in the categories of Functionality & UX and Strategic Vision & Delivery, citing our configurable tools that let banks and credit unions tailor digital banking experiences for small businesses from startup to scale. Javelin also called out our track record of successfully delivering feature improvements, which help our customers stay competitive in a fast-changing market. 

Here’s how we’re helping our FI customers lead in small business banking. 

Account management that builds confidence and habit 

Javelin recognized Q2’s modular homepage as an industry benchmark, enabling FIs to tailor the digital banking and payment experience by segment, role, or vertical. 

We designed that experience so SMB owners can start each day with clarity, seeing their balances, approvals, and tasks in one place and moving easily from insight to action. It’s what Javelin calls the “15 minutes over coffee” habit: digital engagement that feels natural, not forced. 

And that engagement pays off. Thomas Eorgan of Bank of Tennessee told us, “The way that people use the online banking platform has dramatically changed. It went from … checking balances and moving money around, and it became more of a financial operating system. They run their business organizationally and operationally within the platform.” 

For the FI, that means deeper insight. For the business owner, it means daily confidence. 

Payments that fit every workflow 

Payments are where digital banking becomes tangible for small business owners. Javelin ranked Q2 first in Payments, noting that we “streamlined and demystified business payments” through a unified, recipient-centric hub. 

Our design lets business owners send ACH, wires, Zelle^® for Business, and instant payments through one consistent workflow. Whether it’s payroll, vendor payments, or an urgent transfer, they can move money in just a few clicks. 

Fairwinds Credit Union’s Myriam Towsley said Q2’s design helps the credit union make it easier for businesses to do business. “Q2 has really helped us with that. Whether it’s payroll, vendor payments, or payments from your customers, that offering through our treasury helps tremendously for our business.” 

That ease is what turns complex financial operations into everyday efficiency. 

Onboarding that starts relationships strong 

Opening a business account should be fast and easy so SMBs can get their businesses going quickly. That’s why we connect seamlessly with onboarding partners like MANTL and Amount, creating a smooth end-to-end experience—from application and identity verification to funding and digital enrollment. 

Javelin gave Q2 the highest possible score of 100% in Account Origination and Onboarding for enabling FIs to get new business customers up and running quickly. And through Q2 Treasury Fulfillment, we’re extending that speed to the back office. By automating treasury setup, our customers are reducing onboarding time from weeks to minutes, freeing staff to focus on relationships, not paperwork. 

Personalization that’s real, not reactive 

At Q2, personalization is about relevance. Using Q2 Audience Builder and Experience Builder, FIs can segment by traits like business type, size, or behavior and deliver experiences tailored to each audience. Javelin called this configurability a core differentiator for Q2. With our tools, FIs can provide dynamic dashboards that change based on what matters most to each user. These tools also help FIs identify and target small business account holders through campaign orchestration and behavior-triggered onboarding. 

Krista Snelling, CEO and president of West Coast Community Bank, said the flexibility gives the bank the ability to deliver a truly personalized experience for SMB account holders. “The fact that the mobile and online banking experiences are exactly the same—and our ability to customize them—is super helpful. Because we know our client base so well, we can say, ‘They’re going to like this particular thing, on this page, and we want it to be labeled that.’ The optionality brings flexibility.” 

Katrina Leach of United Federal Credit Union agrees, adding that personalization also helps the credit union see the true value of products and offerings, such as positive pay. “With dynamic personalization and starter experiences, we’ve taken the positive pay module and we’ve been able to put that in front of our businesses, and it’s able to tell them the dollar amount of potential fraud exposure that they have and how this service is able to help protect them so that they can focus on other things.” 

A fintech ecosystem that extends every FI’s value 

Q2 Innovation Studio continues to expand, now with more than 190 integrated fintech partners. Each integration helps FIs offer business owners the digital tools they need most without the cost or complexity of building from scratch. Whether it’s cash flow forecasting, invoicing, accounting, or payroll, these solutions integrate directly into the Q2 platform, creating a one-stop experience that small business owners love. 

Fred Lie, chief digital banking officer for Hanmi Bank, put it this way: “What I like most about Q2 is that it is a platform that is versatile. We can engage with other third-party applications. We can customize it. We can integrate it seamlessly with other services.” 

By combining trusted banking with curated fintech partnerships, our customers can compete and win against much larger players for SMB relationships. 

Innovation that moves the market forward 

At Q2, we don’t just innovate once a year; we build innovation into everything we do. Javelin praised our track record of successfully delivering feature improvements and our clear, credible plan for where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. 

That innovation comes through in the experiences our customers are delivering today: 

• Q2 Composable Dashboard that adapts to each business user’s needs in real time 
• Q2 Interactive Test Drive, giving FIs a hands-on demo to help prospects see and experience small business banking before they sign 
• AI-driven insights through Q2 Discover and SMART, helping bankers anticipate customer needs and deliver proactive service 

As Todd Senger, chief revenue officer for Dacotah Bank, said, “Q2 is a strategic partner for various reasons. Not only is the technology there, but the user-friendliness of the platform itself is something that we absolutely think stands out.” 

Built for our customers’ success 

Everything we do comes back to our mission: to build strong and diverse communities by strengthening the financial institutions that serve them. Our customers are at the heart of that mission, and their stories remind us why we do what we do. 

Being named Best in Class by Javelin is an honor, but what matters most is seeing how our FI customers are using Q2 technology to serve their SMB account holders with confidence, speed, and care. 

When small businesses grow, communities grow. And we’re proud to help make that happen together.