Here are the strongest SME banking options in Sri Lanka (2025) and why you should consider each. I’ve focused on banks that actively market SME products, digital tools for business, competitive SME lending, and nationwide service — and included the most important facts so you can compare quickly.

Top SME banking choices (shortlist)

• NDB Bank — best for digital SME banking and specialised SME packages.

  • Why: NDB has award-winning SME digital services (NEOS BIZ / TradeLinc) and recent SME product campaigns and financing tailored to SMEs. It’s positioned as a digital-first SME partner with dedicated business tools and trade support. (businesscafe.lk)

• Hatton National Bank (HNB) — best for nationwide SME support, merchant payments and transaction banking.

  • Why: HNB offers comprehensive SME banking (TXB/Business Banking), mini/portable POS and merchant acquiring (HNB PayFast, MOMO) plus SME lending and relationship support across many branches. Good if you need POS, payroll or export/payment integrations. (hnb.net)

• Commercial Bank of Ceylon — best for low-fee current accounts, broad corporate SME services and robust tariffs transparency.

  • Why: Commercial Bank publishes clear business account tariffs and offers wide product coverage for SMEs (current accounts, cash management). Good when fee control and predictable tariffs matter. (combank.lk)

• People’s Bank — best for low-cost SME lending and government-backed SME schemes.

  • Why: People’s Bank promotes SME loan schemes and government SME development programmes (SMED, People’s SPARK), which can make finance cheaper or easier to access for small businesses. Good for businesses seeking concessional loan support. (peoplesbank.lk)

• Nations Trust Bank — best for flexible business accounts and fast digital on-boarding (good for smaller SMEs / startups).

  • Why: Nations Trust markets dedicated business current accounts with modest opening/minimum balance requirements, 365-day/extended hours at selected branches, and strong digital SME support and merchant acquiring capability. Also expanding SME lending programmes. (nationstrust.com)

How these differ (what to compare)

• Monthly fees & minimum average balance — can vary widely (Commercial Bank posts its current tariff schedule online). If cashflow is tight, choose the lowest monthly service charge or the account that waives fees for a modest balance. (combank.lk)
• Digital tools & payments — if you need online payment gateway, POS, payroll or multi-user authorisations, prioritise banks with SME-focused digital platforms (NDB NEOS BIZ, HNB TXB, Nations Trust digital business services). (anybanq.lk)
• Lending & special SME schemes — if you’ll need working capital or asset finance, check bank SME loans (People’s Bank SMED, NDB SME Re‑Energizer, HNB SME packages) and interest rates/tenors. Government-backed schemes may be available through state banks. (peoplesbank.lk)
• Merchant acquiring / card acceptance — if you need card payments, check POS fees and settlement times; HNB, Nations Trust and many others offer merchant POS and gateways. (hnb.net)
• Local branch/ATM coverage & service model — choose a bank with branches/relationship managers near your base if you want in-person support; HNB, Commercial Bank, People’s Bank and Nations Trust have good island-wide footprints. (hnb.net)

Practical short checklist to pick the right account

1. Estimate monthly balances and transactions — ask about monthly service charge, cheque/return fees and transaction fees.
2. Confirm minimum opening deposit & minimum average balance (some business accounts require LKR 25k–50k or more). (nationstrust.com)
3. Check digital features — multi-user access, payment gateway, payroll, mobile approvals (NEOS BIZ, HNB TXB, etc.). (anybanq.lk)
4. If you need finance, compare SME loan products and special schemes (interest rate, max amount, collateral). (peoplesbank.lk)
5. Ask about merchant/POS fees and settlement times if you need card acceptance. (hnb.net)

Quick recommendation by likely business need

• Need best digital SME platform + trade support: NDB. (businesscafe.lk)
• Need wide branch/merchant network and POS options: HNB or Nations Trust. (hnb.net)
• Need low-fee predictable current account + tariffs: Commercial Bank. (combank.lk)
• Need concessional/government-backed SME lending: People’s Bank (and other state-backed schemes). (peoplesbank.lk)

If you want, I can:

• pull exact current account names, minimum opening deposits and monthly tariffs for 3 banks (I’ll fetch the latest tariff pages and put them side-by-side), or
• prepare an account selection matrix tailored to your business (monthly deposits, POS needs, planned loan amount).

Which would you prefer?