Our Business Extra package for new start-ups

Apply for a business account online, by phone or at your local branch.

Free day-to-day banking can make all the difference to a new business. It makes sure that every single penny you earn goes towards creating a successful business.

During the first 18 months you will not be charged for:

• paying in or taking out cash,
• paying in or issuing cheques,
• paying standing orders and direct debits.

There is no limit on the number of deposits or withdrawals, and you do not need to keep a minimum balance in your account to qualify.

All we ask is that you operate your account within agreed limits, for example not going overdrawn without prior agreement.

When your free banking period is over

When your free banking period ends our Business Extra Tariff  will apply, you can choose to remain on the tariff and earn credit interest. If you use electronic or automated ways of banking then you may prefer our Electronic Business Tariff, which includes lower cost charges for those types of transactions if a credit balance of £1+ is maintained. This account does not pay credit interest.

Compare our tariffs side by side

We have a range of information and guidance services to help you develop your business:

• Free business planning tool to help you get your business moving in the right direction.
• Free book-keeping system when you open your account. Choose from a PC, Mac or paper based package.
• Free guidance book 'Getting started in business' which will lead you through many of the things you need to consider when starting your own business.
• Free Business guides which complement the 'Getting started in business' book and cover a range of situations you could encounter while running your business.

You won’t need to change your account even when your business grows or your needs change. We can offer you:

• Banking on your doorstep - we have the largest branch network of any bank in the UK, so there should always be one nearby.
• Banking on your computer – our Internet banking service is currently used by over 200,000 business customers.
• Banking on your mobile – receive daily updates on your account balance via our Text alerts service.
• Banking on your phone – speak to a business advisor who can deal with your account queries and requests using our 
  Telephone banking service.
• Everything else you would expect from an account, including cheque books, direct debits, standing orders and regular statements.

• Our business managers help around 100,000 new businesses get started every year.
• Once your account is open you’ll have access to a named business manager who will be on hand to provide support from help with deposits, loans or more specialist borrowing. For most customers your business manager will be locally based, but even if they are not nearby there should always be a locally based business banker who can see you if necessary.
• They have the experience to help you plan the best way forward for your business.
• They pride themselves on making constructive decisions quickly, so that you can grab that business opportunity with both hands.
• As well as face-to-face consultations our business managers are also available at the end of a phone to provide telephone assistance when a meeting is not convenient.