Start-up business account
Spend more time on your business
Our start-up business accounts come with tools and support to help your new business thrive.
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Award-winning app with free invoicing feature
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Simple and secure Online Banking with group payments and cash collection booking tools
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A UK-based team of business managers to help you manage and grow your business
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Specialist advice from our international team of high-growth and entrepreneur experts
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Free banking for the first 12 months1
Increased demand for our services, together with difficulties caused by coronavirus, mean we’re currently limiting start-up business account applications.
This means you can only apply if
- You already have a personal or business account with us, and
- You’re a sole trader or a limited company with only one director
We’re sorry about this and we’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal, so please check this page regularly for updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Banking with a personal touch
Advice for every day and beyond
We’re here to help with your day-to-day banking, while our UK-based team of business managers2 are on hand to offer advice and support for your growing business – from strategy, planning and cashflow to help with lending and trading abroad.
Insights to help your business grow
If you’re just getting started, our guides can help you with everything from business planning to cashflow forecasting.
Support wherever your business takes you
You can’t always predict where your new business will take you. That’s why we connect you to our accredited international team and high-growth and entrepreneur experts, who can help you adapt to change and respond to opportunities.
Price Plans
First 12 Months
| Type of transaction | Payment Plan |
|---|---|
| Electronic Payments | Free |
| Cash payments | Free |
| Cheques and assisted payments | Free |
| Cash machine cash out and electronic internal transfer | Free |
| Monthly account fee | Free |
We charge a fee for non-standard transactions, such as audit letters, returned or stopped cheques, international payments and duplicate statements. See a full list of standard and non-standard transactions
After 12 months
We have two Price Plans to choose from, designed for the way your business makes and receives payments.
Mixed Payments Plan – If your business uses cash, cheques and electronic payments to make and receive payments.
e-Payments Plan – If your business mainly makes and receives payments via electronic payments, Online Banking and debit cards.
| Type of transaction | Mixed Payments Plan | e-Payment Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic Payments | £0.35 per transaction | Free |
| Cash payments | £0.90 per £100 | £1.50 per £100 |
| Cheques and assisted payments | £0.65 per transaction | £1.50 per transaction |
| Cash machine cash out and electronic internal transfer | Free | Free |
| Monthly account fee | £6.00 | £6.50 |
For more information on our fees, read our Business Current Account Price Plan3
Price Plan guarantee
The way your business makes and receives payments can change over time. To make sure you’re always on the plan that offers the best deal, we’ll review this each year. We’ll contact you if we think a different plan could save you money and move you on to it, unless you tell us otherwise. However, if you think another plan would suit your needs better, you can move whenever you like – just let us know.
Business banking on the move
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Keep track of your invoices
Your app shows you which invoices have been paid and when, and notifies you when an invoice has been settled. You can also send reminders for overdue payments.
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Log in the easy way
Forgotten your card reader and need to access your Online Banking? Mobile PINSentry in the Barclays app lets you log in to Online Banking without a card reader or debit card.
Apply online for a start-up business account
We’re getting lots of applications at the moment and it’s taking us up to three weeks to process them.
Please only apply if it can’t wait (for example, if your business is providing goods or services to the NHS, or you’re key workers), so we can focus on those businesses that need us most. Thanks for your patience while we try to help everyone as quickly as possible.
When you apply, you’ll need to give us some basic information. You can find the guide to what we need at UK Finance, the UK’s leading trade association for financial services.
Already bank with us?
This only means a personal or a business current account. If you have anything else with us, choose ‘No’.
We’re sorry, but we’re currently limiting applications
Increased demand for our services, together with difficulties caused by the coronavirus situation, mean we’re currently limiting start-up business account applications.
This means you can only apply if you already have a personal or business account with us.
We’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal as soon as possible, so please check this page regularly for updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We’re sorry, we’re limiting applications at the moment
Increased demand for our services, together with difficulties caused by coronavirus, mean we’re currently limiting start-up business account applications.
This means you can only apply if
- You already have a personal or business account with us, and
- You’re a sole trader or a limited company with only one director
We’re sorry about this and we’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal. Thank you for your understanding.
Switching your business account to us?
What type of business are you?
We’re sorry, we’re limiting applications at the moment
Increased demand for our services, together with difficulties caused by coronavirus, mean we’re currently limiting start-up business account applications.
This means you can only apply if
- You already have a personal or business account with us, and
- You’re a sole trader or a limited company with only one director
We’re sorry about this and we’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal. Thank you for your understanding.
Check if you're eligible
You need to
- Be over 18
- Live in the UK permanently (excluding Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man), with at least 12 months’ UK address history
- Have been trading for less than 12 months
If you don’t meet these, call us on 0800 515 462 to book an appointment in branch. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor and record phone calls. Call charges
Are there any directors, shareholders, or secretaries in your company, other than you?
Before you continue
Using information about you
Barclays is committed to protecting your personal data. We will use your information for a number of different purposes, for example, to manage your account(s), to provide our products and services to you and others and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. We may also share your information with our trusted third parties for these purposes. For more detailed information on how and why we use your information, including the rights in relation to your personal data, and our legal grounds for using it, please go to Barclays Privacy Hub or you can request a copy from us.
Identity checks and fraud prevention
In order to process your application, we will supply your personal information to credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies and they will give us information about you, such as about your financial history. We do this to check your identity, manage your account and prevent criminal activity. These agencies may in turn share your personal information with other organisations. If false or innacurate information is provided to us and fraud is identified, details may be passed to credit reference and fraud prevention agencies to prevent fraud and money laundering and to verify your identity. The Credit Reference Agency Information Notice (CRAIN) describes how the three main credit reference agencies in the UK each use and share personal data. The CRAIN is available on the credit reference agencies’ websites:
For more details on how the information is held by us, credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies may be used, please go to Barclays Privacy Hub or you can request a copy from us.
Terms and conditions
Please click on the links below to read.
Our Business Banking Customer Agreement, which sets out the terms and conditions that apply to this account and your relationship with us, and the FSCS information sheet.
Your eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. The link below will take you to the FSCS Information Sheet – please read this to find out what is and isn't covered in the scheme. You can also print or save a copy for future reference.
For your own protection and benefit, please read the terms and conditions and FSCS sheet carefully before you accept and continue.
Terms and conditions [PDF 4.61 MB]
FSCS information [PDF 81.7 KB]
Business account charges
Please click on the links below to read our tariff documents, which include details on what we charge for banking services.
12 months free banking available for small businesses, including setting up their first business bank account within the first 12 months of trading. There is no charge for standard transactions for 12 months (‘initial free banking period’) from opening a business current account with us. Standard transactions include most payments out (debits) and payments in (credits). Automated transactions through telephone and internet banking are included, as are cheque transactions, cash handling and paper/online statement services. There are charges for non-standard transactions, such as audit letters, returned or stopped cheques, international payments and duplicate statements.
Charges will commence at the end of the 12 months free banking period
For your own protection and benefit, please read the terms and conditions relating to charges carefully before you accept and continue.
Standard and non-standard transactions [PDF 375 KB]
Business account charges [PDF 437 KB]
Your card and statements
Your business debit card
We’ll send you your business debit card once your application is approved. See more information about this card [PDF 801 KB].
Statements
You’ll receive online statements for this account
By opening this account, you agree to receive your statements in Business Online Banking and the Barclays app. We’ll send these monthly – we’ll send you an alert when they’re available. You can change your preferences at any time in Barclays Online Banking or the Barclays app. In Business Online Banking, select ‘Profile’ then ‘Statement and letter preferences’. In the app, tap ‘More’ on the home screen, choose ‘Manage accounts’ then ‘Statement and letter preferences’.
You’re ready to apply
We’re getting lots of applications at the moment and it’s taking us up to three weeks to process them.
Please only apply if it’s urgent, so we can focus on the businesses that need us most.
Here’s what we’ll need from you
- Your details, including your name, date of birth, phone number and address history for the last three years
- Your business details, including your trading information and tax information
Log in to Online Banking
We need you to log in so we can use the information we already have about you. This will help speed up your application.
We’re sorry, we’re limiting applications at the moment
Increased demand for our services, together with difficulties caused by coronavirus, mean we’re currently limiting start-up business account applications.
This means you can only apply if
- You already have a personal or business account with us, and
- You’re a sole trader or a limited company with only one director
We’re sorry about this and we’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal. Thank you for your understanding.
Check if you're eligible
You need to
- Be over 18
- Live in the UK permanently (excluding Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man), with at least 12 months’ UK address history
- Have your business registered in the UK (excluding Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) with Companies House
- Have been trading for less than 12 months
If you don’t meet these, call us on 0800 515 462 to book an appointment in branch. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor and record phone calls. Call charges
Before you continue
Using information about you
Barclays is committed to protecting your personal data. We will use your information for a number of different purposes, for example, to manage your account(s), to provide our products and services to you and others and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations. We may also share your information with our trusted third parties for these purposes. For more detailed information on how and why we use your information, including the rights in relation to your personal data, and our legal grounds for using it, please go to Barclays Privacy Hub or you can request a copy from us.
Identity checks and fraud prevention
In order to process your application, we will supply your personal information to credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies and they will give us information about you, such as about your financial history. We do this to check your identity, manage your account and prevent criminal activity. These agencies may in turn share your personal information with other organisations. If false or innacurate information is provided to us and fraud is identified, details may be passed to credit reference and fraud prevention agencies to prevent fraud and money laundering and to verify your identity. The Credit Reference Agency Information Notice (CRAIN) describes how the three main credit reference agencies in the UK each use and share personal data. The CRAIN is available on the credit reference agencies’ websites:
For more details on how the information is held by us, credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies may be used, please go to Barclays Privacy Hub or you can request a copy from us.
Terms and conditions
Please click on the links below to read.
Our Business Banking Customer Agreement, which sets out the terms and conditions that apply to this account and your relationship with us, and the FSCS information sheet.
Your eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. The link below will take you to the FSCS Information Sheet – please read this to find out what is and isn't covered in the scheme. You can also print or save a copy for future reference.
For your own protection and benefit, please read the terms and conditions and FSCS sheet carefully before you accept and continue.
Terms and conditions [PDF 4.61 MB]
FSCS information [PDF 81.7 KB]
Business account charges
Please click on the links below to read our tariff documents, which include details on what we charge for banking services.
12 months free banking available for small businesses, including setting up their first business bank account within the first 12 months of trading. There is no charge for standard transactions for 12 months (‘initial free banking period’) from opening a business current account with us. Standard transactions include most payments out (debits) and payments in (credits). Automated transactions through telephone and internet banking are included, as are cheque transactions, cash handling and paper/online statement services. There are charges for non-standard transactions, such as audit letters, returned or stopped cheques, international payments and duplicate statements.
Charges will commence at the end of the 12 months free banking period
For your own protection and benefit, please read the terms and conditions relating to charges carefully before you accept and continue.
Standard and non-standard transactions [PDF 375 KB]
Business account charges [PDF 437 KB]
Your card and statements
Your business debit card
We’ll send you your business debit card once your application is approved. See more information about this card [PDF 801 KB].
Statements
You’ll receive online statements for this account
By opening this account, you agree to receive your statements in Business Online Banking and the Barclays a pp. We’ll send these monthly – we’ll send you an alert when they’re available. You can change your preferences at any time in Barclays Online Banking or the Barclays app. In Business Online Banking, select ‘Profile’ then ‘Statement and letter preferences’. In the app, tap ‘More’ on the home screen, choose ‘Manage accounts’ then ‘Statement and letter preferences’.
You're ready to apply
We’re getting lots of applications at the moment and it’s taking us up to three weeks to process them.
Please only apply if it’s urgent, so we can focus on the businesses that need us most.
Here’s what we’ll need from you
- Your details, including your name, date of birth, phone number and address history for the last three years
- Your business details, including your trading information and tax information
- Your Companies House registration number
Log in to Online Banking
We need you to log in so we can use the information we already have about you. This will help speed up your application.
Other ways to apply
Apply by phone
You can apply for a start-up business account by phone if
- You’ve had a personal or business account with us for at least six months, and
- You’re a sole trader or a limited company with only one director
Please call us on 0800 515 46215to start your application.
Apply at a branch
If you already have a personal or business account with us, you can apply for a start-up business account at one of our branches. Please call us on 0800 515 46215 to make an appointment.
Branch appointments aren’t available to new customers at the moment – we’ll update this page when that changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When we process your application, we carry out credit and fraud checks on you and your business partners. These checks take into account your personal and business credit, and anything that might affect your ability to get short-term credit. If your application’s successful, we’ll share information with credit reference agencies about how you manage your account.
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We’ll review your application and carry out our checks. Once we’ve completed our checks, we’ll send a text to the mobile number you provided to let you know your account’s open.
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We aim to open all business accounts within five working days of receiving your application – this could take longer if your business structure is more complex or if we’re receiving more applications than usual. We’ll update this page with information on any delays, so check here before you apply. We’ll also get in touch if any significant delays arise after you’ve submitted your application.
We’ll send out your business account details and debit card within five working days of your account opening.
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If you tell us within 14 days of opening your account that you want to cancel or switch to a different account, we’ll refund any account fees that you’ve paid. The 14 days will start from when you get your Business Customer Agreement or the date your account was opened, whichever comes later.