ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Barclays vs Lloyds

A high-street business current account for sole traders, limited companies and LLPs, with free UK electronic payments and card spending, and a monthly fee after the first year. A high-street business account for UK businesses with turnover up to £3 million, including sole traders and limited companies, with electronic payments included and a monthly fee after the first year. We also show Incard, our pick for businesses whose main costs go on cards.

By the editorial team. How we make money.

Where Incard beats both

You spend thousands a month on cards, especially on advertising, software or travel
You want a £0 plan, which Barclays or Lloyds don't list
You want card cashback, which Barclays or Lloyds don't list
You want cards for your team, which Barclays or Lloyds don't list
You're comfortable with safeguarding instead of FSCS cover

cashback a year on Incard's £0 Free plan from £5,000 a month of eligible ads, software and travel spend. Simple arithmetic, not a forecast.

£600

Apply for Incard on incard.co

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What a year of card spending earns you

Incard Free against Barclays's cheapest plan, at your monthly spend on ads, software and travel.

Monthly card spend on ads, software and travel£5,000

£702 a year better off with Incard

Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
Barclays's cheapest plan: no cashback, £102 fees

Simple arithmetic, not a forecast: 1% on eligible ads, software and travel spend at merchants on Incard's eligible brand list, and each plan's published monthly fee. Other fees, such as FX and ATM charges, aren't included. Barclays's cheapest plan: Free for 12 months, then £8.50 a month.

Barclays suits you if

You want a high-street bank with counter services and FSCS cover
You pay in cash at the Post Office or a self-service device
You need a separate EUR or USD account at the same bank
You mostly make UK electronic payments, which are free

Lloyds suits you if

Your turnover is £3 million or less and you want a high-street bank with FSCS cover
You pay in cash at Lloyds deposit machines or the Post Office
You need a euro account alongside your sterling account
You're a sole trader who wants Lloyds' free Making Tax Digital software

At a glance

**Table notes:** correct as of 8 November 2026, from each provider's own pages listed under Sources. “Not listed” means the provider's pages we checked don't say.
	Barclays	Lloyds	Incard
Type and protection	Bank · FSCS cover	Bank · FSCS cover	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open one	UK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPs	UK sole traders and UK limited companies	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders
Cheapest plan	Free for 12 months, then £8.50 a month	Free for 12 months for businesses new to Lloyds, then £10 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	One plan: £8.50 a month after 12 months free	One plan: £10 a month after 12 months free for new customers	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed	Not listed for the debit card	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped
Card payments in other currencies	2.75% non-sterling transaction fee	2.75% non-sterling transaction fee	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Free in Online Banking and the app	Included	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers	SEPA £0.35, other international payments £15 online; receiving over £100 costs £6	£15 in internet banking; SEPA £5	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	Free in the UK; 2.75% in a foreign currency	Free in the UK; abroad 2.75%, plus 1.5% (minimum £1.50) for non-euro cash	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	60p per £100 at the Post Office or a self-service device; £1.20 per £100 at the counter	£0.85 per £100 at an Immediate Deposit Machine, £1.60 per £100 at the counter or Post Office	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	GBP; separate Foreign Currency Accounts in 17 currencies, including EUR and USD	GBP; separate Euro Current Account and Foreign Currency Account	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Tap to Pay, card readers, terminals and online payments offered; pricing not on the account page	Not listed

Where they differ

Based on what each provider lists on its own pages. If a feature isn't listed, check with the provider before you rule it out.

Only Lloyds lists card payments from customers.
Only Incard lists card cashback, cards for your team, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.

What each one is, and who can open one

Barclays

Barclays Bank UK PLC, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (Financial Services Register No. 759676). Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per depositor by the FSCS. Deposits with Barclays, Barclays Business Banking, Barclays Premier Banking, Barclays Wealth Management and Tesco Bank are added together for that limit.

Who can open one: Sole traders, limited companies and LLPs. Applicants must be 18 or over, and at least one person on the application must be a UK resident. The 12-month free offer isn't open to businesses that already have a Barclays business current account. Full Barclays profile.

Lloyds

Lloyds Bank plc, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (registration number 119278). Lloyds says the FSCS protects up to £120,000 of the eligible money you hold with it. Not every business customer meets the FSCS eligibility criteria.

Who can open one: Owners or directors aged 18 or over who are UK resident with a UK mobile number, applying for a UK business with a UK trading address and annual turnover of £3 million or less. Limited companies must be registered in the UK, active, on the Companies House register for at least 4 days and unchanged there in the past 4 days. Full Lloyds profile.

Incard

Incard Ltd is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 1027309). It is not a bank. Safeguarded: Incard keeps customer funds separate from its own money, in accounts with authorised credit institutions, and doesn't lend or invest them. Funds are not protected by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK limited companies and LLPs, UK sole traders and freelancers registered with their local authority, and Swiss GmbH, AG and sole-trader businesses. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027. Public sector bodies, cooperatives, charities, foundations and trusts aren't accepted, and a long list of industries is restricted. Full Incard profile.

Our e-money vs bank account guide explains what safeguarding and FSCS cover mean if a provider fails.

When Incard isn't the answer

Incard isn't the right account if

Your business is registered outside the UK and Switzerland. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027
You're a charity, cooperative, foundation, trust or public body, or work in one of Incard's restricted industries