ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Barclays vs Zempler Bank

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 UK bank business account, formerly Cashplus, with a £0 plan, Post Office cash deposits and paid plans that remove card FX fees and add cashback. 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'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

We may earn a commission if you apply.

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

Zempler Bank suits you if

You pay in cash at the Post Office
You want FSCS cover on a £0 plan
You want to take contactless card payments on your phone
You'd pay £9 or £19 a month to drop card FX fees and earn cashback

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	Zempler Bank	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	Business Go: £0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	One plan: £8.50 a month after 12 months free	Business Go £0, Business Extra £9, Business Pro £19	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed	Up to 0.5% on Extra, up to 1% on Pro, tiered by monthly spend, max £1,000 a month	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	2.99% on Go; no fee on Extra and Pro	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Free in Online Banking and the app	3 free on Go, 20 on Extra, 500 on Pro, then 35p	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	EUR to SEPA countries and USD to the US, fee shown in app; up to £22 per payment in	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	Free in the UK; 2.75% in a foreign currency	£2 UK, £3 abroad on Go; free on Extra and Pro	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	Post Office: 0.55%, £4 minimum, up to £6,000 a day	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	GBP; separate Foreign Currency Accounts in 17 currencies, including EUR and USD	Not listed	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Tap to Pay in the app through Stripe; no Zempler fee, Stripe fees apply	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 Zempler Bank lists card payments from customers and invoicing.
Only Incard lists 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.

Zempler Bank

Zempler Bank Limited (company number 04947027), authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (FRN 671140). Eligible deposits are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK residents aged 18 or over with a UK-based business: sole traders not registered at Companies House, active limited companies limited by shares (at least one UK-resident director, 4 or fewer PSCs, no multiple corporate PSCs), partnerships and charities. Companies limited by guarantee or with corporate shareholders pay a £100 fee. Some industries aren't accepted. Full Zempler Bank 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