ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Countingup vs HSBC

An app-based business account with bookkeeping, invoicing and tax tools built in, for UK sole traders and small limited companies, priced by how much you pay in each month. A high-street business current account with no monthly fee, free UK digital banking, branch and Post Office access, and borrowing up to £100,000. We also show Incard, our pick for businesses whose main costs go on cards.

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Where Incard beats both

You spend thousands a month on cards, especially on advertising, software or travel
You want card cashback, which Countingup or HSBC don't list
You want a euro account, which Countingup or HSBC don't list
You want a US dollar account, which Countingup or HSBC 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 Countingup's cheapest plan, at your monthly spend on ads, software and travel.

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

£660 a year better off with Incard

Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
Countingup's cheapest plan: no cashback, £60 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. Countingup's cheapest plan: Free for 3 months, then £5 a month while you pay in up to £750 a month.

Countingup suits you if

You're a sole trader or run a limited company with up to two directors
You want bookkeeping, invoices and tax estimates in the same app as your account
You pay in modest amounts each month, since the fee rises with monthly deposits
You don't need international transfers or cash deposits

HSBC suits you if

You want branch and Post Office access for cash and cheques
You may need to borrow up to £100,000
You want a free high-street bank account with FSCS cover

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.
	Countingup	HSBC	Incard
Type and protection	Bank · FSCS cover	Bank · FSCS cover	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open one	UK sole traders and UK limited companies	UK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPs	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders
Cheapest plan	Free for 3 months, then £5 a month while you pay in up to £750 a month	£0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	£5, £12 or £20 a month depending on monthly deposits, after a 3-month free trial	One account, £0 a month	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed	Not listed	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped
Card payments in other currencies	3%	2.75% of the converted amount	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	3 free a month, then 27p	Standard UK digital transfers free	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers	Not available: no IBAN or SWIFT; referral to CurrencyFair	Not part of free digital banking; see the Business Price List	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	£1 per withdrawal; £500 a day	25p plus 0.6% (free from 14 December 2026)	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	Not yet on new accounts: Post Office deposits listed as coming soon	Branch or Post Office: 1.5% of the value, plus £1.50 per counter visit	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	Not listed; the account has no IBAN	International Business Account at £96 a year each	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Online card payments on invoices through Stripe; Stripe fees apply	Not listed	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 Countingup lists card payments from customers and invoicing.
Only HSBC lists cash deposits.
Only Incard lists card cashback, a euro account, a US dollar account, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.

What each one is, and who can open one

Countingup

Counting Ltd (company number 10729748) runs the Countingup app. New Countingup accounts (sort code 04-36-15) are provided by Griffin Bank Ltd (company number 10842931), authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (FRN 970920). Cards are issued by Transact Payments Limited, regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Eligible deposits in Griffin-provided accounts are protected up to £120,000 per depositor by the FSCS. Older accounts with sort code 23-69-72 are e-money accounts with PrePay Technologies Ltd: safeguarded, not FSCS.

Who can open one: UK-resident sole traders and directors of limited companies aged 18 or over, with a smartphone and a UK mobile number. Companies must be active, limited by shares, have up to two directors, UK-resident PSCs and no corporate shareholders. Partnerships, charities, CICs, CIOs, trusts and companies limited by guarantee aren't accepted. Full Countingup profile.

HSBC

A business current account from HSBC UK, a high-street bank. Eligible deposits with a UK bank fall under the FSCS limit of £120,000 per eligible depositor, per bank. Use the FSCS checker to confirm.

Who can open one: Startups, small businesses and switchers that are UK tax resident, and HSBC says it suits all legal entities. Businesses that need to borrow over £100,000 are pointed to the Business Banking Account (£10 a month after 12 months free for start-ups and switchers). Subject to eligibility and a credit check. Full HSBC 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