ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Incard vs Countingup: which suits your business?

Incard is an e-money account that pays uncapped cashback on eligible card spend on a £0 plan, with team cards and GBP, EUR and USD IBANs. 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.

By the editorial team. How we make money.

Incard suits you if

You spend thousands a month on cards, especially on advertising, software or travel
You want a £0 plan, which Countingup doesn't list
You want card cashback, which Countingup doesn't list
You want a euro account, which Countingup doesn't list
You're comfortable with safeguarding instead of FSCS cover

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

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.

Why we pick Incard over Countingup for card spend

Card cashback: Incard: Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped. Countingup: Not listed.
Currencies you can hold: Incard: GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs. Countingup: Not listed; the account has no IBAN.
Card payments in other currencies: Incard: 1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus. Countingup: 3%.

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.

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.
	Incard	Countingup
Type and protection	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS	Bank · FSCS cover
Who can open one	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders	UK sole traders and UK limited companies
Cheapest plan	Free: £0 a month	Free for 3 months, then £5 a month while you pay in up to £750 a month
Plans (monthly)	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199	£5, £12 or £20 a month depending on monthly deposits, after a 3-month free trial
Card cashback	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped	Not listed
Card payments in other currencies	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus	3%
Domestic transfers	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each	3 free a month, then 27p
International transfers	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)	Not available: no IBAN or SWIFT; referral to CurrencyFair
ATM withdrawals	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad	£1 per withdrawal; £500 a day
Cash deposits	Not listed	Not yet on new accounts: Post Office deposits listed as coming soon
Currencies you can hold	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs	Not listed; the account has no IBAN
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Online card payments on invoices through Stripe; Stripe fees apply

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 Incard lists card cashback, a euro account, a US dollar account, cards for your team, accounts for LLPs, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.
Only Countingup lists card payments from customers and invoicing.

What each one is, and who can open one

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.

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.

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

Our pick for card spend

Open an Incard account

Check the eligibility rules first.

E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS

Work out your cashback Check eligibility