ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026
Lloyds vs Monzo Business
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. A UK business current account with a free Lite plan, Tax Pots and invoicing on Pro, and expense cards on Team. 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 Lloyds or Monzo Business don't list
- You want a US dollar account, which Lloyds or Monzo Business don't list
- You want accounts for LLPs, which Lloyds or Monzo Business 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
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What a year of card spending earns you
Incard Free against Lloyds's cheapest plan, at your monthly spend on ads, software and travel.
£720 a year better off with Incard
- Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
- Lloyds's cheapest plan: no cashback, £120 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. Lloyds's cheapest plan: Free for 12 months for businesses new to Lloyds, then £10 a month.
Quick verdict
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
Monzo Business suits you if
- You want a free bank account with FSCS cover
- You want Tax Pots and invoicing, which come with the £9 Pro plan
- You pay in small amounts of cash
At a glance
| Lloyds | Monzo Business | 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 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 for businesses new to Lloyds, then £10 a month | Lite: free | Free: £0 a month |
| Plans (monthly) | One plan: £10 a month after 12 months free for new customers | Lite free, Pro £9, Team from £25 | Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199 |
| Card cashback | Not listed for the debit card | 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 | 2.75% non-sterling transaction fee | Not listed | 1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus |
| Domestic transfers | Included | UK bank transfers free and instant | 100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each |
| International transfers | £15 in internet banking; SEPA £5 | Fixed fee of up to £9 plus 0% to 1.80% | 3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR) |
| ATM withdrawals | Free in the UK; abroad 2.75%, plus 1.5% (minimum £1.50) for non-euro cash | Not listed | 2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad |
| Cash deposits | £0.85 per £100 at an Immediate Deposit Machine, £1.60 per £100 at the counter or Post Office | £1 per deposit at PayPoint or the Post Office | Not listed |
| Currencies you can hold | GBP; separate Euro Current Account and Foreign Currency Account | Not listed | GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs |
| Accepting card payments | Tap to Pay, card readers, terminals and online payments offered; pricing not on the account page | 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 Lloyds lists card payments from customers.
- Only Monzo Business lists invoicing.
- Only Incard lists card cashback, a US dollar account, accounts for LLPs, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.
What each one is, and who can open one
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.
Monzo Business
A UK business current account from Monzo, a bank. Monzo says eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.
Who can open one: Sole traders and limited company directors in the UK. Sole traders can have a team of 3; limited companies can have up to 15 people on Team. Full Monzo Business 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
Incard: 1% cashback on ads, software and travel, on a £0 plan
Our pick for UK and Swiss businesses whose main costs go on cards, as long as you don't need bank deposit protection.
Work out your cashbackCheck eligibility
We may earn a commission if you apply.
- a month on the Free plan, with team cards
- £0
- cashback on ads, software and travel; 0.5% on other eligible spend
- 1%
- IBANs in three currencies
- GBP, EUR, USD
More: Lloyds alternatives, Monzo Business alternatives, all comparisons.
Sources
All checked on 8 November 2026. Where a provider's help centre or legal terms differ from its marketing pages, we follow the help centre and terms.
Show all 14 sources
- Incard pricing
- Incard fee schedule: Business Fees – Free
- Incard Rewards Policy
- Incard Help Centre: Is my company eligible?
- Incard Help Centre: Restricted industries
- Incard: Safeguarding
- Incard: Licence (UK)
- Lloyds: Accounts for businesses
- Lloyds: Account charges and processing times (PDF)
- Monzo Business plans and pricing
- Monzo Business: Team access
- Monzo Business: International payments
- Monzo Help: Making a cash deposit into a Business account
- FCA Financial Services Register