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ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Revolut Business vs Santander

A UK bank business account with wide currency coverage and tools for taking payments, payroll and expenses. Sole traders use Revolut Pro instead. Business Current Account – Classic, a high-street account for UK businesses with up to two directors, owners or partners, with free UK electronic payments and a £9.99 monthly fee. 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 Revolut Business or Santander don't list
  • You want card cashback, which Revolut Business or Santander 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

What a year of card spending earns you

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

£720 a year better off with Incard

£600£0-£120Today6 months12 months
  • Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
  • Revolut Business'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. Revolut Business's cheapest plan: Basic: £10 a month.

Quick verdict

Revolut Business suits you if

  • You want your balance held by a UK bank, with FSCS cover
  • You get paid in many currencies: it holds 25+
  • You need to accept card payments online or in person
  • You want payroll and expenses apps alongside the account

Santander suits you if

  • Your business has no more than two directors, owners or partners
  • You pay in up to £1,000 in cash a month at Santander cash machines
  • You send SEPA euro payments, which are free
  • You're a start-up or switcher who can use 12 months free

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.
Revolut BusinessSantanderIncard
Type and protectionBank · FSCS coverBank · FSCS coverE-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open oneUK limited companiesUK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPsUK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders
Cheapest planBasic: £10 a monthFree for 12 months for start-ups and switchers, then £9.99 a monthFree: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)Basic £10, Grow £35, Scale £125, Enterprise customBusiness Current Account – Classic: £9.99 a monthFree £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashbackNone listed for Revolut Business; up to 1% on Revolut Pro for sole tradersNot listed for the debit card; 1% on the separate Business Cashback Credit Card, which has an annual feeFree: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped
Card payments in other currenciesNot listed2.95% foreign currency conversion fee1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers10, 100 or 1,000 a month included, then £0.20 eachFree100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers£5 each on Basic; 5 or 25 a month included on Grow or Scale£25; SEPA payments free3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals2% on all plansFree at Santander and LINK cash machines in the UK2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash depositsNot listedFirst £1,000 a month free at Santander cash machines, then £1.25 per £100Not listed
Currencies you can hold25+ currenciesGBP; no currency account listed on the account pagesGBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card paymentsOnline from 1% + £0.20; in person from 0.8% + £0.02Through Santander's partner Worldpay; pricing not listedNot 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.

What each one is, and who can open one

Revolut Business

In the UK, Revolut Business is provided by Revolut Bank UK Ltd (firm reference number 981170), a bank authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 in total.

Who can open one: Fully incorporated, active UK companies. Sole traders and freelancers are pointed to Revolut Pro. Charities, trusts, foundations and non-profits aren't eligible. Full Revolut Business profile.

Santander

Santander UK plc, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (Financial Services Register number 106054). Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per depositor by the FSCS. Deposits with Santander, cahoot, Santander Business and Santander Corporate & Commercial are added together, and sole trader balances are added to the owner's personal balances.

Who can open one: Sole traders, partnerships, LLPs and private limited companies registered in the UK, with no more than two directors, owners (shareholders) or partners, each 18 or over and living in the UK. Payment institutions, e-money institutions and payment initiation or account information providers aren't accepted. Full Santander 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
IncardOur pick for card spend

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.

E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS

Work out your cashbackCheck eligibility

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: Revolut Business alternatives, Santander 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 18 sources