ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026
Revolut Business vs Tide
A UK bank business account with wide currency coverage and tools for taking payments, payroll and expenses. Sole traders use Revolut Pro instead. An app-based business account for UK sole traders and limited companies, with a free plan, paid plans that remove card FX fees, and admin tools. 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 accounts for LLPs, which Revolut Business or Tide 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 Revolut Business'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
- 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
Tide suits you if
- You want your balance held by a bank, with FSCS cover through ClearBank
- You pay in cash or cheques
- You'd pay for a plan to avoid card fees abroad
At a glance
| Revolut Business | Tide | Incard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type and protection | Bank · FSCS cover | Bank · FSCS cover | E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS |
| Who can open one | 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 | Basic: £10 a month | Lite: £0 a month | Free: £0 a month |
| Plans (monthly) | Basic £10, Grow £35, Scale £125, Enterprise custom | Lite £0, Smart £12.49, Pro £27.49, Max £69.99 | Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199 |
| Card cashback | None listed for Revolut Business; up to 1% on Revolut Pro for sole traders | 0.5%, up to £200 a month, on Max only | Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped |
| Card payments in other currencies | Not listed | 2.75% on Lite; no fee on Smart, Pro and Max | 1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus |
| Domestic transfers | 10, 100 or 1,000 a month included, then £0.20 each | 5 a month free on Lite, 30 on Smart, unlimited on Pro and Max; otherwise 20p | 100 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 | Not listed | 3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR) |
| ATM withdrawals | 2% on all plans | £1 per GBP withdrawal | 2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad |
| Cash deposits | Not listed | Post Office from £2.50, PayPoint 3% | Not listed |
| Currencies you can hold | 25+ currencies | Not listed | GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs |
| Accepting card payments | Online from 1% + £0.20; in person from 0.8% + £0.02 | 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 Revolut Business lists card payments from customers.
- Only Tide lists cash deposits.
- Only Incard lists accounts for LLPs, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.
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.
Tide
Tide Platform Ltd runs the app and is an FCA-authorised e-money institution (FRN 900843). Tide current and savings accounts are provided by ClearBank Ltd (FRN 754568), a bank authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Eligible deposits in ClearBank-powered Tide accounts are protected up to £120,000 per depositor by the FSCS, across all accounts with ClearBank. Some members still hold e-money accounts with PrePay Technologies (sort code 23-69-72), which are safeguarded rather than FSCS-protected.
Who can open one: Sole traders, freelancers and directors of UK-registered limited companies aged 18 or over, with a UK mobile number. Sole traders need a UK home address registered with HMRC and can't be in a business partnership. Full Tide 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: Revolut Business alternatives, Tide 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 19 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)
- Revolut Business plans
- Revolut Business Fees – All Plans (PDF)
- Revolut Business Terms (UK)
- Revolut: Small business accounts (eligibility FAQ)
- Revolut Pro (UK)
- Revolut Help: What is Revolut Pro and is it free?
- Tide plans and pricing
- Tide: How much will a Tide account cost?
- Tide Help Centre: How to become a Tide member
- Tide Help Centre: Deposit cash into your Tide account
- Tide homepage (regulatory information in footer)
- FCA Financial Services Register