ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Santander vs Tide

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. 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 a euro account, which Santander or Tide don't list
You want a US dollar account, which Santander or Tide don't list
You want cards for your team, which Santander 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

Apply for Incard on incard.co

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What a year of card spending earns you

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

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

£719.88 a year better off with Incard

Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
Santander's cheapest plan: no cashback, £119.88 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. Santander's cheapest plan: Free for 12 months for start-ups and switchers, then £9.99 a month.

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

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

**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.
	Santander	Tide	Incard
Type and protection	Bank · FSCS cover	Bank · FSCS cover	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open one	UK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPs	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 start-ups and switchers, then £9.99 a month	Lite: £0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	Business Current Account – Classic: £9.99 a month	Lite £0, Smart £12.49, Pro £27.49, Max £69.99	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed for the debit card; 1% on the separate Business Cashback Credit Card, which has an annual fee	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	2.95% foreign currency conversion fee	2.75% on Lite; no fee on Smart, Pro and Max	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Free	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	£25; SEPA payments free	Not listed	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	Free at Santander and LINK cash machines in the UK	£1 per GBP withdrawal	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	First £1,000 a month free at Santander cash machines, then £1.25 per £100	Post Office from £2.50, PayPoint 3%	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	GBP; no currency account listed on the account pages	Not listed	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Through Santander's partner Worldpay; pricing not listed	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 Santander lists card payments from customers.
Only Incard lists a euro account, a US dollar account, cards for your team, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.

What each one is, and who can open one

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.

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