ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Santander vs Zempler Bank

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. A UK bank business account, formerly Cashplus, with a £0 plan, Post Office cash deposits and paid plans that remove card FX fees and add cashback. 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 Zempler Bank don't list
You want a US dollar account, which Santander or Zempler Bank 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

Zempler Bank suits you if

You pay in cash at the Post Office
You want FSCS cover on a £0 plan
You want to take contactless card payments on your phone
You'd pay £9 or £19 a month to drop card FX fees and earn cashback

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	Zempler Bank	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	Business Go: £0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	Business Current Account – Classic: £9.99 a month	Business Go £0, Business Extra £9, Business Pro £19	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	Up to 0.5% on Extra, up to 1% on Pro, tiered by monthly spend, max £1,000 a month	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	2.99% on Go; no fee on Extra and Pro	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Free	3 free on Go, 20 on Extra, 500 on Pro, then 35p	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers	£25; SEPA payments free	EUR to SEPA countries and USD to the US, fee shown in app; up to £22 per payment in	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	Free at Santander and LINK cash machines in the UK	£2 UK, £3 abroad on Go; free on Extra and Pro	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: 0.55%, £4 minimum, up to £6,000 a day	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	Tap to Pay in the app through Stripe; no Zempler fee, Stripe fees apply	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 Zempler Bank lists invoicing.
Only Incard lists a euro account, a US dollar account, 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.

Zempler Bank

Zempler Bank Limited (company number 04947027), authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (FRN 671140). Eligible deposits are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK residents aged 18 or over with a UK-based business: sole traders not registered at Companies House, active limited companies limited by shares (at least one UK-resident director, 4 or fewer PSCs, no multiple corporate PSCs), partnerships and charities. Companies limited by guarantee or with corporate shareholders pay a £100 fee. Some industries aren't accepted. Full Zempler Bank 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