ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Starling vs Zempler Bank

A UK bank business account with no monthly fee, free UK payments, euro and US dollar accounts and 24/7 support. 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.

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'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 Starling's cheapest plan, at your monthly spend on ads, software and travel.

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

£600 a year better off with Incard

Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
Starling's cheapest plan: no cashback, £0 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. Starling's cheapest plan: £0 a month.

Starling suits you if

You want a £0 bank account with FSCS cover
You make lots of UK payments, which are free
You spend abroad on the card and want no Starling fee on top
You pay in cash at the Post Office

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.
	Starling	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	£0 a month	Business Go: £0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	One account, £0 a month	Business Go £0, Business Extra £9, Business Pro £19	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed	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	No Starling fee; Mastercard exchange rate	2.99% on Go; no fee on Extra and Pro	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Faster Payments, standing orders and Direct Debits free; CHAPS £20	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	Exchange rate plus a 0.4% conversion fee	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	No Starling fee abroad; £300 daily limit	£2 UK, £3 abroad on Go; free on Extra and Pro	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	Post Office: 0.7% or £3, whichever is higher	Post Office: 0.55%, £4 minimum, up to £6,000 a day	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	GBP, euro and US dollar accounts	Not listed	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Tap to Pay at 1.6% per transaction	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 accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.

What each one is, and who can open one

Starling

Starling Bank Limited, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (registration number 730166). Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK limited companies and LLPs registered at Companies House whose persons of significant control are UK-resident individuals (no corporate shareholders), and UK sole traders who aren't in a partnership. The applicant must be 18 or over. General partnerships and charities that aren't limited companies aren't supported. Full Starling 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