Business bank account

Eligibility

To open a Business Bank Account, you need:

• To be 18 or over
• Have an annual turnover or balance sheet value of up to £2 million
• At least 50% of the business’s directors or beneficial owners (people who own more than 25% of the shares) are resident in the UK
• At least 50% of shares owned by UK residents

Bank the way you want

We believe in letting you decide how you want to bank with us – whether that’s online, in store, over the phone or on the move.

Ways to bank

Setting up your online banking and mobile app

Manage your Business Bank Account online or on your mobile.

Business online banking

Business mobile banking app

Switching to Metro Bank

Moving your account to Metro Bank is simple – we can get all your funds, direct debits and standing orders switched and set up within 7 days, guaranteed.

Find out more about switching to Metro Bank

Find your Local Business Manager

Your Local Business Manager is based in your nearest Metro Bank store. You can find their name and contact details on the store page.

Find your nearest store

Overdrafts

This account supports an overdraft, but you need to apply for one. Once we’ve reviewed your financial status, we’ll let you know our decision.

Find out more about Business Overdrafts

Cheques

Cheques normally take 5 working days to process. If you’d like to know how quickly you can withdraw your funds after a cheque has been paid into your account you can take a look at our cheque clearance guide.

Important: Cheques will begin to be processed as soon as they are received by a bank, which could be on the same day as it’s written. Please ensure you have enough money in your account to cover all your payments, including cheques, to avoid becoming overdrawn.

Using your debit card abroad

We don’t charge fees for non-sterling transactions or purchases in many European countries. If you’re outside of Europe, our rates offer the best value possible. Account fees and charges will still apply, though.

*Where can I use my card for free in Europe? 

If you use your card abroad, any foreign currency transaction will be converted into sterling on the day it’s taken out of your account. The exchange rate is set by MasterCard®.

MasterCard® is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. 

**The current rate of 2.75% will change to 2.99% on 10 January 2019

If you don’t have enough in your account

If your account balance and agreed overdraft aren’t enough to cover a payment, we may give you an unarranged overdraft. Unarranged overdrafts have a typical interest rate of 25% EAR (variable).

EAR stands for equivalent annual rate. It shows the rate you’d pay if you remained overdrawn for a year. It takes into account the interest rate you’re charged when you go overdrawn, how often it’s charged and the effect of compounding – charging interest on interest – on your debt.

‘Variable’ means we may change these rates and charges from time to time, or introduce new charges. If this means you’ll pay more, we’ll let you know beforehand.

Interest will be calculated daily on your account and applied monthly. The amount of interest payable and when it will be charged will be shown on your monthly statement.

We may also make other charges:

• £25 charge for an unpaid item (when you don’t have funds to cover a cheque, direct debit or standing order payment and we have to return it unpaid)
• £15 charge for a paid item (when a cheque, direct debit or standing order is deducted from your account and creates an unarranged overdraft)

Fees and charges

There’s no monthly charge for this account as long as the balance remains above £5000 every day within the month, otherwise you will pay the monthly fee of £5.

We will charge for some transactions and services such as international payments, CHAPS payments and an Auditor's Certificate of Balance. You can find all the details of our transaction and service charges in the downloadable PDF below. 

What we need to open your account

Bringing in the right documents can smooth out the account opening process.

Everyone involved in opening the business account will need to provide proof of identity and proof of address, including:

• Account operators (authorised signatories or nominated persons)
• Responsible individuals (anyone who directly or indirectly controls 25% or more shares)
• Company officials

Proof of address

Must have your name and current address on it. We only accept originals. It’s handy to have 2 of these with you, just in case.

As a Sole Trader

As a Partnership

As a Limited Liability Partnership

As a Limited Company