Dedicated support around the clock
Commercial Current Account
For businesses with an annual turnover of more than £2 million, we’ve designed an account to meet your complex needs – with dedicated Relationship Managers, expert industry support, 24/7 local contact centres and an easy-to-use online banking platform
Relationship Manager
Your dedicated Relationship Manager will get to know you and your business, ensuring we’re providing you with the service you need
Sector services
Each industry faces its own unique challenges. Our sector teams have the expertise within these sectors to offer your business the support it needs
Ensuring your cash flow
Our working capital options can help smooth your cash flow, taking out some of the stress of the day-to-day running of your business
Opening a Commercial Current Account
Opening a Commercial Current Account
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 identity
A valid passport, EU national ID card or UK driving licence is ideal, and may be all we need.
Show suitable ID for UK, EEA or Swiss Nationals Hide suitable ID for UK, EEA or Swiss Nationals
Photographic ID
- Valid UK/EEA/Switzerland passport
- Valid UK full photocard driving licence
- Valid UK provisional photocard driving licence
- Valid EU member state national ID photocard
- Valid firearms certificate or shotgun licence.
We can only accept original documents, not photocopies.
Valid Passport/EU national ID Card means in date, undamaged and machine readable. Unfortunately, we can’t accept handwritten passports or ID cards.
Non-photographic ID
If you’re providing non-photographic ID, you’ll need to bring 2 proofs of address. We can only accept original documents, not photocopies.
- Valid old-style UK driving licence (no photo)
- HMRC documentation (PAYE Coding Notice/Tax Notification/Self-Assessment/Statement of Account/NI contributions bill) issued in the last 3 months or valid for the current tax year. We can’t accept P45 or P60 forms
- Notification letter from Benefits Agency/Local Authority confirming your right to benefits (Department for Works and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus), Benefits Agency or Veterans Agency), dated within the last 12 months
Show suitable ID for other nationalities Hide suitable ID for other nationalities
Valid passport with your current visa (with at least 6 months left on it) or a Biometric Residence Permit.
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.
Show suitable proofs of address Hide suitable proofs of address
- Current UK full photocard driving licence
- Current UK provisional photocard driving licence
- Council Tax bill (valid for the current financial year)
- HMRC documentation (PAYE Coding Notice/Tax Notification/Self-Assessment/Statement of Account/NI contributions bill valid for the current tax year issued by Job Centre Plus) dated within the last 3 months. We can’t accept P45 or P60 forms.
- Notification letter from Benefits Agency/Local Authority confirming your right to benefits (Department for Works and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, Benefits Agency or Veterans Agency), dated within the last 12 months
- Current Tenancy Agreement, from a local council or a recognised letting agency
- Bank, Building Society, Credit Union statement, dated within the last 3 months
- Credit card statement, dated within the last 3 months
- Mortgage statement from a recognised lender, dated within the last 12 months
- Life assurance/life insurance policy, dated within the last 3 months but outside of cancellation period
- Motor insurance certificate, valid for the current year but outside of cancellation period – we can’t accept cover notes
- Utility bill - gas, electricity or water, dated within the last 3 months
- Telephone bill, dated within the last 3 months. We can’t accept mobile phone bills, Sky or cable TV bills
As a Partnership
Show suitable documents for Partnerships Hide suitable documents for Partnerships
Partnerships, including limited partnerships, will need to provide one of the following documents:
- An existing business bank statement (dated within the last 3 months)
- A utility bill (dated within the last 3 months)
- An invoice from a supplier (dated within the last 3 months)
- A letter addressed to Metro Bank from an accountant acting on behalf of your business
- HMRC correspondence (dated within the last 12 months)
- Business premises rates bill (dated within the last 12 months)
The documents provided must have the partner's names on it, the business address and the trading name (if applicable).
If you are a partnership and you can’t provide any of these documents, a site visit can be arranged if your business address is different to your residential address.
As a Limited Liability Partnership
Show suitable documents for Limited Liability Partnerships Hide suitable documents for Limited Liability Partnerships
If you’re a limited liability partnership we will, with your permission, carry out a credit reference agency search. If the results are satisfactory, you won’t need to provide any further documents. Otherwise you will need:
- A Certificate of Incorporation, and
- A registered members list to clarify the details of the members and their individual shareholding within the company
As a Limited Company
Show suitable documents for Limited Companies Hide suitable documents for Limited Companies
If you’re a Limited Company we will, with your agreement, carry out a credit reference agency search. If the results are satisfactory you won’t need to provide any further documents. Otherwise you will need:
- A Certificate of Incorporation, and
- If the Limited Company is using a “trading as” name, a copy of the Company Board Resolution (signed by 2 Directors or 1 Director and the appointed Company Secretary, or by the sole Director, if there is no appointed Company Secretary) authorising the use of the “trading as” name
Fees and charges
Fees and charges
| Monthly account fee | Minimum annual turnover/balance sheet value | UK transaction fees |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | Above £2 million | Based on account activity |
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.
| Location | Card Purchase | Cash Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| In Europe* | FREE | FREE |
| Outside Europe* | 2.99% |
2.99% + £1.50 |
*Where can I use my card for free in Europe?
Show which countries you can use your card in for free Hide which countries you can use your card in for free
When we refer to Europe, we mean the countries which are part of the Single European Payments Area (SEPA).
- 19 EU Euro countries - Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
- 8 EU non-Euro countries - Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden
- 3 non-EU, Euro countries – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino
- 4 non-EU, non-Euro countries - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
All territories are included by their associated owning country.
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.
Fees and charges
There’s no monthly charge for this account.
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.
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).
Additional information
Additional information
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 through your Relationship Manager.
Switching to Metro Bank
Moving your account to Metro Bank is simple, and if your annual turnover is below £6.5 million, we guarantee it will be switched within 7 days.
Setting up your online banking
Manage your Commercial Current Account online.
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.
Get all the details on our Commercial Current Account
Download our PDF to read when you like – it contains all the ins and outs of our Commercial Current Account.
Commercial Current Account Details (PDF) (225KB)
Our Service Relationship with Business Customers (PDF) (1.1MB)
Making it happen is simple
All we need are the details of your old account, including the account number, sort code, card number and the date you want the transfer to take place
FAQs
How do I switch my account?
Pop in and see us – find your nearest store
All of our stores are open from 8am to 8pm during the week, and slightly shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
We’ll have all your standing orders and Direct Debits switched within 7 days. Guaranteed. Just be aware that the 7-day switching service only applies if your company’s turnover is less than £6.5 million. If it’s any higher, we can carry out a partial switch.
If you have any questions before you visit a store, call 0345 08 08 508 or email Business.Team@metrobank.plc.uk.
When can I contact the Business Team?
While you’ll usually deal with your Relationship Manager, our UK contact centre is open 24/7 and the Business Team are available Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm.
How do I apply for an overdraft?
If you would like to arrange an overdraft please speak to your Relationship Manager. Overdraft facilities are subject to status checks and approval.
Can I access my transaction history for closed accounts?
Yes. If you choose to close your account, we will offer you the option to receive up to 5 years’ worth of prior transaction history at the point of account closure. We retain your transaction history for at least 5 years after you closed your account, so you can also request up to 5 years’ worth of prior transaction history from the date of the request. To make a request, you can visit us in store or call us on 0345 08 08 508.
We will provide a printed version of your transaction history via post, normally within 7 working days. You can also download your transaction history via online banking before you close your account.
Accounts which have been closed due to fraud or other unlawful activity, impairment, bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation or which have had no activity in the past 5 years will not be eligible to receive transaction history.
Your ways to bank
Online
Check balances, make payments, see transactions and open new accounts any time - all with Business Online Banking.
Mobile
Control your money on the move. Check balances, move money, make payments and more with our handy mobile app.
In-store
A friendly face and a quick answer - and all the usual payment services too.
By phone
Talk to a real person in our UK contact centre. We’ve temporarily changed our opening hours – click the button below to check when we're available.
Some more things you may like...
Sector services
Talk expert to expert
Find solutions tailored to your industry. Talk to our experts who understand the challenges in your sector, from healthcare to property to financial services.
Borrowing with us
Business credit cards
Get one low rate and free European card transactions – plus no annual fee.
Business banking
All deposit accounts
The right deposit account can help you reach your goals. See our range of deposit accounts that will make your money work harder.
FSCS
Protecting your money
Your eligible deposits with Metro Bank are protected by the FSCS.