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Tide Logo


BUSINESS CURRENT ACCOUNT

Get £20 cashback when you open a business account with Tide*

Everything you need from your free business bank account

With over 1.5 million freelancers, contractors, and scaling businesses trusting in Tide worldwide, we’re committed to building you the best business bank account to help you set up your business smoothly.

£0 /month

Only pay for what you use, with low transaction and ATM fees.

FSCS-protected

Up to £120,000 protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

24/7 support

Start a chat and get help in the app anytime, 365 days a year.

Deposit cash

At any post office or PayPoint location.

Auto-categorisation

We automatically tag your income and spending. Customise the labels to suit your business.

Switch hassle-free

Switch your business bank account to Tide in a few taps

Our business bank account is packed with features to save you time and money

International payments

Send and receive international payments in a few taps.

Accounting and tax tools

Connect your own accounting software or export transactions to share with your accountant. Use our free Making Tax Digital tools to file your taxes stress-free.

Easily receive payments

Get smart payment options however you sell, from invoicing, payment links and Tap to Pay on iPhone, to our card reader for in person payments.

Manage expenses

Simplify expenses with virtual cards for secure spending online, expense cards for team spend and Apple or Google Pay compatibility.

Team access

Grant flexible access to your team, co-directors, or accountant. Paid plans offer enhanced access from £12.49, while read-only access is free.

Earn interest

Access our Tide Instant Saver Account to earn up to 4% AER (variable) on your capital for the first 4 months. After this period get the rate of your chosen plan. *T&Cs apply

See all features

Matt HerdBeaucroft Watches

Everything became digital, and Tide just made it so easy. Everything was easy to set up. We didn't need tremendous amounts of paperwork or history to set up an account.

Benefits and perks

Tide members get access to exclusive partner discounts and offers with Member Perks, specially selected to help your business grow.

What’s more, our partnership with Mastercard affords you access to additional Mastercard-led discounts and cashback.

Open a free business bank account online in minutes

Business banking with Tide is easy.

  1. Download the app

  2. Tell us about your business and verify your identity

  3. Your account is approved and ready to go in minutes - your card will arrive in a couple of days

Open a business account

Security built in

Two-factor security

Easily freeze lost or stolen cards

Check recipient details with Confirmation of Payee

Compare our business bank account to other banks

See how we stack up against other high street and challenger banks, in one click.

Compare free business accounts

Am I eligible for a Tide business bank account?

Applying for a free business bank account with Tide is quick and easy, whether you’re a sole trader or running a limited company. There’s no hard credit check and it’s all done within minutes in the app.

You must be over 18

Have a UK-based business

Show valid photo ID

Upload a selfie photo

Open a free account

Independent service quality survey results

Business current accounts Published Feb 2026

As part of a regulatory requirement, an independent survey was conducted to ask approximately 1,200 customers of each of the 17 largest business current account providers if they would recommend their provider to other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs*).

The results represent the view of customers who took part in the survey.

Overall service quality

We asked customers how likely they would be to recommend their business current account provider to other SMEs.

View all Survey Results

Free business bank account FAQs

No, Tide isn’t a bank.

Tide is a business financial platform and the leading provider of digital business banking services in the UK. We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and offer e-money accounts, provided by PrePay Solutions (PPS), as well as business bank accounts, provided by ClearBank.

We believe that this model gives us the opportunity to provide a wider range of products and services to our members, helping them to save time (and money) on their financial admin.

Yes! However, you must have a UK residential address and phone number. Applicants who are not based in the UK may apply for a business bank account, as long as they are directors of a company registered with UK Companies House. In some cases, we may have to complete additional checks in order to process your application.

Don’t forget – you’ll need to switch your App or Google Play store to the UK to download Tide.

You can now digitally deposit cheques using the Tide app. You can’t deposit cheques at the bank or the Post Office. 

We only support cheques made out in GBP. Other currencies won’t be accepted. 

Just a heads up – you can only deposit your cheques if your sort code is 04-06-05.

See how to make a digital cheque deposit over on this page.

Help, my question isn’t answered here Find answers to all our most frequently asked questions about opening an account

We understand businesses, it's all we do

Tide is built by business owners for business owners. That’s why we’re trusted by over 2 million sole traders, freelancers, and limited companies worldwide.

Open an account

Tide | Do what you love.
Tide Platform Limited (Tide) designs and operates the Tide website and app. Tide is not a bank. Tide is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 under firm reference number 900843 for the issuing of electronic money and the provision of payment initiation services and account information services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Tide is also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its credit and insurance broking activities (firm reference 718743). Tide is incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 09595646 and registered office at 4th Floor The Featherstone Building, 66 City Road, London, EC1Y 2AL. Tide offers bank accounts powered by ClearBank® Ltd (ClearBank) (account sort code is 04-06-05). ClearBank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 754568. Eligible deposits with ClearBank are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. For further information visit Home. ClearBank Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number: 754568). Registered Address: ClearBank, Level 27, The Broadgate Tower, 20 Primrose Street, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 2EW. Eligible deposits held in the Tide Business Current Account (powered by ClearBank) are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”) subject to eligibility. All eligible deposits at the same bank are aggregated to determine the coverage level for each depositor up to £120,000, therefore if you have any other product/services with ClearBank these will be aggregated. To find out more and to check your eligibility please visit: About us . Some of Tide’s members also hold e-money accounts powered by PrePay Technologies Limited (PPT) (account sort code is 23-69-72). PPT is an electronic money institution authorised by the FCA under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 under firm reference number 900010 for the issuing of electronic money. PPT holds an amount equivalent to the money in Tide current accounts in a safeguarding account which gives members protection against PPT’ insolvency. Tide Cards may be issued by both Tide and PPT, who are licensed by Mastercard International for the issuance of cards. The issuer of your Tide card will be identified on your monthly card statement. Tide Capital Limited is an appointed representative of P1 Investment Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 752005 to carry out such regulated activities as are involved in the provision of Tide Investment Account. Seccl Custody Limited is the custodian of assets held in Tide Investment Account and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 793200) and registered in England and Wales under No. 10430958. Registered office 20 Manvers Street, Bath BA1 1JW. Tide, the Tide logo, the Swell, and Do Less Banking are trademarks and trade names of Tide Platform Limited, and may not be used or reproduced without the consent of the owner.