Tide Logo
Tide Logo
Tide Logo
Tide Logo

Tide account eligibility criteria 

Thinking of joining us?

We currently offer business accounts to directors of limited companies and sole traders. You must be 18+ to open an account with us.

Limited companies 

Your company must be registered with Companies House. If you haven't done this yet, we can register your company for you. 

We'll handle the process and you'll only have to pay £24.99 of the £50 fee charged by Companies House. We'll cover the rest.

Sole traders and freelancers 

You must have a valid UK home address and be registered with HMRC. To register with HMRC, you just need to get in touch at gov.uk and follow the site navigation to let them know you're now self-employed.

Our mission 

We welcome everyone to apply for a Tide account. Our mission is to empower diverse and often under-represented small and medium business owners who lack access to financial services. We don’t discriminate against anyone on the basis of political beliefs, religion, race, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Why we calculate risk factors

Unfortunately, we can’t provide services for everyone. 

When someone wishes to join Tide, we calculate their risk factors (including business type, how money is made, and industry). If this risk is too high for us to support, we won’t accept their application. 

This is to ensure we keep Tide members safe, that we have the resources to fully support them, and that we support ethical business practices in line with our regulatory requirements.

 Industries we cannot currently support 

We are unfortunately unable to accept businesses in the following industries:

  • The holding, managing and/or controlling of a third party’s (client’s/customer’s) finances in the Tide account

  • Insurance companies (incl. insurance brokers)

  • Trading of cryptocurrencies

  • The wholesale of precious metals and stones

  • Investments (incl. real estate investments)

  • Money services (such as foreign exchange, loan providers, money transfers)

  • Casinos, prize draws and other betting or gambling activities

  • Sale of unlicensed pharmaceuticals

  • Sale or trade of cannabidiol (CBD) products

  • Trading of weapons, explosives or armaments

  • Unlicensed trading and processing of scrap metal

  • Unlicensed waste management

  • Sale, import and export of used vehicles or heavy machinery *   Escort services and other services in the adult industry

  • Bidding fee auctions

Non-profit organisations, including charities CICs and CIOs

Businesses funded by regular donations 

We can’t accept anyone whose business is funded fully or in part by regular donations, as these carry specific risks that we are not currently able to service. This is especially true if we or the business owner is unable to trace where these finances are coming from.

Questions? 

We understand that this won’t be good news for some people. But we have to do this so we can fully support the financial strength and safety of our new and existing members. 

You’re always welcome to get in touch with us at hello@tide.co if you have any questions or comments about this.

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.