Reasons to trust Barclays
- Over 900,000 businesses bank with Barclays in the UK
- Fully regulated UK bank with FSCS protection
- Over 325 years of banking expertise
Barclays Bank is a high street banking giant that offers business accounts for startups, established businesses and charities.
Barclays business bank accounts offer a wide range of features and perks including extensive support options if you need a helping hand and free accounting software to help streamline your financial admin.
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Barclays Business Account
- Must have an annual turnover between £400k- £6.5m
- Must have a straightforward and clearly defined ownership structure
- Must be at least 18 years old and be based and operate in the UK – including business owners
NerdWallet's Review Summary
Barclays key features:
- Fee-free offer: New Barclays business account customers pay no account fees for 12 months.
- Free accounting software: Free access to FreshBooks accounting and invoicing software.
- Tailored support: Sector-specific support for different types of business banking customers.
- FSCS protection: Eligible deposits up to £120,000 are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
- Credit access: Business customers can access credit facilities, including loans, mortgages and overdrafts.
- Management: Accounts can be accessed and managed online, via the app, over the phone, or at a branch.
NerdWallet's Pros & Cons
Pros:
- No fees for basic transactions
- Free invoicing and account software from FreshBooks.
- Branches access across the UK.
- Barclays offers credit facilities, including mortgages, overdrafts and loans, for a variety of businesses.
Cons:
- Monthly account fee of £8.50 following free trial period.
This product may be one of a range offered by this provider. Always check terms & conditions for suitability before applying.
Key features
- FSCS ProtectionEligible deposits up to £120,000 are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
- Credit facilitiesBarclays business customers can access a range of credit facilities, including loans, mortgages and overdrafts.
- Multiple ways to manageBusiness customers can access and manage their accounts online, via the app, over the phone, or at a branch.
- Introductory offerNew Barclays business account customers pay no account fees for the first year.
- Free accounting softwareAll account holders get free invoicing and accounting software from FreshBooks.
- Dedicated supportBarclays offers sector-specific support for its business banking customers.
The pros and cons featured here are chosen by us based on a combination of our expert, research-based opinions and an exclusive survey of UK business owners and decision makers. The survey was conducted on behalf of NerdWallet UK in December 2022 to identify the business bank account features that people feel are most important. This was subsequently reinforced by an additional survey in 2024.They are unlikely to be the only product features and restrictions that you should consider. Pros and cons are subjective and you should align them to your own personal and business circumstances. Information was correct at the time of publication but may have changed since.
Barclays business bank account full review
Barclays traces its origins as far back as 1690, with expansion soon following throughout England, Scotland and Wales. This helped to make Barclays the familiar high street presence it is today, offering both personal and business banking services.
Business accounts
Barclays offers a startup account for businesses that have been trading for less than a year alongside a different account for more established businesses.
As a new customer you can enjoy a 12-month period with no monthly fees. At the end of this free period, the monthly fee is £8.50.
There are no fees for basic transactions (faster payments, direct debits, standing orders). Cheque deposits cost 60p each, and cash deposits cost 60p for every £100.
Each business account from Barclays offers a range of services, including borrowing options such as business loans, mortgages and overdrafts, and online tools to support your business. If the need arises, there’s support from a team of business development managers, and access to a community of high-growth professionals and entrepreneurial experts.
All business accounts at Barclays offer free access to invoice and accounting software from FreshBooks.
As well as this, Barclays business and community account holders can apply for a foreign currency account. This can make international transactions easier if you trade overseas or want to expand your business across borders.
Charity and Impact account
Barclays caters for charities and community organisations by offering everyday banking and support from business managers, as well as free invoicing and accounting software from FreshBooks.
Eligible charities and community interest groups that are registered and have an annual turnover of less than £100,000 can benefit from no monthly account fee and free everyday transactions. Other community groups can still apply for the Barclays Business Account, which offers a 12-month fee-free period, after which the £8.50 monthly account fee applies.
Barclays business account features: at a glance
| Monthly fee | £8.50 after 12-month free period |
| Basic transaction fees | No |
| Account management | Online, via mobile app, over the phone, at a branch |
| FSCS protection | Yes |
| Set-up time | 1 day on average, up to 3 days for some |
| Cash deposits | Yes |
| Cheque deposits | Yes |
| Access to other banking services | Yes (business loans, mortgages and overdrafts) |
| International payments | Yes |
| Customer service | Via mobile app Via online banking Apple messages Over the phone: 0345 605 2345, 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday |
| Multiple user access | Yes |
| Create and send invoices | Yes |
| Integration with accounting software tools | Yes |
Where a Barclays business account stands out
No transaction fees: Basic transactions, including standing orders, faster payments and direct debits, are free, helping you to keep money in your business’s pocket.
Free access to accounting software: Free access to invoice and accounting software from FreshBooks can take the headache out of your financial admin.
Business support: Barclays has specialist sector-specific support for business customers, offering a helping hand to business owners who want guidance to make their venture flourish.
Account management: Manage your account online, via the app, over the phone or in a branch.
International payments: Barclays International Payments Services (BIPs) allows business account customers to make electronic international payments to countries across the world, and offers a simple tool to generate your International Bank Account Number (IBAN).
Where a Barclays business account falls short
Monthly fees: While new business customers get 12 months free, there is an £8.50 monthly fee after your first year with Barclays.
Take a look at some of the other business banking providers we review.
Barclays business account customer reviews
Barclays has an ‘average’ rating on Trustpilot of 3.4 out of 5 based on over 14,000 reviews. However, bear in mind that these reviews and those on its mobile apps relate to Barclays Bank in general, and not specifically its business offering.
The Barclays mobile app has a rating of:
- 4.8 out of 5 on the app store, based on over two million ratings
- 4.6 out of 5 on Google Play, based on over 575,000 ratings
This information is correct as of 3 December 2025.
Barclays business account eligibility
To be eligible to open a business account with Barclays, you must:
- be at least 18 years old
- have the right to live in the UK permanently
- be able to show at least three years’ UK address history
- run a business with a turnover of less than £6.5 million
Barclays runs a soft credit check on you and your business partners to check both your personal and business credit. If you successfully open an account, the bank will then share information about how you use the account with credit reference agencies.
How to apply for a Barclays business account
To open a Barclays business account:
- Use this link to head straight over to Barclays.
- Choose either the account for established businesses or the account for startups.
- Provide some basic information about you and your business, following Barclays’ prompts.
- Wait for approval – the average time it takes for Barclays to open a business account is one day.
Or if you’re not sure Barclays is the right fit for you, see other options in our roundup of the best business bank accounts.
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