We’re temporarily only supporting existing customers who are looking to open new business current accounts.
We’ll continue to review this position and further details will be available on our website.
Our Business Current Account - Classic gives your business
Hassle-free payments through Direct Debits, standing orders, cash handling, Worldpay and more. Plus, £1,000 free cash deposit at Santander cash machines per monthly billing period.
An award-winning Business Mobile Banking app to help you run your business on the move, and cash machines wherever you go.
The human touch with Business Banking Managers to help with your account.
An overdraft for those unexpected costs. Arranged overdrafts are subject to status.
Go beyond banking with handy extras for your business. Including a learning and knowledge suite, mentoring, insurance, HR services and a network of Work Cafés.
Business Cashback Credit Card to manage your spend and get rewarded. Optional for business current account customers. Subject to status and credit checks.
Eligibility
You can have this account if you:
are a sole trader or your business is a partnership, limited liability partnership or private limited company registered in the UK.
have a maximum of 2 directors, owners (shareholders) or partners who are 18 or over and live in the UK.
You can only use this account for business purposes. It’s not for personal use.
This account works for
Start-up businesses
- your business is in it’s first year of trading, and
- this is your business’ first business current account with us.
There's no monthly account fee for the first 12 months, at the end of the 12 month period you’ll pay £9.99 per month.
Established businesses
- your business has been trading for more than a year, or
- you already have a business current account with us and want to open another account
The fee for this account is £9.99 per month.
Switcher offer
If you switch your business current account with any provider to us using the Current Account Switch Service, there's no monthly account fee for the first 12 months. At the end of the 12-month period you'll pay £9.99 per month. Find out more about switching
£500 cash withdrawal per day
Online and Mobile Banking with text and email alerts
Access to the Santander branch network
More than just a bank account
Santander is an award-winning, trusted bank with 173 million customers in 10 countries throughout the world.
Account information
Transfer your existing Santander account
You can transfer your existing Santander business current account to Business Current Account – Classic by calling us on 0330 678 2521.
How much does it cost?
There’s a £9.99 monthly fee to maintain the account. It’s paid from your account automatically each month. This might vary if you have a switcher or start up offer.
| Business Current Account – Classic |
|---|---|
Monthly fee | £9.99 per month
If you’re a start-up or switcher, there’s no charge for the first 12 months. At the end of the 12-month period, this account will cost £9.99 per month |
Cash deposit charges | No charges for £1,000 per month paid in at Santander cash machines, then £1.25 per £100
For cash deposited at Santander and Post Office counters £1.25 per £100 |
Cash withdrawals (cash machine and Santander/Post Office counter) | Santander cash machine: Free
Counter: £1.25 per £100 |
Cheque deposits (cash machine, Mobile Banking and Santander/Post Office counter) | £0.70 per cheque |
We charge for non-standard transactions like change-giving, CHAPS payments and foreign currency transactions. Please see the General Terms and Conditions in ‘Key documents and other account information’ for full details.
Overdraft (there are fees associated with your overdraft)
When you apply for the account, you can ask us for a business overdraft from £500 to £25,000 (subject to acceptance) if:
- you have a good credit history;
- you haven't been declared bankrupt;
- you haven't been a disqualified director or a director of a failed business within the last 6 years; and
- neither you, nor any of the directors, owners (shareholders) or partners, have had an Individual Voluntary Arrangement.
This is what we charge for using an overdraft.
| Type of fee | Interest and charges |
|---|---|
| Arranged overdraft annual fee | 1.75 % of agreed overdraft (minimum fee £100) |
| Arranged overdraft interest rate | 14.94% EAR (variable) |
| Unarranged overdraft interest rate | 14.94% EAR (variable) |
| Unpaid item fee | No fee |
| Paid item fee | No fee |
The arranged overdraft annual fee is based on an agreed overdraft limit for 12 months and is payable annually if you renew your arranged overdraft. We’ll contact you before the expiry of this 12-month period (known as the renewal period) with your options for renewal.
If we agree to give you a higher overdraft limit outside of the renewal period, you’ll have to pay another arranged overdraft annual fee and your 12 months will re-set from the date your higher overdraft limit is applied. If you reduce your overdraft limit outside of the renewal period there will be no refund on your arranged overdraft annual fee.
You’ll be charged an unarranged overdraft interest rate on the amount you’ve gone over your arranged overdraft limit, or on the amount you’ve gone overdrawn without an arranged overdraft in place. Arranged overdraft interest will still apply to the portion of your balance within your limit (if any).
When you apply for an arranged business overdraft with us, we'll look at your circumstances. We'll then let you know if you can have one, and how much you can borrow. You must repay all or part of any overdraft when we ask you, to in line with our General Terms and Conditions.
Other borrowing options may be available
We'll let you know at least:
- 30 days before we take your annual renewal fee
- 14 days before we take your monthly charges and interest.
Representative example
If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,000 you’ll be charged an interest rate of 14.94% EAR (variable) and an annual arrangement fee of £100. Actual credit limit may differ.
This means if you have an overdraft of £1,000 and do use it in full for 7 days you`ll be charged £2.69 as well as the annual arrangement fee of £100.
If you have an overdraft of £1,000 but don’t use it, you will still be charged the annual arrangement fee of £100.
Take a look at our Overdraft page for full details.
Everything you need to know before you apply
We recommend reading the information in the documents below before you apply.
Key documents
- Business Current Account - Classic Key Facts Document (PDF - 185 KB)
- General Terms & Conditions (PDF - 866 KB)
To view these you may need to download Adobe Reader
Ways to bank with us
24/7 banking on all your devices. You will receive statements and other important information about your account via Online and Mobile Banking, or email. You can also change your preferences and ask for paper documents instead.
- Online Banking
- Mobile Banking app
- Face-to-face banking in our branches and Post Offices
- Telephone Banking
- Use our cash machines to withdraw cash, make cash and cheque deposits, check your balance and manage your PIN (all transactions subject to account limits)
Paper-free
This is a paper-free account which means:
- Your documents, statements and some of your letters will be sent as e-Documents to your secure inbox on Online Banking. Unless you require documents in an alternative format, such as Braille.
- You'll need to provide us with an email address when you open the account as we’ll send you an email to let you know when a document is ready to view.
- If you prefer to receive statements and other information by post, you can update your account settings once the account has been open for 24 hours.
Account alerts
We'll send you free alerts when:
- you make a payment that may take your account into an unarranged overdraft
- you make a payment that may take your account into an arranged overdraft
- we intend to refuse a future payment due to a lack of funds
- we refuse a payment due to lack of funds.
We’ll send these alerts before your account's charged, so you have time to pay in money to avoid or reduce these charges. We’ll send these alerts by text, push notification, and/or email, so it’s important you tell us if your mobile number or email address changes.
You'll be automatically registered for these alerts. You can manage your alerts settings at any time by using Online Banking. For more information, visit our account alerts page.
Need more help? Please contact us
Checklist – what you’ll need to open an account
Participating providers of UK business bank accounts have agreed to a basic set of information that they'll need from you to set up your UK business current account. Find out what you'll need to provide using the simple business account checklist from UK Finance, the UK's leading trade association for financial services. This is only a standard checklist, so you may have to provide additional information while completing our application form.
Have you got everything you need?
To make your application as easy as possible we’ve created a checklist, so you have all the information you’ll need (PDF - 64 KB)
Payment Service Providers
Currently we’re unable to offer bank accounts to Payment Institutions (SPI, API), E-Money Institutions (EMI, SEMI), Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISP) and Account Information Service Providers (AISP).
Security
Keep your banking details private and secure.
For more information about our approach to security as well as more useful information to help you stop the threat of fraud visit our Security Centre
How we manage scam claims
We’ll support you if you’ve fallen victim to a fraud. Find out more about our approach to fraud
Digital banking with us
Whether that’s using Online Banking or our award-winning Mobile Banking app we offer a secure way to access and manage your banking needs 24/7.
Switch to us in 7 days
You can switch your business current account to us from your current bank, as long as they’re part of the CASS guarantee (PDF - 42 KB). We'll do the hard work, like closing your old account and moving payments.
It’s simple, reliable and stress-free.
Business Banking Awards
Information correct as at 9 July 2025.