Forum

Replies

• PRO

  Phil Voice December 19, 2015 at 6:57am

  Hi Andrew

  I'm sure others will pitch in with their advice.

  In the meantime you might want to have a look at this old thread : Best bank for small business
• PRO

  Andy December 19, 2015 at 9:04am

  Imo business bank accounts are a legal method of robbery by the banks. The charges for paying in, transferring, overdrafts etc are criminal. Why should you pay a fee for a service which the bank exists to perform! Anyway I bank with the post office, it's not the most efficient or swiftest but I can do online got shed loads of branches and no fees.
  • PRO

    Richard Gadsby > Andy December 20, 2015 at 9:19pm

    I disagree banks need to charge money for accounts and I can't understand why personal accounts are free.
    They have massive overheads.
    That's like asking you to cut my grass for free as that's what your setup to do!
• 

  Mike Bradley December 19, 2015 at 9:34am

  I have had a Santander business account for over 10 years now; since it was first (and still is) offered as a free account (with T&Cs obviously). As long as you stick with the terms should be fine, I have never had a problem with them.
• 

  Graham Wright December 19, 2015 at 10:30am

  I have been looking into this myself lately, and I have settled with joining the FSB and using the co-op fee free business account they offer. It also apparently pays you £25 a year for using it. I guess some others on here will know more about it, but I see it as win win really, with the help and info from the FSB and having the bank account knocks £25 off the sub every year :)

  Oh and you can use the post office to pay in, which sealed it for me, as I dont have a co-op branch thats easy to park near (Sheffield city centre), but there's a few post offices around me.
  • PRO

    Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd > Graham Wright December 19, 2015 at 10:19pm

    We use the FSB coop account.
    
    Main advantage is free business banking plus we pay cheques in with postage paid envelopes via postal system.
    
    Main disadvantage is that the Online banking is rubbish compared to other banks, no 'relations manager'.
  • PRO

    Richard Gadsby > Graham Wright December 20, 2015 at 9:45pm

    I should add I use Santander as I can pay in at post office which saves going in to town
• 

  Andrew Midgley December 19, 2015 at 11:52pm

  Thanks for the contributions. I will check out FSB over the Xmas Hols when I get a chance. I have to say that Santander have been very good with my personal banking.
• PRO

  Robbie December 20, 2015 at 12:54am

  I'm with Santander, though about to come out of the free trial period... I like having my funds personal / business accounts under the one roof so to speak. 
• PRO

  Adam Pilgrim December 21, 2015 at 6:13pm

  Another one with the FSB/Co-Operative bank tie up here - been with them over 3 years now after leaving the chaos of HSBC (less said there the better).

  Co-Operative aren't bad in the scheme of things, yes the online banking is a bit clunky and not brilliantly laid out, but it works.

  When you need to phone them, they are helpful and do get things sorted out pretty promptly.

  Being able to post cheques is a bonus - yes you can pay cash in at a Post Office but only if it is one that offers the service. This is a point to bear in mind as closure of one independent Post Office in one local village led to us using another, which closed and relocated as a Post Office Local in the village shop - due to security measures (the fact they they no longer had fully screened counters), they could no longer handle our banking - not a problem as such as any of another 3 Post Offices in other local villages can and will but something to bear in mind.