What Fees Do Business Bank Accounts Charge? (UK guide)

Many UK business current accounts charge either a monthly maintenance fee, transaction fees, or a combination. The British Business Bank notes that some accounts charge a fixed monthly fee and gives a typical range of £5–£10 per month, depending on the bank’s charging model. 

“Normal” also depends on what you count: digital transactions might be included, while cash handling or premium payments (like CHAPS) can still be charged. That’s why two accounts with the same monthly fee can cost very different amounts in practice. 

Often, many everyday digital transactions are free or included, but it varies by tariff and volume. For example, Barclays’ business account tariff describes “simple electronic payments” as free within that tariff definition.

Some banks include allowances (e.g., a number of outgoing electronic payments per month) and then charge per item after that. Lloyds’ published rates and charges are an example of this kind of structure (first 100 electronic payments out free, then a per-item charge).

Cash handling is commonly priced per £100 deposited/withdrawn, and sometimes with extra “manual handling” fees per item. Lloyds lists cash payments (in or out) as a charge per £100 with different pricing depending on the method (deposit machine vs over-the-counter).

NatWest also publishes cash charges as £0.95 per £100 for cash paid in/out, plus separate manual handling fees per item for cash or cheques in certain cases. This is why cash-heavy trading is often the biggest fee driver.

Many business accounts include a debit card as part of the account, but charges can appear for certain card usage patterns or extras (e.g., additional cards or non-sterling usage). Some price lists include card-related fees outside the headline “account fee” section.

For example, Barclays’ business tariff documents include a non-sterling transaction fee for using a business debit card abroad (the exact terms depend on the tariff document and account type). So “card fees” may show up mainly when spending in foreign currency rather than for standard UK debit card transactions.

Cheque fees are still published by many banks and can vary by method (machine, counter, or other handling routes). Lloyds’ business rates and charges include cheque pricing, with different fees depending on how the cheque is processed.

Even where cheque imaging/mobile deposit exists, tariffs may still treat cheque processing differently from standard electronic payments. For businesses that use cheques regularly, the cheque line items in a price list can materially affect the overall monthly cost.

CHAPS is a same-day UK payment system and is often priced separately from standard bank transfers. Barclays’ CHAPS help page states a £25 fee for each CHAPS payment made over the phone and a fee for cancelling or changing a CHAPS payment.

Some banks may have different fees depending on channel (online vs phone/branch) and account type, so CHAPS is a good example of a fee that typically sits outside “everyday digital banking” bundles.

International payments can attract a combination of transfer fees and FX-related costs (including exchange rate margin and/or non-sterling transaction fees). Banks often disclose these in overseas services tariffs or dedicated international payment sections rather than the account overview.

For instance, Barclays’ business tariff documents include non-sterling card fee terms, and broader business tariffs often list charges connected to international payment messaging and services. If a business takes payments or pays suppliers internationally, the international tariff pages tend to be where the “real” cost details live.

Overdraft costs are usually priced separately from the current account’s monthly fee or transaction tariff. They often depend on a credit assessment and the specific borrowing facility, which is why two businesses on the same current account tariff can face different borrowing costs.

If you want the background on credit checks and why they appear in some applications/products, see:

• Do banks run credit checks for business bank accounts?
• Does turnover or profitability matter?

Some app-based providers use subscription-style plans (monthly tiers) while others charge per transfer or per feature. The label “business account” doesn’t guarantee the same charging model as a high-street bank; the best comparison point is always the published fee schedule for that product.

Also, “business account” doesn’t always mean “bank”. Some providers are payment/e-money firms rather than deposit-taking banks; that can matter for how funds are protected. For the protection side of that topic, see:

• Is money in a business bank account protected by the FSCS?

A typical estimate is built from a few inputs: expected number of outgoing payments, cash deposits/withdrawals, cheque usage, and international/FX activity. Banks often provide tariffs with per-item pricing (like Lloyds) or publish calculators/tariff PDFs that model “monthly fee + transaction profile” (like Barclays’ approach). 

The important point is that the headline monthly fee can be a small part of the total if the business is cash-heavy or uses premium payments like CHAPS. Conversely, a higher monthly plan fee can still be cost-effective for some profiles if it reduces per-item charges – these are simply different pricing mechanics, not a value judgement.