Switch to us and get Xero free for 6 months

Switch to a Business Account that works as hard as you

First account with us? No account fee for a year then £10 a month

Digital banking. Real support.

Get simple, digital banking tools to run your business plus expertise from real people when you need it. With us, there's no need to pick.

Instant decision on up to £25,000 credit* to help your business grow

1Apply online once your new Business Account is set up and you’ll get an instant decision. Eligibility for lending will be assessed as part of a separate application, and there is no guarantee of lending being granted. All lending is subject to status.


 

Current Account Switch Guarantee logo

Switching to us is easy

The Current Account Switch Service makes switching current accounts from one UK bank or building society to another simple, reliable and stress-free. It is available to consumers, small businesses, charities and trusts and allows you to choose a switch date that suits you.

Already opened a Business Account with us and now ready to switch?

Switch using the Current Account Switch Service

Switch using the Current Account Switch Service

If your business has an annual turnover of under £3million, you can apply online to switch your business bank account to Bank of Scotland using the Current Account Switch Service.

Already opened a Business Account with us and now ready to switch?

Switch to us
 

Get Xero free for 6 months

Switch to a Bank of Scotland business account and unlock: 

  • a free 6-month Xero Business Edition subscription of your choice
  • a £200 Amazon gift card with most plans, after your first monthly payment (at month 7). 

You’ll get an email from Xero after your first payment, with a link to redeem your gift card.

Open a business bank account

Terms and conditions apply

Turnover of £3 million to £25 million? Let’s help you switch.

Apply for a Business Account by answering some questions online. You can use the Current Account Switch Service when we open your new Business Account.

 

Open a Business Current Account without switching

Apply today for a Business Account or Community Account. If you qualify for the Current Account Switch Service, you can use this to switch later. 

Open an account

Is this account right for my business?

You can apply for this account if: 

  • you’re at least 18 years old.
  • you’re a UK resident and have a UK mobile phone number.
  • you’re a sole trader or director of the business.
  • the business has an annual turnover of £25m or less.
  • the business is trading from an address in the UK.

If you have a limited company: 

  • it must be registered in the UK.
  • it must have been registered with Companies House for at least four days.
  • check that no changes have been made to the Companies House register in the past four days.
  • it must have an ‘active’ status on the Companies House register.

Get ready to apply

What you'll need: 

  • details about you, where you’ve lived, and your tax status
  • information about your business, including what you do, who you work with, and where you work
  • a way to take a live photo of yourself
  • your signature, and a form of ID such as a UK driving license or passport, and possibly some other documents.

Already opened a Business Account with us and now ready to switch?

Already opened a Business Account with us and now ready to switch?

If your old bank is signed up to the Current Account Switch Service, you can instruct your switch using our online form.

Switch online

Bank on-the-go 24/7 with our business banking app

Log in at a time that suits you using your secure login details. For extra security, use fingerprint and Face ID on compatible devices.

  • Check balances and transactions at the touch of a button.
  • Pay in cheques via the app up to a daily limit of £20,000.
  • Make payments of up to £250,000 per day.

 

More about the app

Borrow up to £25,000 to grow your business

You could borrow up to £25,000 across a Business Overdraft or Business Credit Card when you switch to us*. This could help you manage cash flow, grow your business and be ready for any unexpected costs.

Frequently asked questions

  • Find out more about our Business Account fees and charges. 

    Payment type

    Payment type

    Introductory offer

    No monthly account fee for 12 months if it’s your first business account with us

    Payment type

    Monthly account fee

    £10 after 12 months

    Payment type

    Electronic payments in2

    Included at no extra cost

    Payment type

    Electronic payments out2

    Included at no extra cost

    Payment type

    Cash payments (in or out)

    £0.85 for every £100 at an Immediate Deposit Machine / £1.60 for every £100 over the counter

    Payment type

    Cheques (in or out, any amount)

    £0.85 at an Immediate Deposit Machine / £1.20 over the counter

    Payment type

    Credit paid in at branch or cash machine

    £0.85

    Payment type

    Credit paid in at an Immediate Deposit Machine, Automated Deposit Machine, through the app 

    No fee

    Payment type

    BACS

    File submission: £5.50

    BACS Item: £0.15 (a set up fee may apply)

    Payment type

    CHAPS

    £30

    Payment type

    Sending and receiving money abroad 

    Payment type

    Balances below £0 (going overdrawn)

    Payment type

    Other account services

    No credit interest is payable on these accounts.

    See the full account rates and charges (PDF, 208KB) and product terms and conditions.

    Estimate with our calculator how much your business account could cost per month after the first year.

    UK Finance business account opening guide

    2Electronic payments include:

    • Direct Debits
    • Standing Orders
    • Faster Payments Debits
    • Internet/Telephone Banking Debits
    • Internet Bulk Payments
  • No, you won’t need to close your old bank account yourself. Your old bank will close your account as part of the Current Account Switch Service process. All you need to do is fill in the instruction form to authorise the closure. 

  • Making the switch to a business bank account with Bank of Scotland, or any other bank using the Current Account Switch Service, is straightforward. It’s an easy process designed to make changing banks and transferring important information stress-free. Sit back and wait until your switch date and we’ll take care of the rest.

  • We have designed the Current Account Switch Service to let you switch your current account from one bank or building society to another in a simple, reliable and stress-free way. It will only take seven working days. As your new current-account provider we offer the following guarantee.

    • The service is free to use and you can choose and agree your switch date with us.
    • We will take care of moving all your payments going out (for example, your Direct Debits and standing orders) and those coming in (for example, your salary).
    • If you have money in your old account, we will transfer it to your new account on your switch date.
    • We will arrange for payments accidentally made to your old account to be automatically redirected to your new account. We will also contact the sender and give them your new account details.
    • If there are any issues in making the switch, we will contact you before your switch date.
    • If anything goes wrong with the switch, as soon as we are told, we will refund any interest (paid or lost) and charges made on either your old or new current accounts as a result of this failure.

    Current Account Switch Guarantee (PDF, 65KB)

    Current Account Switch Guide (PDF, 71KB)

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    Current account switch guarantee
  • The Current Account Switch Service is a fast and simple way to switch your Business Account to us. It’s available for UK current accounts held with participating banks and is typically used by small businesses and charities.

    Before using the service, check it's right for you. Your business or charity must:

    • have an annual turnover below £6.5 million
    • employ fewer than 50 people.

    You’ll also need to check that your existing bank is signed up to the service. Over 50 banks and building societies take part in the Current Account Switch Service - view the full list here.  

    Got a different question? Check the Current Account Switch Service FAQ page

  • 1. About this offer

    If you open a qualifying Bank of Scotland Business Account and meet Xero’s conditions set out below, Xero are offering Bank of Scotland business customers 6 months’ free access to Xero accounting software (the “Subscription Offer”, and the opportunity to receive an Amazon gift card worth £200 (the “Gift Card Offer”)(and together referred to as the “Offer”).

    The Offer is available from 14 July 2026 and will end at 23:59 on 31 March 2027.

    2.  What is a qualifying Bank of Scotland Business Account?

    The Offer is provided by Xero if you are:

    • A UK business customer who is:
      • a new customer opening a Business Account, including where you switch an account from another bank
      • an existing customer opening a Business Account for a new business
      • opening more than one Business Account for separate new businesses, in which case the Offer will apply to each eligible new account.

    You can still open the following account types with us, but Xero’s Offer is not available for:

    • Charity and Community Accounts
    • Secondary Accounts
    • Accounts for businesses with turnover over £3m.

    3. What are Xero’s Offer conditions?

    The Offer is brought to you by Xero, not Bank of Scotland. We are simply letting you know about it because Xero wanted to make it available to our customers. If you decide to accept Xero’s Offer, you will be entering into an agreement directly with Xero, and they will ask you to accept their own terms and conditions for the products/services they provide. This is separate from any relationship you have with us, and we are not responsible for the Offer or anything arising from it.

    Full details of Xero’s offer

    These are the key conditions we think you should know about before you decide to accept Xero’s Offer:

    Eligibility Criteria
    • You must be a new customer of Xero and also open a qualifying Bank of Scotland Business Account. The Offer is limited to one Xero offer per qualifying Bank of Scotland Business Account.
    • You must be purchasing your first subscription on Xero using the link provided to you in the email you will receive when you open a qualifying Business Account. You will not be eligible for this Offer if you have previously trialled or subscribed to Xero.  This includes if you have an existing or cancelled account with Xero.  
    • You will have until 23:59 on 31 March 2027 to purchase your first subscription through Xero.
    • The Offer is not available to Accountants or bookkeepers who purchase subscriptions for their clients.
    Subscription Offer
    • The 100% fee-free discount applies to Xero's price for its Simple, Ignite, Grow, Comprehensive and Ultimate plan subscriptions only. The 100% fee-free only applies to the subscription fee based on the subscription type you have selected and does not apply to additional charges for add-ons, usage, or payment fees.  The Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other Xero plan offer and cannot be exchanged for any other Xero offer.
    • At the end of the Subscription Offer period (i.e. after the 6 month fee-free period), your subscription with Xero will be charged at Xero’s standard rates applicable at that time, for the plan you selected and will auto-renew monthly until cancelled.  You can cancel your Xero subscription through Xero (Cancel a subscription – Xero Central) but please be aware that under Xero’s current terms, you must give Xero one month’s notice to cancel, but you can do so at any time.  Cancelling your Xero subscription does not impact the availability of your Bank of Scotland Business Account(s). 
    Gift Card Offer
    • Xero have separate terms and conditions relating to the Gift Card Offer 
    • To be eligible for the gift card, you must connect your Bank of Scotland Business Account to Xero within 7 months of subscribing.  
    • You are not eligible for the £200 Amazon Gift Card if you select Xero’s Simple plan or are on the Simple Plan when the promotion ends and your first paid monthly payment is collected.
    • Eligible customers will receive an email from Xero within approximately 10 days of the first paid monthly payment being collected containing access to a link to redeem the £200 Amazon gift card. There is no cash alternative to the gift card.
    • You must redeem the gift card within 30 days from the date of receiving the redemption email. After this time, the promotional link will expire and will not be replaced.
    • Xero use a third party to provide the gift card and you may need to enter into an agreement directly with Xero’s third-party provider, and that third party provider may ask you to accept their own terms and conditions for the products/services they provide. 
    Other important information
    • Xero reserves the right to share the information you submit as part of the Offer when subscribing with Xero with Xero’s referral partners for the purposes of promotion attribution, fulfilment, and reconciliation, in accordance with Xero's privacy notice. Further details can be found here.
    • Any gift card is provided as a business account promotional incentive. The recipient is responsible for determining and accounting for any tax liability arising from receipt or use of the gift card. Neither Bank of Scotland nor Xero provides tax advice. Recipients should seek their own advice where required.

    4. What else you need to know

    Your Bank of Scotland Business Account is subject to the account terms and conditions. Fees and charges may apply and all our Business Accounts are subject to our usual eligibility checks and approval criteria when opening your new Business Account.

    Once your qualifying Business Account is open, we’ll contact you to explain how to redeem the Xero offer and provide a dedicated link that you must use to access the Offer from Xero.

    Xero’s Offer is designed for customers who open the Bank of Scotland Business Account through our online application. If something means your account ends up being opened offline after you started applying online, don't worry - you will still be eligible as long as you meet the offer conditions.

Independent service quality survey results

Business current accounts

 

Published February 2026

As part of a regulatory requirement, an independent survey was conducted to ask approximately 1,200 customers of each of the 17 largest business current account providers if they would recommend their provider to other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs*). The results represent the view of customers who took part in the survey.

Overall service quality

We asked customers how likely they would be to recommend their business current account provider to other SMEs.

*SMEs include businesses, clubs, charities and societies with an annual turnover/income of up to £25m (exclusive of VAT and other turnover-related taxes).

Ranking

Business current accounts Overall service quality survey results. Ranking 1st place Monzo 85%, 2nd place Mettle 83%, 3rd place Starling Bank 81%, 4th place Handelsbanken 75%, 5th place Tide 70%, equal 16th place Bank of Scotland 52%

View the full set of results

The requirement to publish the Financial Conduct Authority Service Quality Information for Business current accounts can be found here.

1Apply online once your new Business Account is set up and you’ll get an instant decision. Eligibility for lending will be assessed as part of a separate application, and there is no guarantee of lending being granted. All lending is subject to status.