Best business bank accounts in Northern Ireland

Are you thinking about starting a business in Northern Ireland or already running one? You’ll want a business account that supports growth and makes your admin easier, not harder. But picking the right account for your business can feel daunting. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you decide on the features you need while maximising value for money.

While a traditional business bank account may be right for you, if you’re planning to trade internationally or even with the Republic of Ireland, you may want to consider a non-banking alternative like the Wise Business account. This lets you send and receive money in 40+ currencies with local account details, including Euros (only with Wise Business Advanced).

Get started with Wise Business ✍️

Best business bank accounts in Northern Ireland: overview

Here’s an overview of the key features of some of the best business bank accounts in Northern Ireland.

	Ulster Bank: Business Current Account	Danske Bank: Small Business Account	Bank of Ireland: Business Current Account	AIB NI: Business Current Account	Wise: Wise Business
Cost	Free transactions for the first two years¹ After that, £0.35 per automated transaction²	Two years fee free After that, £14 per month for up to 5 business accounts⁵	Free UK transfers Free automated transactions £0.80 per manual transaction £25 quarterly maintenance fee⁹	£9 per quarter £0.43 per automated transaction¹²	Open for £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan)¹⁶
International payments	£11.25 per transaction for sending money abroad £6 per transaction for receiving money from abroad £50 maintenance fee per year³	Incoming and outgoing Euro transactions are free within the qualifying area £7 per incoming foreign payment for all other currencies £20 per outgoing foreign payment for all other currencies⁶	Free Euro transactions within the EEA Free transfers to Bank of Ireland accounts £15 for all other international transactions 2.75% on foreign card payments⁹	£25 per outgoing foreign transaction £2 for incoming foreign transactions less than £100 £6 for incoming foreign transactions more than £100¹³ Free with a quarterly fee of €12.50 for the Euro account¹⁴	Send and convert money from From 0.33% per transaction (varying by currency) Receive domestic payments (non-Swift / non-wire) for free (with Wise Business Advanced)¹⁶
Integrations with accounting software	Free access to Freeagent¹	Integration with most accountancy software platforms such as Xero, Quickbooks and FreeAgent with District⁵	N/A	N/A	Integrates with most major accounting software tools¹⁷
Borrowing	A range of flexible borrowing options to help fund and grow your business¹	A range of borrowing options⁷	Business overdraft can be arranged¹⁰	N/A	N/A
Trustpilot Score	1.3⁴	4.4⁸	1.8¹¹	2.5¹⁵	4.3¹⁸

1. Ulster Bank

Ulster Bank is headquartered in Belfast and owned by NatWest. Ulster Bank has 25 branches in Northern Ireland¹⁹.

Ulster Bank offers two business bank accounts: the start up account²⁰, for businesses with a turnover of less than £1 million and trading for less than a year, and the business bank account²⁰ for businesses with a turnover above £1 million or trading for more than a year. A community account²⁰ is also available for charities, clubs, and non-profits.

It’s worth noting that while you can make international transactions, this is only possible with a business bank account, not a startup account²⁰. If you’re looking to make international transactions, this may result in a delay in opening your account²⁰.

Ulster Bank has a Trustpilot score of 1.3⁴ based on 234 reviews.

Ulster Bank features

Feature	Start up account	Business account
Cost	Free transactions for the first two years After that, £0.35 per automated transaction²¹	Free transactions for the first two years¹ After that, £0.35 per automated transaction²
International payments	£11.25 per transaction for sending money abroad £6 per transaction for receiving money from abroad £50 maintenance fee per year³	£11.25 per transaction for sending money abroad £6 per transaction for receiving money from abroad £50 maintenance fee per year³
Accounting software	Free access to Freeagent²¹	Free access to Freeagent¹
Access to support	Free access to their entrepreneur hub offers a range of free programmes and tools²¹	Access to local knowledge and expertise with support from Local Business Manager¹
Borrowing	N/A	A range of flexible borrowing options to help fund and grow your business¹
Banking access	24/7 access via the app²¹	24/7 access via the app¹

Eligibility

To apply for the startup bank account, businesses must be in their first year of trading and have a turnover of under £1 million²¹. To apply for the business bank account, you must have a turnover of over £1 million or be trading for more than a year¹.

For both accounts, you need to be:

• Over 18
• Have the right to self-employed in the UK
• Be registered as a sole trader, limited company or partnership
• Resident in the UK¹ ²¹

2. Danske Bank

Danske Bank is headquartered in Copenhagen and has been helping customers bank for over 150 years²². Danske Bank supports more than 220,000 small and medium businesses²² and is Northern Ireland’s leading business account²³.

Danske Bank offers different business accounts: small business digital; small business; large business; charity account; and community account²³. Small business accounts are for sole traders, limited companies, or partnerships with a turnover of up to £1 million²⁴ ²⁵.If you have a turnover of over £1 million²⁶, the large business account is the account for you. The charity account is designed for registered charities²⁷ while the community account is for non-profit organisations²⁸.

Danske Bank has a Trustpilot score of 4.4 from 24,000 reviews⁸.

Danske Bank features

Feature	Small Business Digital	Small Business	Large Business
Cost	Two years fee free After that, £9 per month²⁴	Two years fee free After that, £14 per month for up to 5 business accounts⁵	£7 per month²⁶
International payments	Transactions between Danske Bank accounts are free Incoming and outgoing Euro transactions are free within the qualifying area £7 per incoming foreign payment for all other currencies £20 per outgoing foreign payment for all other currencies⁶	Transactions between Danske Bank accounts are free Incoming and outgoing Euro transactions are free within the qualifying area £7 per incoming foreign payment for all other currencies £20 per outgoing foreign payment for all other currencies⁶	Transactions between Danske Bank accounts are free Incoming and outgoing Euro transactions are free within the qualifying area £7 per incoming foreign payment for all other currencies £20 per outgoing foreign payment for all other currencies⁶
Accounting software	Integration with most accountancy software platforms such as Xero, Quickbooks and FreeAgent with District²⁴	Integration with most accountancy software platforms such as Xero, Quickbooks and FreeAgent with District⁵	Integration with most accountancy software platforms such as Xero, Quickbooks and FreeAgent with District²⁶
Access to support	Access support from local business teams across Northern Ireland²⁴	Access support from local business teams across Northern Ireland⁵	Dedicated Relationship Manager to help support your business banking Support from local specialists in markets, asset finance, sustainability, trade finance, invoice finance and cash management²⁶
Borrowing	A range of borrowing options including: Business overdraft Variable rate business loan Fixed rate business loan Small business borrowing Sustainable finance Asset finance⁷	A range of borrowing options including: Business overdraft Variable rate business loan Fixed rate business loan Small business borrowing Sustainable finance Asset finance⁷	A range of borrowing options including: Business overdraft Variable rate business loan Fixed rate business loan Small business borrowing Sustainable finance Asset finance⁷
Banking access	Access to online banking platform District and our tablet and mobile apps²⁴	Ability to manage using Danske Bank branches or your local Post Office Access to online banking platform District and our tablet and mobile apps⁵	Ability to manage using Danske Bank branches or your local Post Office Access to online banking platform District and our tablet and mobile apps²⁶

Eligibility

To apply for the small business and small business digital accounts, you must have a turnover of up to £1 million²⁴ ²⁵.

To apply for the large business bank account, you must have a turnover of over £1 million²⁶.

For both accounts, you need to be:

• Over 18
• Be registered as a sole trader, limited company or partnership
• Resident in the UK²⁴ ²⁵ ²⁶

3. Bank of Ireland

The Bank of Ireland was established in 1783 and is headquartered in Dublin²⁹. The Bank of Ireland has 182 branches across the island of Ireland with 13 of them in Northern Ireland³⁰.

The Bank of Ireland offers one business bank account, their business current account¹⁰. However, they also offer a startup business package, allowing you to pay lower fees for the first two years³¹.

Euro transactions within the the European Economic Area are free⁹ so convenient if you are trading with the Republic of Ireland. However, other foreign currency transactions will have a charge attached.

The Bank of Ireland has a Trustpilot score of 1.8 from 613 reviews¹¹.

Feature	Business Current Account	Start Up Business Package
Cost	Free UK transfers Free automated transactions £0.80 per manual transaction £25 quarterly maintenance fee⁹	Two year fee deal: Year 1: A 100% discount on transaction fees Year 2: A 50% discount on transaction fees During this two year fee deal, if you lodge over £10,000 in notes per quarter, 50% of the standard fee for notes lodged is charged on the excess amount over £10,000 per quarter³¹ After the two years, all business current account fees will apply
International payments	Free Euro transactions within the EEA Free transfers to Bank of Ireland accounts £15 for all other international transactions 2.75% on foreign card payments⁹	Free Euro transactions within the EEA Free transfers to Bank of Ireland accounts £15 for all other international transactions 2.75% on foreign card payments⁹
Borrowing	Business overdraft can be arranged¹⁰	Business overdraft can be arranged but borrowing needs must be under £250,000³¹
Banking access	Online, telephone, mobile banking available Ability to bank via your local Post Office¹⁰	Online, telephone, mobile banking available Ability to bank via your local Post Office¹⁰

Eligibility

To apply for a business current account you need to:

• Be over 18
• Be registered as a sole trader, limited company or partnership
• Be based and operate in the UK
• Have a turnover of less than £6.5 million³¹

To access the small business startup package, you need to:

• Be a new business to the Bank of Ireland
• Have a turnover of be less than £2 million
• Have borrowing needs of less than £250,000
• Be trading for less than 24 months³²

4. Allied Irish Bank Northern Ireland

The Allied Irish Bank NI (AIB NI) is a division of the AIB group with its headquarters in Dublin³³. The parent company was incorporated in 1966 and began its UK operations in 1996³⁴ with seven branches currently in Northern Ireland³⁵.

AIB NI has one business current account available³⁶, a start-up business package and two different business savings accounts (select account and fixed term deposit account)³⁷.

There is also an option to open a Euro account alongside your Sterling account, avoiding any foreign exchange currency fees³⁸.

AIB NI has a Trustpilot score of 2.5 from 16 reviews¹⁵.

Allied Irish Bank NI features

Feature	Business Current Account	Business Start-Up Package	Select Account	Fixed Term Deposit Account
Cost	£9 per quarter £0.43 per automated transaction¹²	Account maintenance and daily banking transaction fees waived for 2 years³⁸ After this, standard business current account fees apply	Free⁴¹	Free⁴¹
International payments	£25 per outgoing foreign transaction £2 for incoming foreign transactions less than £100 £6 for incoming foreign transactions more than £100¹³ You can open a Euro account to receive and make electronic and cheque payments without any foreign exchange conversion costs³⁸ for a quarterly fee of €12.50¹⁴	£25 per outgoing foreign transaction £2 for incoming foreign transactions less than £100 £6 for incoming foreign transactions more than £100¹³ You can open a Euro account to receive and make electronic and cheque payments without any foreign exchange conversion costs³⁸ for a quarterly fee of €12.50¹⁴	N/A	N/A
Access to support	N/A	Guidance and support on a range of business topics, including writing a business plan and forecasting cashflow⁴⁵	N/A	N/A
Borrowing	Borrowing options available including overdrafts, loans and sustainability loans³⁹	Borrowing options available including overdrafts, loans and sustainability loans³⁹	N/A	N/A
Banking access	Access to Internet Business Banking (iBB) for £25 per business entity⁴⁰	Free access to Internet Business Banking (iBB) for the first two years⁴⁵	Instant access to savings⁴²	Minimum of £5000 deposit with a fixed interest rate for a period from seven days to five years⁴³

Eligibility

To apply for a business current account you need to:

• Be registered as a sole trader, limited company or partnership⁴⁴

To access the small business startup package, you need to:

• Be registered as a sole trader, limited company or partnership
• Be trading for less than three years
• Be opening a AIB (NI) Business Current Account for the first time⁴⁵

To open a fixed rate savings account you need to:

• Deposit a minimum of £5000⁴³

5. Wise Business

Wise is an electronic money services provider rather than a bank account but offers features similar to a bank account⁴⁶. It was launched in 2011 and is trusted by over 700,000 businesses, moving and spending over £12 billion each month⁴⁷.

Wise offers one business account, Wise Business.

Wise is not a bank account, it is a multi-currency account, allowing customers to send and receive money as if you were a local business, reducing currency fees. This is particularly useful if you’re trading with the Republic of Ireland and therefore working in at least two currencies.

Wise has a Trustpilot score of 4.3 from over 275,000 reviews¹⁸.

Wise Business features

Feature	Wise Business
Cost	Open an account for £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan)¹⁶
International payments	Send money from 0.33% per transaction (varying by currency) Convert currencies from 0.33% per transaction (varying by currency) Receive domestic payments (non-Swift / non-wire) for free¹⁶
Accounting software	Integrates with most major accounting software tools¹⁷
Customer support	24/7 access via the app and 24/7 support from the Wise team⁴⁷

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

Eligibility

To apply for a Wise Business account you will need to provide some documents so that Wise can verify your business, such as proof of a UK address⁴⁷.

If you’re starting a business or looking for a new business account in Northern Ireland, there are many different factors to consider. However, if you’re planning on trading in multiple currencies, Wise Business could be a good option for you. With no monthly fees and clear, transparent pricing, you won’t find any nasty surprises. With features like Jars, you’ll also be able to plan ahead for the future and save for the bills that matter most.

Register for Wise Business 💼

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Sources used:

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2. Ulster Bank, Our guide to fees
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4. Trustpilot, Ulster Bank
5. Danske Bank, Small business account
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7. Danske Bank, Business
8. Trustpilot, Danske Bank
9. Bank of Ireland, Schedule of charges for business customers, p2, 3, 6, 9
10. Bank of Ireland, Business current account
11. Trustpilot, Bank of Ireland
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14. AIB NI, Euro account charges
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25. Danske Bank, Small business
26. Danske Bank, Large business
27. Danske Bank, Charity account
28. Danske Bank, Community account
29. Bank of Ireland, About
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31. Bank of Ireland, Start-up business package
32. Bank of Ireland, Business account opening guide
33. AIB NI, Group
34. AIB NI, History
35. AIB NI, Branch locator
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37. AIB NI, Saving accounts
38. AIB NI, Euro account
39. AIB NI, Finance
40. AIB NI, Internet business banking
41. AIB NI, Business accounts guide, p20
42. AIB NI, Select account
43. AIB NI, Fixed term deposit account
44. AIB NI, Business account terms and conditions
45. AIB NI, Starting a business
46. Wise, Is Wise a bank?
47. Wise, Wise Business

Sources last checked on 01-Dec-2025