Best joint business bank accounts in the UK

Managing business finances is rarely a one-person task, especially if you run a limited company with co-founders or share responsibilities with partners. That’s where a joint business bank account can help.

Whether you’re launching a start-up, running a small enterprise or overseeing a business with several directors, a joint account can make it much easier to track spending, manage cash flow and collaborate securely.

This guide breaks down how joint business accounts work, why you may (or may not) need one and how different providers compare. Plus, it’ll look at how Wise Business could help you manage your money across multiple currencies.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

Best joint business bank accounts in the UK: an overview

There are many joint business accounts in the UK but they differ in terms of cost, functionality, technology and international capability.

Here are the providers we’ll compare in detail:

• Wise Business
• Starling Bank Business Account
• Tide Business Account
• Revolut Business
• Barclays Business Account
• HSBC Business Banking

Provider	Monthly fee	Trustpilot rating	Best for
Wise Business	No monthly fee (one-off setup cost)	4.3¹	Best for multi-currency, global payments, shared access & automation
Starling Business	£0²	4.2³	Best for UK-focused businesses wanting a powerful mobile bank
Tide Business	£0 base⁴	4.2⁵	Best for fast set-up & financial admin tools
Revolut Business	Starts at £10 per month⁶	4.6⁷	Best for international businesses needing extras like cards & analytics
Barclays Business	£10⁸	3.2⁹	Best for established businesses needing branch access & lending
HSBC Business	Free for the first 12 months¹⁰	4.5¹¹	Best for traditional banking & international trade finance

What is a joint business bank account?

A joint business bank account is a specific type of account that can be opened and managed by two or more individuals within a business. This typically includes:

• Company directors
• Partners in a partnership
• Co-founders
• Senior employees (with permission).

Everyone named on the account has authority to view transactions, make payments and access business funds. But how much access each person has depends on the bank’s permission settings. Some allow full access, whereas others have the option of creating custom roles with limited permissions.

Joint business accounts work in the same way as a standard business account. The main difference is that they’re shared by multiple people. While they offer many benefits to a business, they are often used for companies that want to split financial responsibility and simplify bookkeeping without any bottlenecks.

Do I need a joint business bank account?

Not every business needs one but a joint business bank account can be useful if:

• You have more than one director or partner: A joint account provides transparency so everyone can see income, expenses and cashflow at any given time.
• You want shared responsibility: Instead of relying on one person for payments, several people can handle tasks - often boosting efficiency across the business.
• You’re scaling quickly: Growing businesses often need faster approval workflows. Joint access to an account can do this and makes day-to-day operations smoother.
• You deal with lots of suppliers: Joint bank account access can improve tracking and ensure your books are tidy, and ready for audit.
• You want accountability: Many providers allow you to assign permissions and track who made which payment. Often, you are still able to approve high-value transactions, however.

If you’re a sole trader or single director limited company with no additional decisionmakers, a joint account might not be required. But even then, some businesses prefer having one and providing access to their admin and bookkeeping teams. Ultimately, the choice is yours and comparing some of the top providers can help you to find one that best suits your needs.

💡 Read more about partnership business accounts

Benefits of a joint business bank account

Joint bank accounts are designed to make financial management between multiple people easier and clearer. Not to mention, more secure. But that’s not the only advantage of opening one.

• Greater transparency: With a shared bank account, everyone that has access can see transactions and balances. This is not only useful for financial oversight but also helps to avoid misunderstandings.
• Easier accounting: When all partners use one account, it becomes simpler to track cashflow and reconcile. Your accountant will likely thank you too.
• Reduced dependency: If one director is away, someone else can still approve payments and the business continues to run smoothly. \
• Custom roles: Most business accounts allow you to set different permissions. This includes view only, prepare payments, admin and full access.
• Faster operations: Ultimately, joint accounts can help with workflow efficiency - especially when various people need to access funds to do their job.

While individual suitability varies, a joint business bank account can be ideal for those companies that want to stay organised and reduce financial risk.

Comparing joint business accounts: the criteria

To evaluate the above providers fairly, we’ll look at them through four lenses:

1. Eligibility: Who can open an account and what documents you’ll need.
2. Features: This includes mobile banking, international payments, accounting tools and more.
3. Fees: Transfer charges, monthly fees, costs to withdraw at an ATM and foreign exchange rates.
4. Integration: Connections with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Shopify, Zapier and other business tools.

Provider-by-provider breakdown

Wise Business

Wise Business is available to limited companies, partnerships, freelancers, sole traders, non-profits and multi-director set-ups. It offers multi-user access and has various international features. This makes it well-suited for businesses that pay global contractors, receive foreign income or work across borders.

You can add multiple users and assign different roles, making it effective for safe joint account management. As well as this, users can:

• Hold and convert 40+ currencies
• Send money to 140+ countries
• Use the Wise Business debit card in 160+ countries
• Send batch payments for up to 1,000 invoices
• Integrate the platform with Xero, QuickBooks and FreeAgent
• Access expense cards and controls, Wise API for automation and various invoicing tools.

Wise Business strengths:

• Excellent for teams where several people share financial responsibilities
• Low-cost international transfers
• Powerful automation and accounting features
• No monthly subscription fees
• Ideal for companies receiving money in different currencies.

Wise Business limitations:

• No cash deposits
• No traditional overdrafts or loans
• No branch access.

*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.

Starling Bank Business

Starling is a UK digital bank known for its low fees, strong app functionality and clean interface. It offers full digital banking services for limited companies, partnerships and sole traders. Plus, multiple directors can be added.

As well as this, users can choose from physical and virtual cards and enjoy features such as accounting integration and receipt capture and categorisation - which can do wonders for overall bookkeeping.

Starling strengths:

• Free UK transfers¹²
• FSCS protection
• £0 monthly fee²
• Great for UK-focused companies
• Strong mobile experience

Starling litmiations:

• Limited international payment capability
• No multi-currency holding
• Fewer advanced features than fintechs like Wise or Revolut.

💡 See how Wise Business compares to Starling

Tide Business

Tide Business is an app-based bank account available for limited companies, sole traders, single person and multi-person set-ups. As well as team cards, users can access invoicing tools, accounting connections and features such as expense categorisation.

There’s also the capability to set spending limits. Payment terminals are available and there are tiered plans for higher transfer limits.

Tide Business strengths:

• Fast set-up
• Clear user roles for partners/directors
• Good financial admin tools
• Free plan available.⁴

Tide Business weaknesses:

• International payments are more limited
• Some features cost extra
• No branch access
• Higher tiers come with higher costs

💡 See our full Tide Business review

Revolut Business

Revolut’s Business Account offers advanced features as well as strong international capabilities. Limited companies, partnerships and registered businesses can apply and there’s the option to set-up multiple account users.

As well as standard business accounts, there is a multi-currency account with both physical and digital cards. Additional features include payroll tools, spending controls and simple integration with Xero, QuickBooks, Slack and Zapier.

Revolut strengths:

• Excellent for joint teams working across borders
• Powerful card and expense management
• Advanced treasury and analytics features
• Supports multi-currency income and payouts.

Revolut limitations:

• Free plan is more limited
• Some features require more tiers at a higher cost
• No branch access.

💡 Read our full Revolut Business review

Barclays Business

One of the UK’s largest high-street banks, Barclays offers a joint business account option. Limited companies, partnerships and charities are eligible and full ID checks are carried out for all partners and directors.

Some of the most useful features include a business debit card, overdrafts and loans, payment terminals and cash/cheque deposit. There’s also nationwide branches for in-person support.

Barclays strengths:

• Multiple accounting integrations
• Strong business support
• Excellent for companies needing lending
• Cash-handling capability
• Trusted, established institution.

Barclays limitations:

• Monthly fees apply⁸
• International payments can be costly compared to fintech providers
• Onboarding might be longer
• Could be less flexible and modern than fintechs.

💡 See more about the: Barclays Business account

HSBC Business

HSBC is another major bank offering joint business accounts. Most business structures are eligible with multi-director access. As well as standard business accounts, there are overdrafts business loans available.

Users have access to specialist relationship managers and global business support. Not to mention, accounting integration.

HSBC strengths:

• Excellent for companies trading overseas
• Wide range of traditional banking products
• Strong customer support.

HSBC limitations:

• Fees higher than digital rivals after the first year
• Onboarding can be slower.

💡 See more about the: HSBC Business account types

Choosing the right joint business account

The right joint business account for you depends on several factors. When choosing between the options, it can be beneficial to consider:

1. How many people need access? Some providers offer advanced user roles and permissions whereas traditional banks generally offer more basic access.
2. Do you operate internationally? If yes, Wise or Revolut could be ideal.
3. Do you need branch access? Barclays or HSBC may be better suited.
4. Is low cost your priority? Starling and Wise all offer low or no monthly fees.
5. Do you need accounting and automation tools? Wise, Revolut and Tide have the deepest integrations and API functions.
6. Do you need lending or credit? High-street banks still dominate here.

As well as this, it pays to consider whether you require physical or virtual cards, mobile or in-person support and whether you would benefit from overdraft and lending options.

What’s more, it may be beneficial to consult with other potential users so that all needs are met before opening an account.

How Wise Business fits joint account users

For teams sharing financial responsibilities, Wise Business offers joint account functionality. Plus, you can:

• Hold and exchange currencies transparently
• Send payments overseas easily to countries
• Get local account details in 8+ currencies (only with Wise Business Advanced)
• Access cards for your team usable in countries

You can open an account with ease, for £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan).

Whenever you need to send, spend or exchange foreign currencies, you’ll benefit from the mid-market exchange rate, with low and transparent fees.

That’s not all either, as when you open a Wise Business account, you’ll benefit from all of these useful features:

• No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements
• Multi-user access for team members, with ways to control and manage permissions
• Pay up to 1,000 people at once with the Wise Batch Payments feature
• Integrate with your favourite cloud accounting solutions and use the Wise API for automation and streamlining workflow
• Wise Interest to help funds work harder (capital at risk, growth not guaranteed)

This makes Wise especially strong for businesses in the modern age looking to share financial responsibility, send payments abroad and make processes more efficient internally.

*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.

It’s quick and easy to open a Wise Business account, with a fully digital application, verification and on-boarding process. Check out the requirements here.

Register for Wise Business 💼

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Sources used:

1. Trustpilot - Wise
2. Starling Bank - Business Account
3. Trustpilot - Starling
4. Tide - Pricing
5. Trustpilot - Tide
6. Revolut - Business Account
7. Trustpilot - Revolut
8. Barclays - Business Account Tariff
9. Trustpilot - Barclays
10. HSBC - Business Banking Account
11. Trustpilot - HSBC
12. Starling - Business Account

Sources last checked on date: 06-Nov-2025