Tide Business Account Review 2026: Fees, Plans & Features
Quick Answer
Tide is a strong business banking option for UK sole traders, freelancers and small companies that want app-based banking with invoicing, expense management and paid plans that scale as transaction volume grows.
Tide currently offers four main plans :
Free: £0/monthSmart: £12.49/monthPro: £27.49/monthMax: £69.99/month
The key difference is not just the monthly subscription.
Higher plans include more:
free bank transfers
team access
expense-card allowances
support
international-fee benefits
Our view: Tide Free is well suited to lower-activity businesses, but once you make frequent transfers or need multiple users, paid plans can become more economical than staying on Free and paying transaction fees.
Your business Tide plan to compare
New sole trader
Free
Small business with regular transfers
Smart
Growing business with high transfer volume
Pro
Business with larger team / rewards needs
Max
Business handling lots of cash
Compare cash costs carefully
Business spending internationally
Compare paid plans
Business needing branch-based support
Compare high-street alternatives
Is Tide the Right Business Account for You?
Compare Tide with Starling, Monzo and high-street business accounts based on fees, cash deposits, transfers, international payments and team features.
Compare Business Bank Accounts
Compare current UK options • No obligation
How Do We Work?
Our comparisons are researched and reviewed by the Compare Your Business Costs editorial team using provider information, official UK guidance and business buying criteria. See how Compare Your Business Costs works .
Business banking prices, features and eligibility criteria can change. We check current provider information when updating our comparisons, but always confirm the latest tariff and terms before applying.
Authored by: Ally Cox – Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist, 10+ years’ experience.
Last Updated: September 2026
Key Takeaways
Tide Free currently costs £0/month.
Tide Smart currently costs £12.49/month.
Tide Pro currently costs £27.49/month.
Tide Max currently costs £69.99/month.
Free includes 5 bank transfers per month.
Smart includes 30 transfers per month.
Pro and Max include unlimited bank transfers, subject to plan terms.
Additional transfers on lower plans are currently charged at 20p each.
Post Office cash deposits cost £2.50 up to £500.
Post Office cash deposits above £500 cost 0.99% on Free and 0.5% on paid plans.
PayPoint cash deposits cost 3%.
Free-plan foreign-currency card transactions currently carry a 2.75% FX fee.
Smart, Pro and Max currently remove that Tide FX fee on card spending in foreign currencies.
Team Expense Cards cost £5 per seat, with some free seats included on paid plans.
Tide Business Account Plans & Pricing
Free Smart Pro Max
Monthly fee
£0
£12.49
£27.49
£69.99
Bank transfers
5/month
30/month
Unlimited*
Unlimited*
Enhanced team access
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Phone support
No
Yes
Yes
Dedicated support
Foreign-currency card FX fee
2.75%
0%
0%
0%
Best for
Low activity
Growing small businesses
Higher transfer volume
Larger / scaling SMEs
*Subject to Tide’s current fair-use and plan terms .
Our View: Transfer Volume Is the Main Tide Buying Question The most important thing to understand about Tide is that £0/month does not mean unlimited free banking.
Tide Free currently includes 5 bank transfers per month.
After the included allowance, standard transfers currently cost 20p each.
That means a business making lots of supplier, payroll or customer-related transfers can quickly create monthly transaction costs.
Example: 100 Transfers Per Month on Tide Free If 95 transfers are chargeable 95 × £0.20 = £19/month.
That is already more than Tide Smart at £12.49/month.
Our View
If you regularly make more than a few dozen transfers, compare the paid plans rather than automatically staying on Free.
Tide Free Tide Free currently has no monthly plan fee.
It includes:
business current account
5 bank transfers per month
UK card payments
Direct Debits
cash and cheque deposits
basic invoicing and finance admin tools
Best For
new sole traders
freelancers
low-transaction businesses
side businesses
businesses mainly receiving a small number of payments
Our View
Tide Free is strongest when the business has low banking activity.
Once transfers, cash deposits or foreign spending increase, the “free” label becomes much less important.
Looking for a £0 Business Account?
Tide Free is one option, but Starling, Monzo Lite and some high-street banks also offer £0 monthly business banking.
Tide Smart Tide Smart currently costs £12.49/month.
Annual payment is also available at £99.99/year.
That is equivalent to paying for roughly eight months at the monthly price.
Smart currently includes:
30 bank transfers per month
enhanced team access
phone support
reduced cash-deposit pricing versus Free on larger Post Office deposits
no Tide FX fee on foreign-currency card spending
Our View
Smart is the first Tide plan where upgrading can be justified by usage rather than just extra features.
If transfer charges on Free are already approaching £12.49/month, the paid plan becomes much easier to justify.
Tide Pro Tide Pro currently costs £27.49/month.
Annual pricing is currently £219.99/year.
Pro currently includes:
unlimited bank transfers*
enhanced team access
phone support
more included team/expense functionality
no Tide FX fee on qualifying foreign-currency card spending
*Subject to current Tide plan terms.
Best For
growing SMEs
businesses making many monthly transfers
businesses with several team members
companies wanting fewer per-transaction fees
Our View
Pro is the plan to compare once banking activity becomes predictable and frequent.
At this point the value is turning variable banking fees into a predictable subscription.
Tide Max
Tide Max currently costs £69.99/month.
Annual pricing is currently £559.92/year.
Max currently adds:
unlimited transfers*
enhanced team access
dedicated member support
additional expense-card allowances
enhanced rewards
0.5% Tide card cashback on qualifying spending
Our View
Max is not aimed at the typical new sole trader and its value is more likely to come from:
larger team usage
higher spending
more support
rewards and included tools
Tide Cash Deposit Fees Cash can currently be deposited through:
Post Office
Current fees are:
up to £500: £2.50over £500 on Free: 0.99%over £500 on Smart, Pro or Max: 0.5%
PayPoint
Current fee 3% of the deposit.
Our View: Cash Can Make Tide Expensive A business depositing £10,000 cash per month
through the Post Office would pay approximately:
Free at 0.99%: £99paid plan at 0.5%: £50
before accounting for the plan subscription.
This is why cash-heavy businesses should not choose Tide based on the monthly plan fee alone.
Does Your Business Deposit Cash Regularly?
Compare total cash-handling costs before choosing a business account — percentage deposit fees can outweigh the monthly plan price.
Tide Expense Cards Tide Expense Cards currently cost £5 per seat per month.
Each seat includes:
1 physical card
up to 5 virtual cards
Tide allows businesses to:
set individual spending limits
freeze cards
upload receipts
categorise transactions
track spend by employee
Included Seats
Current plan allowances include:
Smart: 1 free seatPro: 2 free seatsMax: 3 free seats
Our View
This can materially change the plan comparison for businesses with employees.
If you need several expense cards, compare plan fee + included seats + additional £5 seats rather than looking only at the subscription.
Tide Team Access Paid plans currently include enhanced team access.
This allows businesses to delegate financial tasks without sharing the main login.
Current included enhanced team members:
Our View
Tide becomes considerably more compelling once:
financial admin is no longer handled by one person.
Tide Invoicing Tide includes invoicing tools designed to help businesses:
create invoices
send invoices
track payments
manage finance admin inside the platform
Our View
For freelancers and service businesses, the account should be compared against banking + invoicing + admin cost together.
A slightly higher banking fee may still be worthwhile if it removes the need for another paid tool.
Tide Accounting Integrations Tide supports integrations and data syncing with accounting software including:
Xero
QuickBooks
other supported accounting platforms
Transactions can also be:
categorised
matched to receipts
exported for accountants
Our View
Tide’s proposition is broader than a current account.
It is aimed at reducing the amount of separate finance admin small businesses have to manage.
Tide International Card Fees International costs differ significantly by plan.
Tide Free
Foreign-currency card transactions currently incur 2.75% FX fee.
Smart, Pro & Max
Tide currently does not charge that 2.75% FX fee on relevant foreign-currency card spending.
Our View
This can make paid plans worthwhile for businesses whose employees travel or spend internationally
Example: £2,000 Monthly Foreign Card Spend. On Free: £2,000 × 2.75% = £55/month.
That exceeds:
Smart’s £12.49 monthly fee
Pro’s £27.49 monthly fee
Our View
If the transactions qualify for the paid-plan FX benefit, regular international card spending can make an upgrade economically sensible very quickly.
International Bank Transfers Tide currently lists different FX and transfer charges depending on plan.
Current pricing includes examples such as:
Free: 20p transfer fee + 1.50% FX fee on relevant international transfersSmart: applicable transfer fee + 0.50% FXPro / Max: no standard transfer fee plus 0.50% FX on relevant transfers
Exact charges depend on:
currency
destination
plan
payment route
Our View
Businesses sending significant amounts abroad should calculate FX percentage × transfer volume before focusing on the monthly plan price.
Tide ATM & Card Fees Tide currently charges £1 for GBP cash withdrawals.
GBP card transactions are generally free of Tide transaction charges.
Additional:
ATM operator fees
FX fees
international charges
may apply depending on transaction and plan.
Tide Cheque Deposits Tide currently charges 90p per cheque
for members on its standard pricing structure.
This includes Tide’s standard payment fee.
Our View
This will be irrelevant to many digital businesses, but businesses that still receive substantial cheque payments should include it in their annual cost comparison.
Tide Business Current Account & FSCS Protection Tide itself is not simply one banking entity in the same way as a traditional high-street bank brand.
Depending on the account arrangement, banking services may be provided through Tide’s banking partners.
Eligible deposits held with a UK-authorised bank can receive FSCS protection up to:
£120,000 per eligible depositor, per authorised firm.
Our View
Always check the exact banking provider and FSCS arrangement shown for your Tide account.
This matters particularly if your business holds substantial balances across multiple financial brands.
Who Can Open a Tide Business Account? Tide primarily targets:
sole traders
freelancers
limited companies
small and growing businesses
Applications remain subject to:
identity checks
business checks
eligibility criteria
supported industries and activities
Tide Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
£0 Free plan
Free includes only 5 transfers/month
Multiple plans as business grows
Transfer fees can add up on Free
Built-in invoicing and admin tools
Cash deposits can be expensive
Expense cards and team features
PayPoint deposits cost 3%
Paid plans remove some FX charges
Free foreign-card spending has 2.75% FX fee
Pro/Max include unlimited transfers*
No traditional branch network
Accounting integrations
Plan structure is more complex than a simple £0 account
Scales from freelancer to growing SME
Higher plans become relatively expensive
*Subject to plan terms.
Tide Looks Competitive – But Is It Cheapest for Your Usage?
Compare Tide with Monzo, Starling and high-street banks based on transfers, cash deposits, international spending and team access.
Tide vs Monzo Business Both offer:
£0 entry plans
app-first business banking
invoicing/admin tools
paid plans for more functionality
But the fee models are different.
Tide Transfer volume plays a bigger role in total cost.
Monzo Paid plans are more focused around:
accounting
tax
team controls
Our View
Tide is particularly worth comparing if transaction volume and team banking are the main concern.
Monzo may be more attractive where tax and bookkeeping features are the main reason for upgrading.
Tide vs Starling Starling’s standard business account currently has £0 monthly fee and £0 UK transfer fees.
Tide Free has £0 monthly fee but a limited free transfer allowance.
Our View
That makes transfer volume particularly important in this comparison.
Tide can still win where:
its admin tools
paid-plan features
expense management
matter more to the business.
Tide vs HSBC HSBC’s Small Business Banking Account currently has £0 monthly account fee
with free standard domestic digital transactions.
Tide’s advantage is more likely to come from:
app-first finance admin
expense management
subscription tiers
integrated business tools
HSBC deserves comparison where:
broader commercial banking
cash handling
international banking
major-bank relationship
matter.
See our HSBC Business Banking review .
Tide vs Lloyds
Lloyds currently offers eligible start-ups a 12-month period without an account fee before standard charges apply.
Tide provides a permanently free entry plan but applies usage charges.
Our View
Compare year-two costs, transaction volume and lending needs rather than just the introductory account fee.
See our Lloyds Business Banking review .
Who Is Tide Best For? Strong Fit
sole traders
freelancers
small limited companies
digital service businesses
growing teams
businesses wanting integrated finance admin
Smart Is Particularly Relevant For
businesses exceeding Free’s transfer allowance
businesses wanting phone support
businesses with first team-access needs
Pro Is Particularly Relevant For
higher transfer volumes
growing SMEs
multiple team users
businesses wanting fewer variable transaction charges
Max Is Particularly Relevant For
larger small businesses
businesses needing more support
businesses making significant qualifying card spend
teams using several expense cards
Who Should Compare Alternatives? Tide could be less suitable if:
you deposit large amounts of cash frequently
you want branch banking
you make very few transactions and do not need admin tools
you need complex treasury services
your international banking requirements are substantial
you require a deep traditional commercial-banking relationship
Common Tide Buying Mistakes
assuming Free means all transactions are free
ignoring the five-transfer allowance
not calculating cash-deposit charges
using PayPoint frequently without checking the 3% fee
ignoring foreign-spend charges on Free
paying for Max without using its team/reward benefits
ignoring included Expense Card seats
comparing monthly plan fees without modelling actual usage
What to Check Before Choosing Tide
How many transfers do you make each month?
How much cash do you deposit?
Do you use PayPoint or Post Office deposits?
Do employees need Expense Cards?
How many team members need access?
Do you spend internationally?
Do you send international transfers?
Do you need phone support?
Would Pro’s unlimited transfers save money?
Do you need branch access?
Do you need commercial borrowing or treasury services?
Is another £0 account cheaper for your activity?
Our Verdict: Is Tide Business Worth It? Tide is a strong business banking option for UK sole traders and SMEs, particularly where invoicing, expense management and scalable plan features are important.
Its biggest strengths are:
£0 entry plan
clear upgrade path
business admin tools
expense cards
team access
accounting integrations
unlimited transfers on higher plans
reduced international card costs on paid plans
Its main weaknesses are:
Free has a limited transfer allowance
cash deposit charges can be high
PayPoint deposits cost 3%
foreign-currency card spending costs more on Free
higher plans can become expensive if you do not use their added features
Our view by business type:
New sole trader: compare FreeLow-transaction freelancer: strong Free candidateGrowing small business: compare SmartTransfer-heavy SME: compare ProLarger small team: compare Pro vs MaxCash-heavy retailer: compare alternatives carefullyInternational spender: compare paid plansBranch-dependent business: compare high-street banks
The real Tide decision is not “Free or paid?” It is whether your transfer volume, cash usage, team needs and international activity justify moving up the plan ladder.
Compare Tide With Other UK Business Accounts
Compare business banking based on:
monthly fees
bank transfers
cash deposits
international charges
expense cards
team access
accounting tools
Compare Business Bank Accounts
Compare current UK options • No obligation
Frequently Asked Questions How much does Tide Business cost?
Tide Free currently costs £0/month, Smart costs £12.49/month, Pro costs £27.49/month and Max costs £69.99/month.
Is Tide Business free?
Tide Free has no monthly plan fee, but transaction charges can still apply, including charges for transfers above the included allowance and cash deposits.
How many free transfers does Tide Free include?
Tide Free currently includes five bank transfers per month.
How much does Tide charge for extra transfers?
Standard transfers above the included allowance are currently charged at 20p each on relevant plans.
How many transfers does Tide Smart include?
Tide Smart currently includes 30 bank transfers per month.
Does Tide Pro have unlimited transfers?
Yes. Tide currently lists unlimited transfers on Pro, subject to the plan’s current terms.
How much does it cost to deposit cash with Tide?
Post Office deposits up to £500 currently cost £2.50. Deposits above £500 cost 0.99% on Free and 0.5% on paid plans. PayPoint deposits currently cost 3%.
Can I deposit cash at the Post Office with Tide?
Yes. Tide supports Post Office cash deposits, subject to its current limits and fees.
Does Tide charge for international card spending?
Tide Free currently charges a 2.75% FX fee on relevant foreign-currency card transactions. Smart, Pro and Max currently remove that Tide fee.
Does Tide include expense cards?
Tide offers Expense Cards at £5 per seat per month, with some free seats included on Smart, Pro and Max.
Does Tide integrate with accounting software?
Yes. Tide supports accounting integrations including Xero and QuickBooks, along with transaction categorisation and finance-admin tools.
Does Tide offer invoicing?
Yes. Tide includes invoicing functionality designed to help businesses create and manage invoices.
Is Tide good for sole traders?
Yes. Tide Free can suit sole traders with lower transaction volumes, while paid plans become more relevant as transfers, team requirements and international use increase.
Is Tide good for limited companies?
Yes. Tide supports eligible limited companies and offers paid plans with team, expense and transaction features suited to growing businesses.
Is Tide good for cash businesses?
It can be, but businesses depositing significant cash should calculate the Post Office and PayPoint charges carefully before choosing Tide.
Is Tide cheaper than Monzo?
It depends on usage. Tide Free and Monzo Lite both have £0 monthly plans, but their transfer, cash, international and paid-plan structures differ.
Is Tide cheaper than Starling?
Not necessarily. Starling currently offers £0 monthly business banking with free UK transfers, while Tide Free has a limited free transfer allowance. Tide may still offer better value where its finance-admin and team features are useful.
What are the main alternatives to Tide?
Alternatives include Monzo Business, Starling Business, HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, RBS, Santander and other UK business banking providers.
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Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
