Signs You Should Switch Your Business Bank Account
We hear from businesses switching for the same handful of reasons. The most common: fees that have crept up since they opened, an introductory free period that quietly ended, or an account that simply doesn’t connect to their accounting software.
If you’re paying £8–£12 a month for an account you opened two years ago on a free introductory offer, you’re not getting a worse deal than when you signed up, you’re getting the deal they always intended. The free period was the hook.
The other common trigger: your business has outgrown the account. You started as a sole trader with simple needs, now you’re a limited company that needs multi-user access, invoicing, or integrations your current bank doesn’t offer.
If your accountant is exporting CSVs every month because there’s no direct bank feed, that’s costing you time and money on every VAT return. A free business bank account with a proper Xero or QuickBooks connection solves this instantly.
How CASS Moves Your Business Bank Account in 7 Days
CASS is the government-backed scheme that moves your business bank account in 7 working days. Your new bank handles the process, direct debits, standing orders, and incoming payments all transfer automatically.
The part that reassures most businesses: payments sent to your old account redirect to your new one for 13 months. Clients who haven’t updated your details yet won’t fall through the cracks.
The mechanics are simple enough. You apply to your new bank, choose a switch date, and they handle the rest. Your old account closes on the switch date. There’s no period where both accounts run simultaneously, it’s a clean cut.
One important caveat: not every business bank account supports CASS. If your target account doesn’t, you move payments manually. That takes longer and means you need to notify every client and supplier yourself.
Which Business Bank Accounts Support CASS?
We compared CASS status across every major business account against the scheme’s own participant list. The digital providers are where it varies.
| Account | CASS supported? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starling | Yes | Full CASS support for incoming and outgoing switch |
| Monzo | Yes | Full CASS support |
| HSBC | Yes | Full CASS support |
| Barclays | Yes | Full CASS support |
| NatWest / RBS | Yes | Full CASS support |
| Lloyds | Yes | Full CASS support |
| Co-operative Bank | Yes | Full CASS support |
| Tide | Yes | Full CASS support (via ClearBank) |
| Revolut | No | Revolut is on CASS for personal accounts only. Business switches are manual |
| Zempler | Yes | Full CASS support |
| Mettle | No | Manual migration required |
If you’re switching to Mettle or Revolut, you can’t use CASS. Revolut is the one that catches people out: it sits on the participant list, but for personal current accounts only.
Either way, you update direct debits yourself, tell clients your new details, and watch both accounts until every payment has moved across.
If you’re switching from a high-street bank to Starling or Monzo, CASS makes it painless. Those two are the easiest destinations for a business leaving a traditional bank.
What Switching a Business Bank Account Costs
CASS itself is free. The banks absorb the cost. The indirect costs are the ones that catch you out.
The biggest risk is a failed direct debit during the transition. If a payment to HMRC, your landlord, or a supplier bounces because details haven’t transferred yet, the consequences range from a late-payment fee to a damaged relationship.
With CASS, that risk is low; the 13-month redirect catches most misdirected payments. Without CASS, you carry the risk yourself. Run both accounts in parallel for at least a month if your new bank doesn’t support it.
The cost of not switching is higher than it looks. If you’re paying £8/month in bank fees and £10/month in Tide transaction fees you didn’t expect, that’s £216/year. Starling charges nothing.
How to Switch Your Business Bank Account Step by Step
Step 1: Open your new account first. Don’t close anything yet. Tide, Starling, and Monzo all open in minutes. Run a few test transactions to confirm everything works, bank feed, card payments, transfers.
Step 2: List every payment that touches your current account. Direct debits, standing orders, client payment details on invoices, payroll, HMRC. Miss one and it bounces. Half an hour here beats finding the gap at month-end.
Step 3: If your new bank supports CASS, request the switch. Choose a date that avoids payroll day and VAT deadlines. The bank handles the rest in 7 working days.
Step 4: If CASS isn’t available, migrate manually. Update direct debits, notify clients and suppliers of your new account details, and redirect your invoice payment instructions. Keep the old account open for at least a month.
Step 5: Connect your accounting software. Set up the bank feed to Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent on the new account before your next VAT quarter. Your accountant will thank you.
When to Time Your Business Bank Account Switch
Switch in the first two weeks of a month, never the last. Payroll, rent and supplier payments all cluster at month-end, and you do not want a transition landing on top of that.
Avoid switching in the week before a VAT return is due. Your accountant needs a clean bank feed, not a half-migrated mess.
If you’re on a high-street introductory free period, start the process about two months before it ends. On Barclays or Lloyds that means month 10 of the 12; on NatWest, month 22 of the two years.
Two months is enough to open the new account, run a few real payments through it, and trigger the switch before the tariff reverts. Barclays goes to £8.50 a month, Lloyds to £10, NatWest to its standard charges.
How We Compared Business Bank Account Switching Options
How we reviewed this
What we covered. This guide explains how this product type works for UK businesses, drawing on FCA guidance, Bank of England publications, and lender documentation. We do not draw on comparison site summaries or aggregator data.
Data sources. All claims were checked against primary sources in April 2026, including provider websites, FCA guidance, and Bank of England publications. We do not cite comparison site summaries or affiliate aggregator data.
Update cadence. We re-verify this page at least monthly, and whenever a provider changes pricing, eligibility, or terms. The verification date on the page reflects the most recent full review. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.
Business Bank Account Switching FAQs
Can you switch a business bank account online?
Yes. If both banks support CASS, the entire switch is handled online through your new bank’s app or website. You choose a switch date and they handle the rest. For providers outside CASS (Mettle, and Revolut Business), you open the new account online but migrate payments manually.
How long does a business bank account switch take?
With CASS, the switch completes in 7 working days from your chosen switch date. Without CASS, it depends on how many payments you need to move manually, typically 2–4 weeks to fully migrate and confirm all payments are landing in the right place.
Do you lose your sort code and account number when switching?
Yes. Your new bank gives you a new sort code and account number. With CASS, payments sent to your old details redirect automatically for 13 months. Without CASS, you need to update every client and supplier with your new details yourself.
Can you switch to a bank that doesn’t support CASS?
Yes, but you handle the migration yourself. Open the new account, move your direct debits manually, update invoice payment details, and notify clients and suppliers. Keep the old account open for at least a month to catch any payments you’ve missed.
Which is the best business bank account to switch to?
For the easiest switch with CASS support, Starling , zero fees and full CASS. For the best all-round free account with invoicing tools, Tide. See our full comparison for more options.
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