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.
We checked how CASS works in practice. 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 checked CASS support across every major business bank account. The split between digital and traditional banks is the key pattern.
If you’re switching to Tide, Revolut, or Mettle, you can’t use CASS. You’ll need to update direct debits manually, notify clients of your new details, and monitor both accounts until all payments have moved across.
If you’re switching from a high-street bank to Starling or Monzo, CASS makes it painless. We’d recommend these two as the easiest switch destinations for businesses leaving traditional banks.
What Switching a Business Bank Account Costs
CASS itself is free. The banks absorb the cost. But switching has indirect costs we think you should plan for.
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. We’d recommend running 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. We’d spend 30 minutes on this rather than discovering a missed payment 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
We’d recommend switching in the first two weeks of a month, never the last week. Payroll, rent, and supplier payments cluster at month-end, you don’t 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 at the 15-month mark of an 18-month offer. That gives you time to open the new account, test it, and trigger the switch before paid pricing kicks in.
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 banks without CASS (Tide, Revolut, Mettle), 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 (but no CASS), Tide. See our full comparison for more options.
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