Every Business Expert provider score is based on customer review data, value for money and product features, with the weighting adjusted by category. This page sets out exactly how that works.
What the score means
- Scores appear as star ratings on provider reviews and comparison tables.
- Scores are relative to the provider’s category, not the whole market — a business loan and a business bank account are never scored against the same yardstick.
- We do not publish a score when there isn’t enough data to support one.
- Commercial relationships do not affect the score.
- Each score carries an assessed date, shown in its breakdown popover.
The data behind every score
Each provider is scored on three factors, every one of them from 0 to 5:
- Customer reviews. Trustpilot, App Store and Google Play scores, weighted by review count, so a platform with ten thousand reviews carries more influence than one with a hundred.
- Value for money. The provider’s headline fee or rate, compared against a benchmark for that product category.
- Features. The provider’s feature set, compared against the feature target we expect for that category.
Some categories rely more heavily on cost, while others need a more balanced view of features, customer sentiment and value — see the weighting table below.
Minimum data rules
We do not publish a provider score when the available data is too thin to support one. In practice:
- No usable customer-review data: no public score. Customer reviews are the one factor we always require.
- Missing a non-critical factor (for example, a provider quotes bespoke pricing that can’t be benchmarked): the remaining weights are redistributed across the factors we can measure, so the score still reflects a fair comparison rather than leaving a gap in the maths.
How the score is calculated
The headline star rating is a weighted average of the three factors. The weighting shifts by category, because the thing that matters most to a decision changes depending on what you’re buying — the rate dominates a savings or loan decision, while cards and processing balance cost, features and reviews more evenly:
| Category | Customer reviews | Value for money | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business bank accounts | 35% | 35% | 30% |
| Business credit cards | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Card processing | 40% | 35% | 25% |
| Business loans | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Business savings accounts | 30% | 40% | 30% |
| Money transfer | 35% | 40% | 25% |
| Expense cards | 35% | 30% | 35% |
How we set benchmarks
The value-for-money factor compares each provider’s headline fee or rate against a floor (the best realistic outcome, worth full marks) and a ceiling (the worst, worth minimum marks) for that category:
| Category | What we compare | Benchmark range |
|---|---|---|
| Business bank accounts | Monthly account fee | £0 (best) to £20/month (worst) |
| Business credit cards | Annual fee | £0 (best) to £150 (worst) |
| Card processing | Transaction fee | 1.5% (best) to 3.0% (worst) |
| Business loans | Annualised cost (APR-equivalent) | 5% (best) to 30%+ (worst) |
| Business savings accounts | Interest rate (AER) | 0.5% (worst) to 5.0% (best) |
| Money transfer | Transfer fee | £0 (best) to £5 (worst) |
| Expense cards | Monthly fee | £0 (best) to £50/month (worst) |
Benchmarks last reviewed 01 July 2026.
Worked example
Take a business bank account with strong customer reviews (4.5/5), a low monthly fee that scores 4.2/5 against the category benchmark, and a mid-range feature set that scores 3.5/5:
- Customer reviews: 4.5 × 35% = 1.575
- Value for money: 4.2 × 35% = 1.470
- Features: 3.5 × 30% = 1.050
- Headline score: 1.575 + 1.470 + 1.050 = 4.1 out of 5
How often scores change
Provider scores are refreshed weekly where new data is available. Each public score carries an assessed date, so readers can see when it was last checked. Scores may change when a provider’s pricing, features or review scores change; old scores are not left live once the underlying data is out of date.
Changes to the scoring model itself are logged here:
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 | Filled remaining scoring gaps and automated scoring for business loans, savings accounts and expense cards. |
| 29 June 2026 | Published the editorial score component (the star rating and its breakdown popover) on review pages. |
What does not affect the score
- Providers cannot pay for a higher score.
- Affiliate commission does not change the rating.
- Commercial relationships may affect where a provider’s call-to-action appears on the page, but not the score itself.
- Scores are calculated from the scoring model above, not negotiated with providers.
Corrections and provider feedback
If a provider’s pricing, features or product details have changed, or you think one of our figures is wrong, email research@businessexpert.co.uk with the page and the correction. We check it against public data, provider documentation or other direct evidence before changing a score — a correction request doesn’t itself change the outcome.
Limitations of our scores
- Scores are general comparisons, not personal recommendations.
- A high-scoring provider may still be the wrong fit for some businesses.
- Eligibility, credit approval, fees and product availability can change after we last checked.
- Always check the provider’s own terms before applying.
Business Expert may earn a commission when you sign up to a product through a link on this site. That arrangement doesn’t change the score above, or which provider we recommend.