Dataset · updated monthly
Who actually holds your money
The brand on the app is often not the firm holding your deposit. This register names the legal entity behind every UK business account provider we track, its licence status, and which group brands share an FSCS limit.
| Provider | Legal entity | Licence status | Protection | Shared limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANNA Money | Authorised e-money institution | E-money, not a bank | Safeguarded | Separate savings product is held with a licensed bank and is FSCS-protected |
| Airwallex | Airwallex (UK) Limited | E-money institution, FCA ref 900876 | Safeguarded | Yield not yet live in the UK; when it launches it is a money-market fund, not a deposit |
| Allica Bank | Allica Bank Limited | UK banking licence | FSCS | Standalone licence |
| Barclays | Barclays Bank UK PLC | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared across Barclays-branded accounts |
| Co-operative Bank | The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with smile |
| HSBC | HSBC UK Bank plc | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with first direct |
| Lloyds | Lloyds Bank plc | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with Bank of Scotland and Halifax |
| Mettle | National Westminster Bank plc | UK banking licence (trading name) | FSCS | Shared with NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank |
| Monzo | Monzo Bank Limited | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with any Monzo personal account |
| NatWest | National Westminster Bank plc | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle |
| OakNorth Bank | OakNorth Bank plc | UK banking licence, FCA ref 629564 | FSCS | Standalone licence |
| Revolut Business | Revolut Bank UK Ltd / Revolut Ltd | Bank licence since 11 Mar 2026; migration phased | Depends on entity | Check in-app which entity holds your account |
| Santander | Santander UK plc | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with Cahoot |
| Starling | Starling Bank Limited | UK banking licence | FSCS | Shared with any Starling personal account |
| Tide | ClearBank Ltd (newer) / PrePay Technologies (legacy) | Tide is not a bank | Depends on entity | Sort code identifies which; ClearBank accounts are FSCS-eligible |
| Virgin Money | Clydesdale Bank plc | UK banking licence | FSCS | SHARED with Nationwide — Virgin states combined eligible deposits are covered to £120,000 |
| Wise Business | Wise Payments Limited | E-money, not a bank | Safeguarded | Wise Business Interest is a fund, not a deposit — capital at risk |
| Zempler Bank | Zempler Bank Limited | UK banking licence | FSCS | Formerly Cashplus Bank |
Verify any firm’s current status on the FCA Financial Services Register before relying on this. Entities change, and licences are granted and varied.
Why this register exists
Deposit protection is £120,000 per eligible depositor, per authorised firm — not per account and not per brand. Two facts follow that almost nobody checks.
Group brands share limits. Holding Mettle and NatWest does not give you two allowances; both sit under National Westminster Bank plc. The same applies to Lloyds and Bank of Scotland, and to HSBC and first direct.
Some providers are not banks at all. ANNA, Wise and Airwallex are electronic money institutions. Money is safeguarded in segregated accounts rather than protected by statute — genuine protection, but recovered through an administration process rather than an FSCS payout.
Two providers sit in between and are worth checking individually: Tide, where newer accounts run through ClearBank and legacy ones do not, identifiable by sort code; and Revolut, which received full UK banking authorisation on 11 March 2026 with a phased migration.
“Source: The Business Banking Expert, UK business account protection register, 2026-08-14.”
The full explainer is in FSCS or safeguarded, and our exposure checker works out what you actually have covered across firms.
Common questions
Which UK business account providers are not banks?
ANNA, Wise and Airwallex are authorised electronic money institutions rather than banks — funds are safeguarded, not FSCS-protected. Tide is not a bank either; its newer accounts are provided by ClearBank, which is. Revolut received full UK banking authorisation in March 2026 but migration was phased.
Do group brands share an FSCS limit?
Yes, and it catches people out. Protection is £120,000 per eligible depositor per authorised firm. Mettle sits under National Westminster Bank plc and shares with NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank. Lloyds shares with Bank of Scotland and Halifax. HSBC shares with first direct.
Can I reuse this data?
Yes, free to reuse with attribution to The Business Banking Expert and a link to this page. A CSV is provided.