Who's good for easy business banking these days?

[Spoiler]

Starling working well for me currently.

[d000hg]

Thanks for the replies. I looked into Tide but was put off by a lot of negative reviews. Starling seemed interesting but seems to still not really be a proper business bank account, just an app with an account number. Both allow only one PSC as far as I understand, seemingly aimed more at people running a market stall or that sort of thing?

We figured as we expect to have employees and all that jazz, we'd just go with HSBC. Boring and no fancy apps and features, but we already have personal accounts with them and I have a business account too. Might speed the process up somewhat.
I'm assuming I can add this to my existing HSBC business login somehow later, so when I login I can see both companies and choose which to work on.

[SuperLooper]

Starling seemed interesting but seems to still not really be a proper business bank account, just an app with an account number. Both allow only one PSC as far as I understand, seemingly aimed more at people running a market stall or that sort of thing?

Starling is very much a proper business bank account and supports multiple-PSC companies. It has an app, and you get an account number, naturally. What else do you think it needs to make it "proper"?

It's not the right choice for you if you need to deposit cash or write cheques or any of that old-fashioned nonsense.

[d000hg]

So it will support allowing your accounts person to have read-only access, etc? I struggle to see the point of the app... is there still a proper internet banking facility or is it JUST the app?

What is the killer feature?

[SuperLooper]

So it will support allowing your accounts person to have read-only access, etc?

I'm not sure about that. It does talk directly to your accounting software (Xero or FreeAgent) so your accountant has access to all the info they need anyway.

I struggle to see the point of the app... is there still a proper internet banking facility or is it JUST the app?

It is a proper bank account. You can pay money into it, pay money out of it, set up direct debits and standing orders, hold a balance in it, check your balance, apply for an overdraft, set aside money into separate savings pots, etc. The point of the app is to allow you to do all of those things.

What do you mean by "proper internet banking facility"? If you mean a web portal, then no, not currently, but it's in the pipeline I believe. But you don't need one; you do everything through the app.

[SuperLooper]

What is the killer feature?

The killer feature is: it isn't a legacy dinosaur bank with arcane processes, pointless paperwork, hopeless customer support and general crapness.

[d000hg]

I don't think I've ever checked my business banking on my phone. If I wanted to, I can via my browser.

Maybe I'm just unfairly cynical of everything being an app these days

[d000hg]

I'm not sure about that. It does talk directly to your accounting software (Xero or FreeAgent) so your accountant has access to all the info they need anyway.

What about all the accountants who don't use those? Which is probably most of them, especially your local small accountants who are often used by small businesses.

I'm sold on FA after switching but I wouldn't like to be locked to a bank who forces me to use a certain accountancy package.

[WordIsBond]

I'd guess most local small accountants are using FA or Xero.

[WordIsBond]

I don't see, though, how Starling is forcing people to use one of those packages. You can still presumably get statements to send to your accountant.

I don't really like the app-only part of it, but am about to make the jump anyway.