Best Business Bank Account

[chicane]

Abbey - can't fault it. Apart from the already described tired-looking website, but hey - I don't use it to be entertained...

[moorfield]

Cater Allen also - no problems.

[castoff101]

I have had a co-op business account for a couple of years now. They have branches in most large towns and their call centre is UK based. The account can be operated on-line and the interest rate on the current account is quite good.

No problems with them so far...

[ladymuck]

I'm with Abbey, ditto the above comments, have two current accounts and a reserve account. (No2 current account to stash Hector's money so I don't spend it on sweets)

[VectraMan]

For my Plan B I recently openend an account with Lloyds, and was impressed - much less painful than using Barclays (which I am for everything else).

However Barclays' (or is it Barclay's) online banking is much better than Lloyds'.

I'd stick to one with a branch you can walk to if I were you. Did Cater Allen ever make the leap into the 21st century? Most people who like them like them because they're good on the phone, which I see as a last resort.

[oraclesmith]

FSB Co-Op Business bank account. No fees - ever. Plus you get interest on your current account. I mention this to whichever bank tries to sign me up and it always takes them by surprise.

[mashetti]

I was (actually still am in a way!) with HSBC as it was very very easy to set up as I was a personal customer. Have to say they have carp rates and it wasn't until I was moving all my money to Cater Allen that they said 'Hey, you have a bit of cash, we can give you a better rate'... too late, too many bad experiences so after my free banking period I was out of there (there were silly little charges for all sorts after free period stopped). I still have an internet only account (no fees) with them as some client's don't understand how to read my invoice and still pay the old account, not the one on the invoice!

Anyway, moved to Cater Allen, pretty painless experience, get nearly 50% better rates, service fantastic, can't complain. I used to do everything on line but now I'm in the habit of just ringing them up (2 rings and straight through to a real person who can action all sorts) and getting them to do all my payments!

[FiveTimes]

Alliance & Leicester - no problems so far.

[sidknows]

abbey doe the job for me and its free business banking for life as long as you do not require a counter service

[Ardesco]

I have a Lloyds account but it is now inactive , I just haven't got round to closing it yet. Lloyds were quite good at first but have annoyed me more and more as the years have gone by.

I used to be based in reading and they went through a phase of moving business managers to your local branch. As a result my business manager at the reading branch (5 min walk from where I was living at the time) was re-assigned and I was given a business manager at the Tilehurst branch (about a 30 min drive taking traffic into account). I have tried to talk to my business manager a couple of times since then but never been called back or heard a thing from them. I also asked for an overdraft to cover a potential shortfall for one month just in case some money didn't come through in time to pay the bills going out and they refused point blank and tried to give me a secured loan instead. They couldn't get it through their head that I didn't really need the money I was just making sure it was available in case money I was owed didn't come into the bank account in time to cover the bills I knew were going to come out.

Switched to Cater Allen and they have been a breath of fresh air. They have made one mistake and bent over backwards to rectify it and also compensated me for the mistake as well. Internet banking is just as good as Lloyds TSB and it's nice being able to call a human who speaks perfect English and knows how to deal with your queries, I'm so impressed I'm considering switching my personal account to them as well.