NatWest business loans review 2024

The high-street giant offers a wide range of unsecured and secured business finance products to cater to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Loans amounts from £25,001 to £10,000,000 for 3 to 300 months..

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NatWest business loans comparison

NatWest business loans

1 - 2 of 2
Name Product Finder Score Loan type Loan amounts Loan terms Turnover/trading criteria Key benefit
NatWest Fixed and Variable Rate Business Loan
Finder score
★★★★★
Fixed or variable rate loan
£25,001 to £10,000,000
3 to 300 months
No specified minimum turnover or time trading
Subject to status, business use only.
NatWest Fixed Rate Small Business Loan
Finder score
★★★★★
Fixed rate Unsecured loan
£1,000 to £50,000
12 to 84 months
No specified minimum turnover,
minimum 12 months trading
Borrow £10,000 over 5 years at a rate of 11.7% pa (fixed). Representative APR 12.35% and total payable £13,255.89 in monthly repayments of £220.93 Other amounts available at alternative rates. Rates depend on your circumstances and loan amount and may differ from the Representative APR. Subject to status, business use only.
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How does NatWest compare to other popular business loans?

Name Product Finder Score Loan type Loan amounts Loan terms Turnover/trading criteria Key benefit
Portman Finance Business Loan
Not yet rated
Fixed or variable rate Asset finance loan
£10,000 to £2,000,000
3 to 72 months
£100,000 minimum turnover,
minimum 1 year trading
Representative example: Borrow £30,000 over 3 years at a rate of 7.26% p.a. (fixed). Total payable £36,537.84 in 36 monthly repayments of £1014.94.
Funding Options Unsecured Loan
Finder score
★★★★★
Unsecured loan
£1,000 to £15,000,000
12 to 72 months
£5,000 per month minimum turnover,
minimum 6 months trading
Representative example: Borrow £50,000 over 24 months at a rate of 7.63% APR. Monthly repayment of £2,252.94 and the total amount payable is £54,070.56.
Funding Options Secured Loan
Finder score
★★★★★
Fixed rate Secured loan
£1,000 to £15,000,000
1 to 360
No specified minimum turnover or time trading
Nest Unsecured Business Loan
Finder score
★★★★★
Fixed rate Unsecured loan
£10,000 to £5,000,000
6 to 120 months
£200,000 minimum turnover,
minimum 12 months trading
Nest Invoice Financing
Finder score
★★★★★
Fixed rate Unsecured loan
£10,000 to £5,000,000
6 to 120 months
No specified minimum turnover or time trading
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NatWest business loans overview

NatWest Bank was formed in 1968 after the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. The bank was acquired by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group in March 2000 in a deal that was worth £21 billion.

The bank offers a wide range of both personal and business financial products, including a number of business loans, as we explain below.

Quick overview of NatWest business loans

Minimum trading period 12 months
Loan terms From 3 to 300 months
Loan amounts From £1,000 to £10,000,000
Minimum turnover Not specified

NatWest business loans key features

  • Loans for small and large businesses
  • Offers loans from £1,000 to £10,000,000
  • Variable and fixed rate loans

What business finance products does NatWest offer?

  • Fixed rate loans
    A fixed rate loan means you’re protected from increases in interest rates, and can budget with certainty. See NatWest’s current deals or compare fixed rate deals from multiple lenders.
  • Variable rate loans
    Variable rate deals expose you to potential increases in interest rates, but also mean you could benefit from any reductions in rates. See NatWest’s current offers or compare variable rate deals from multiple lenders.
  • Secured loans
    NatWest offers larger business loans of up to £10 million, but this will usually require you to provide an asset (such as property) as security against the cost of the loan. If you cannot keep up with your repayments, your asset will be at risk.
  • Business credit cards
    A NatWest business card can offer an ongoing, flexible line of credit plus the chance to earn cashback on business spending. Some cards also offer fee-free spending abroad. Check out NatWest’s current range or compare all business credit cards.
  • Arranged business overdraft
    With a NatWest overdraft there’s no minimum amount to be paid back every month and you only pay interest on the amount of money that you use. You could borrow up to £50,000 without security (subject to approval). Learn more about business banking.
  • Invoice financing
    NatWest invoice financing and discounting services let you unlock up to 90% of the value of unpaid invoices. Learn more about how invoice financing works or compare invoice financing deals for your business.
  • Asset financing
    NatWest’s hire purchase and operating/finance leasing plans (provided through Lombard) let you spread the cost of new vehicles or equipment for your company. Learn more about asset financing or compare deals from a range of lenders.
  • Commercial mortgages and real estate finance
    NatWest could help you spread the cost of commercial property or fund the development of residential property. Learn more about commercial mortgages or discover options suited to your business.

Pros and cons of NatWest business loans

  • Available to both existing and new customers
  • Wide range of finance products available
  • High borrowing limits
  • High street presence
  • Repayment holiday facility on certain products
  • A personal guarantee or security will usually be required
  • During any capital repayment holidays you’ll still need to keep up interest repayments
  • A product fee may apply
  • Variable rate loans could become more expensive as interest rates rise
  • The best deals are reserved for businesses with a good credit history

Am I eligible for a NatWest business loan?

You should only apply for a NatWest business loan if you’re certain you can meet the repayment terms, and you meet the following criteria:

  • UK resident for at least 3 years
  • Over 18 years old
  • A good credit rating without a history of county court judgments or bankruptcy

NatWest states that its business loans should not be used for personal purchases. They are strictly for the purpose of investing in your business.

You don’t need to be an existing customer to qualify for a NatWest business loan, although as you might expect, loans can be approved and funded more quickly for existing customers.

NatWest business loan rates

NatWest offers both fixed rate and variable rate business loans, but the rate you receive will vary based on the type and size of your loan, and your business’ financial situation. As an accredited lender under the government’s CBILS and BBLS schemes, NatWest also currently offers small business loans with fixed interest rates.

How can I apply for a NatWest loan?

If you would like to take out a NatWest business loan, you might be able to start your application via the NatWest website. You’ll need to provide certain information about your company as part of your application, as well as certain business documents.

You’ll need to provide proof of the following:

  • The personal information of all of the firm’s partners, directors, members and signatories (NatWest will also require their residential addresses for the previous 3 years).
  • You’ll also need your business details, including your firm’s Companies House Registration Number if you’re a limited company.
  • Information about all of the countries your business is registered in for tax.
  • Cash flow predictions and your annual accounts.

Note that for certain business loans, you will need to enquire online first and NatWest will then be in touch to talk through possible solutions to meet your business needs.

What can’t NatWest do?

Outside of the services NatWest has to offer to growing businesses, you may also wish to consider the following finance products:

Restaurant worker taking card payment from a customer over counter

Merchant cash advance

Get a lump sum upfront to repay in-line with volume of future sales. Compare deals and learn how business cash advances work.

Find out more

Team of staff having strategy meeting in a studio office

Business line of credit

Borrow only as much as you need, when you need it, then repay on terms that suit you. Compare a range of lenders.

Compare now

Textile studio in a small business

Compare loan rates

Compare business loans without impacting your credit score with Funding Options.
Get quotes

Customer reviews

NatWest is rated ‘Bad’ on TrustPilot with a score of 1.4 based on over 5,900 reviews (updated February 2024). Customers commented on NatWest having a poor customer service and account service.

The NatWest app has a rating of 4.8 based on over 455,000 reviews on the App store and a rating of 3.7 based on over 340,000 votes on Google Play (updated February 2024).

Customer support

To get in touch with NatWest’s customer support, you can use the ‘Cora’ chatbox either on the website or in the NatWest app. Alternatively, you can start a secure chat with NatWest via Whatsapp. You can find the link to start a Whatsapp message via the NatWest website.

Our verdict

A business loan can help you secure important funds to help your business grow. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking to expand, NatWest offers a wide range of business loans to suit different sized businesses and requirements. When comparing NatWest business loans you’ll need to consider how long you’re prepared to borrow for, how much you need to borrow, what you want to use the funds for and whether you’re happy to secure the loan against an asset. This will help you to work out what’s best for you and your business.

Frequently asked questions

Business loans ratings

★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor

Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you.

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