{"id":369057,"date":"2021-02-01T17:12:30","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T17:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=369057"},"modified":"2025-11-28T12:57:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T12:57:11","slug":"mettle-vs-starling-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/business-banking\/mettle-vs-starling-business","title":{"rendered":"Mettle vs Starling business: Which offers the best business bank account"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starling<\/a> and Mettle<\/a> offer business accounts for limited companies and sole traders. Both accounts are digital only and come with a range of benefits. Starling launched its business account in 2018 while Mettle, a brand created by NatWest, launched in 2019. But which account is the best for your business?<\/p>

Mettle vs Starling: Vital statistics<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Mettle<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Finder score<\/th>8.6<\/span><\/span>Great<\/span><\/span><\/td>9.5<\/span><\/span>Excellent<\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Customer satisfaction survey<\/th>3.8 <\/span>
\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/div><\/td>
Not yet rated<\/td><\/tr>
Free spending abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Interest when you're in credit<\/th>0%<\/td>0%<\/td><\/tr>
Branch access<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
FSCS protected<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Product image<\/th>
\"Mettle<\/td>		\"Starling<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

The Mettle and Starling business accounts are both managed digitally, as neither provider has a branch network. These accounts both come with a slick black contactless card. You can use these cards to spend money in the UK and abroad, with no transaction fees. Neither provider offers interest on your account balance when you\u2019re in credit, and only Starling allows you to apply for an overdraft, while Mettle doesn\u2019t offer them at all.<\/p>

Starling has a UK banking licence, so it\u2019s covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme<\/a> (FSCS), which protects individual customer funds up to the value of \u00a3120,000. Despite being owned by NatWest, Mettle is not a bank, but it was created with NatWest\u2019s banking licence. This means it is also part of the FSCS.<\/p>

Round 1: Account features<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Mettle<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Cash deposits<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque deposits by post<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Cheque scanning<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Freeze\/unfreeze card in the app<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Extra cards for employees<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Accountancy software integrations<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Send money abroad<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Marketplace<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

If you need to deposit cash into your Mettle account, you can pay in up to \u00a3500 a time via a Post Office or a PayPoint, although it doesn\u2019t accept cheques at all, either physically or digitally. You also can\u2019t make international transfers. Mettle does offer integrations with 3 accounting software packages: Xero, FreeAgent and QuickBooks.<\/p>

Over at Starling, you can also deposit cash into your business account at any Post Office branch, although the bank advises that it\u2019s best to check ahead if you need to deposit amounts over \u00a32,000. You can deposit cheques valued up to \u00a31,000 using the cheque imaging function in the Starling banking app. For anything over this you can send the cheques directly to Starling by Freepost. International transfers are also possible from this account, and account holders at Starling can connect to the accountancy software packages QuickBooks, Xero and FreeAgent through the Starling \u201cMarketplace\u201d. The Marketplace also offers link-ups with other Starling partners, who offer services such as insurance or pensions.<\/p>

Neither Mettle or Starling offer any additional cards that you can give to employees. <\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> Starling. It has cheque deposits and the ability to make international transfers, which are both features that Mettle is lacking.<\/p>

Round 2: Account costs<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Mettle<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Monthly account charge<\/th>Free<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for cash deposits<\/th>Free (at Post Offices or PayPoints)<\/td>0.7% or \u00a33 minimum (at Post Offices)<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for cheque deposits<\/th>Doesn't accept cheques<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for payments in or out<\/th>Free<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for direct debits<\/th>Free<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr>
Fee for sending money abroad<\/th>Can't make international transfers<\/td>Local network fee + 0.4% Starling fee<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Mettle doesn\u2019t charge a monthly fee for its business account, and it\u2019s free to deposit cash at either Post Offices or PayPoints (up to a maximum of \u00a3500 in one go). It\u2019s also free to receive or send UK payments from your account, but you can\u2019t make international transfers using Mettle.<\/p>

With the Starling business account there is also no account monthly fee, and Starling won\u2019t make charges for electronic payments (such as direct debits and standing orders), or for domestic transfers and cheque deposits. There is a 0.7% fee (with a minimum charge of \u00a33) for depositing cash at a Post Office, and a 0.4% Starling fee plus a local network charge to make an international payment direct from your account.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> A draw. Neither provider charges a monthly account fee or fees for making electronic bank payments within the UK. Mettle is free for cash deposits, which Starling is not, but Mettle doesn\u2019t accept cheques and customers can\u2019t make international transfers.<\/p>

Round 3: Spending in the UK<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Mettle<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Free card transactions<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Contactless card limit<\/th>\u00a3100<\/td>\u00a3100<\/td><\/tr>
Free ATM withdrawals<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

In the UK, it\u2019s free to make ATM withdrawals and purchases using either the Mettle or Starling card.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> A draw.<\/p>

Round 4: Using the card abroad<\/h3>
\n \n
<\/th>\"Mettle<\/a><\/td>\"Starling<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Free foreign transactions<\/th>Unlimited<\/td>Unlimited<\/td><\/tr>
Free foreign ATM withdrawals<\/th>Unlimited<\/td>Unlimited<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

If you\u2019re overseas, it\u2019s also free to make ATM withdrawals and purchases using the card that comes with both the Mettle and Starling accounts.<\/p>

Unlimited free international card use is an unusual feature for most business accounts, so it\u2019s notable to see both Mettle and Starling offering this.<\/p>

Winner:<\/strong> A draw.<\/p>

\n
\n
<\/div>\n

Having a business bank is crucial for sole traders and limited businesses, it means your finances and expenses are kept separate and it makes paying tax and your accounting easier and more straightforward. Both Starling and Mettle are solid choices if you\u2019re looking to keep costs low, but keep an eye on the small print. If you need an overdraft to fall back on, a quick turnaround time when applying, or if your company relies on international transfers, you\u2019ll need an account that provides these, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n