Established in 1968, NatWest is one of the nation’s biggest banks, with 960 branches across the UK. The bank has been part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group since 2000. As well as personal current accounts and banking services, NatWest offers business bank accounts and borrowing for small, medium, and large businesses.
NatWest Business Banking Services
Current account
NatWest has three main current accounts – one for businesses in their first 12 months, one for older businesses, and one for not-for-profit community enterprises. They all include 24/7 online banking on desktop and through the NatWest app. Accounts cost a minimum monthly payment of £5 per account.
Savings account
There are easy access, notice access, and fixed term savings accounts available for businesses. Advertised interest rates vary from 0.2-0.85%, and can be even higher, depending on the account you choose and how long you put your money away for. Just like your current account, you can manage transfers and withdrawals online and on the NatWest app.
Overdrafts
Business customers can apply for an arranged overdraft of £500 to £50000. You’ll pay interest only on the amount you borrow, and there’s no set minimum to pay back each month. NatWest will contact customers every 12 months to review the limit.
Business finance and loans
NatWest offers credit cards and variable and fixed rate business finance. Your business can borrow £1,000 up to £50,000 over 1-10 years. You can still raise finance if you already have an overdraft, subject to a credit search.
Reviews and ratings
Many Trustpilot and Reviews.co.uk reviewers are largely critical of NatWest (business account specific reviews were not available). Customers claim they have found it difficult to access help and guidance online, over the phone, and in-branch. Customer service is their main issue.
Business customers reviewing the bank on Smart Money People have mixed opinions. Some think NatWest offer simple, fuss-free banking, while others think communication is poor.
NatWest ranked 9th in a list of the 14 largest business current account providers for overall service quality in an independent survey.
In the same list of 14 business current account providers, NatWest also ranked 5th for online and mobile banking services, 8th for SME overdraft and loan services, 9th for relationship/account management, and 11th for service in branches.
Which? rate NatWest 4/5 for communication, and 3/5 for customer service, application process, transparency of charges, and complaint handling. NatWest is scored just 2/5 for service in-branch.
NatWest suffered through some technical problems in August 2019. Online banking went down for 2 days, affecting both business and personal customers.
Trustpilot 1.5/5 (based on 1,476 reviews)
Reviews.co.uk 1.75/5 (based on 183 reviews)
Smart Money People 3.24/5 (based on 49 reviews)
Which? 70% Which? Customer Score
Pros
- Free banking for 18 months for new businesses and startups.
- Easily manage your account 24/7 on the app and on desktop.
- Several current account and savings account options available for different business types and sizes.
- Low monthly account fee (even for larger businesses).
Cons
- Problems with online banking have caused problems for customers.
- Poor in-branch service according to independent ratings.
- Reviewers are frequently frustrated with account management over the phone and on the app.
- Average scores from Which?
Website: NatWest Business Banking