Tide explained: business account plans, fees and how your money is protected

Tide is a UK business account app for sole traders and limited companies, with a free Lite plan and paid plans from £12.49 a month. Tide itself is not a bank: new current and savings accounts are provided by ClearBank, a UK bank, so eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.

Who can open a Tide account

According to Tide's business account page, you need to:

• be over 18;
• run a UK-based business, as a sole trader or as a director of a limited company;
• verify your identity with valid photo ID and a selfie in the app.

Tide says there is no hard credit check and that approval can take minutes, with the physical card arriving a couple of days later. If you live outside the UK, Tide says you need a UK residential address, a UK phone number and to be a director of a company registered with Companies House, and extra checks may apply.

The four plans

Tide has one free plan and three paid plans. Tide states that it does not charge VAT on paid plans, and each paid plan comes with a one-month free trial.

Max also adds 0.5% cashback on eligible card purchases, payroll software and longer phone support hours. Subscription fees are collected on the 1st of each month; if you downgrade, the change takes effect at the start of the following month.

The main fees

Tide's fee page says there is no monthly or annual fee to hold a Tide current account. These are the usage fees it lists:

Fees for Faster Payments, CHAPS received, Direct Debits sent and BACS received are not taken one by one: Tide adds them up and collects the total on the 2nd of the following month.

Spending abroad

On the free plan, Tide charges 2.75% on card payments and ATM withdrawals in a foreign currency, and on payments in pounds made outside the UK. Smart, Pro and Max do not pay this fee. The £1 cash withdrawal fee is listed separately. If you travel for work several times a year, this difference is often the main reason to look at a paid plan.

Euro and international payments

You get one set of euro (SEPA) details, linked to your main Tide account. Euro payments in and out cost:

Receiving a payment in pounds over SWIFT costs £10, £7.50, £5 or £3 depending on the plan. Tide says euro payments sent after 1:50pm GMT on a working day, or on a non-working day, arrive the next working day. If you are paid regularly by clients in the euro area, compare these markups with a multi-currency account before you choose.

Is your money protected?

This is the question many people ask about Tide, and the answer depends on which account you hold.

• Tide Platform Limited runs the app and website. It is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (FRN 900843).
• New sign-ups get a ClearBank account. ClearBank Ltd (FRN 754568) is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA. Eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 per depositor, across all accounts with ClearBank. If you also hold money at another brand whose accounts are provided by ClearBank, it counts towards the same limit.
• Some older members hold e-money accounts (sort code 23-69-72) provided by PrePay Technologies Limited (FRN 900010). For these, Tide says an amount equal to your balance is kept in a separate safeguarding account. Safeguarding is not the same as FSCS protection.

If you are not sure which type you have, check your sort code or ask Tide in the app. For the general picture, read is my money safe in a neo bank?

On security, Tide says new payees and payments must be confirmed on your phone, default limits cap transaction sizes, and you can freeze a lost card in the app.

Savings with the Instant Saver

Tide's Instant Saver pays a variable rate that depends on your plan. When we checked, Tide's pricing page listed:

The pricing page also advertises a higher introductory rate for new savers for the first months. Tide's own pages show slightly different figures for it, so check the summary box in the app before you open one. Money in the Instant Saver is held with ClearBank, so it shares the same £120,000 FSCS limit as your current account.

Who Tide suits

Tide is worth considering if you run a UK sole trader business or limited company and want an app-based account with invoicing, expense cards and accounting integrations. The free plan works for businesses with few transfers that rarely spend abroad; paid plans make more sense with frequent transfers, card spending abroad or a team. It is not an option for businesses based outside the UK; in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, see online business accounts for freelancers and small businesses, which also covers Qonto.

See Tide's full profile, read about other UK options in UK neo banks compared, or use the comparison table for the UK.

Sources

• Tide: Plans and pricing
• Tide: Business bank account
• Tide: Paid plans
• Tide: Smart plan
• Tide: How much does Tide cost?
• Tide: Your available payments and how to make them
• Tide: How to send and receive euros with SEPA
• Tide: Safety and security
• FCA: Financial Services Register

Prices and features checked on 31 October 2026.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees, features and availability change, so check the provider's own website before you apply. Read how we compare providers and our affiliate disclosure.