Mettle business bank account review UK

Mettle is great option for UK freelancers and small limited companies looking to open a business bank account, without the fees that accompany traditional business bank accounts. In this article, we share an overview of the Mettle account, including its features and pricing.

Mettle UK - quick overview

Mettle is a free business bank account, built by NatWest, to serve sole proprietors and small limited liability companies with no more than two owners¹. They also introduced Mettle+ for more advanced business banking features.

NatWest wanted to do more to help underserved SMEs², so they built Mettle, a neobank, to provide a free business bank account for growing freelancers and businesses to meet up with changing customer expectations of digital and mobile banking services.

Mettle offers tools like invoicing, tax and bookkeeping, and businesses get Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) coverage too.

Mettle key features

Mettle includes Mettle Pots, customisable invoice templates, a tax calculator supported by FreeAgent and conditional access to a free FreeAgent account.

Mettle Pots¹¹

Mettle business bank accounts let you create Savings and Regular Pots to store up money in different sub-accounts.

• Savings Pot: Mettle’s Savings Pots lets you earn interest on savings at 0.95% Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) / 0.95% Gross per annum (variable)¹¹ (correct as of 14-08-2026). The interest rate fluctuates depending on shifts in the savings market. This interest is calculated daily and paid monthly on funds as low as £10 but is only available for Savings Pots. Mettle allows users to save up to £1 million in their savings pots, but they can have only one savings pot.
• Regular Pot: You can set aside up to £100,000 across multiple Mettle Regular Pots. Though these attract no interest, you can save for important lump sum financial obligations like taxes, insurance and payroll with up to 30 different Regular Pots. You can automatically transfer a set percentage of your earnings at scheduled times till it reaches your savings goals.

Customisable invoice templates

Mettle lets you track receivables, match incoming payments to invoices and reconcile payments to invoices.¹²

Tax payment solutions

The UK Government’s Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment rules requires self-employed individuals and landlords with business or property above £50,000 to maintain digital records and send quarterly reports to the HMRC from April 2026, with thresholds lowering to £30,000 by April 2027.⁸

Mettle’s tax-friendly features may help you to:

• Access FreeAgent, an MTD-compatible accounting app.¹⁴
• Save images of receipts within the app.¹⁵
• Keep tabs on tax timelines.¹³
• Record how much tax you may owe using FreeAgent.¹³
• Group revenue and expenses and estimate your tax position.¹⁵
• Schedule and save towards tax payments.¹⁵

You’ll need to link your Mettle account to FreeAgent for the tax calculations and timelines.¹⁵

Disclaimer: Decisions related to tax should be made after thorough research, consultation and verification from a qualified financial and legal advisor.

Conditional free FreeAgent access

If you carry out at least one transaction monthly, you may be able to use FreeAgent without an additional charge, this could save you up to £150 compared to FreeAgent annual billing. Fees may apply if you close your Mettle account or do not transact monthly.¹⁴

Corporate debit card

Mettle offers a debit card that supports cash withdrawals across many countries. Payment limits, delivery times and overseas use should be checked with Mettle before applying.⁷

FSCS protection

Mettle’s current first-party information says eligible funds are protected up to £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.¹

Mettle+

Mettle+ is an optional paid add-on that enables users to create quotes and convert them to invoices with tailored messaging templates. It costs £4 monthly according to Mettle’s current product information.¹⁶

Mettle account limits

Mettle has a balance limit up to £1 million.⁹ For outgoing transactions, there is a limit of £10,000 per transaction, however this is not a daily limit as you can make multiple Faster Payment transfers per day.

There are other limits for card transactions and cash deposits in which you can find more information on Mettle's limit FAQ page.

Mettle fees

Mettle business accounts are free to set up and have no transaction or monthly fees. Optional add-ons, such as Mettle+, which automatically converts quotes to invoices for £4 monthly.¹⁶

There are some small fees for different business banking services such as: cash deposits (via post office) at £2.75 oer deposit, cash wihtdrawal (£1 per transaction), and a replacement card (if lost or damaged) is £5 but free if stolen.²³

Mettle customer service

You can contact Mettle’s customer service using in-app chat, by phone (0800 069 8380) or by email (support@mettle.co.uk). Support details can change, so check Mettle’s current contact page before using them.²⁰

At the time of writing Mettle has a Trustpilot score of 4.6. Customer reviews include many positive comments about the app, support, practical features and affordability, alongside complaints about blocked accounts, delayed payment processing and customer-service responses.³

Mettle is a great option for UK sole proprietorships and small limited liability companies, especially the ability to consolidate accounting and banking all in one platform.

To understand which option is right for you and your business, it's best to shop around and compare providers so you can make an informed decision.

FAQs - Mettle business banking review

How long does a Mettle transfer take?

Processing time varies by payment type. For transfers sent by Mettle, the payment method is always Faster Payments.²¹ Faster Payments usually arrive in seconds or a few minutes, and no more than 24 hours depending on security checks. Mettle does not support BACS or CHAPS.

Is Mettle safe?

Mettle is provided by NatWest. Eligible funds are currently protected up to £120,000 by the FSCS, subject to the scheme’s rules and the type of funds held.¹

Mettle business criteria: "Who is eligible"?

• Sole traders and limited companies with up to two owners. Only one owner can open or access the account.¹
• The business must be registered and trading in the UK.
• Owners must meet Mettle’s UK tax-residency requirements and not be US persons.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• You need a UK mobile phone number and a compatible iOS or Android device.
• Account balance limits apply.
• The business must not operate in restricted industries.
• Partnerships, charities, CICs, LLPs, PLCs and trusts are not eligible under the current criteria.⁹

Eligibility can change and approval is subject to Mettle’s checks. Check the current Mettle eligibility criteria before applying.

Sources used in this article:

1. Mettle - Mettle by NatWest
2. Commercial Payments International - Mettle business account background
3. Trustpilot - Mettle customer reviews
4. Mettle - can you make an international payment?
5. Mettle - can you use a Mettle card abroad?
6. NatWest - Mettle Mobile account
7. Mettle - fee information document
8. GOV.UK - MTD guidance
9. Mettle - eligibility
10. Mettle - fees and charges
11. Mettle - savings pots
12. Mettle - invoicing
13. Mettle - tax features
14. Mettle - Mettle FreeAgent integration
15. Mettle - tax calculation
16. Mettle - Mettle+
17. Mettle - does Mettle provide lending?
18. Mettle - can you get a credit card?
19. Mettle - can you get an overdraft?
20. Mettle - contacting Mettle
21. Mettle - payment types
22. Mettle - international payment
22. Mettle - fee document

Sources last checked: 20-Aug-2026