Starling USD Business Account Review: Fees, Features and an Alternative

Starling Bank has GBP, USD and EUR business accounts for eligible UK business owners. The Starling USD account is designed to let you hold US dollars and send/receive USD payments via ACH - which can be handy if your customers, suppliers, or contractors are based in the US.

Read on for all you need to know in this full Starling business account review. We’ll also introduce Wise Business as a Starling Bank alternative which lets you hold, send, spend and exchange 40+ currencies all within the same account - perfect for doing business without borders.

💡Learn more about Wise Business

Key information about Starling’s USD business account

The Starling USD business account is an add-on account (in US dollars) for eligible Starling business customers. It’s mainly aimed at UK limited companies that need to hold USD and make or receive payments through the ACH network.

Important availability note: Starling currently states it’s not accepting applications for US dollar business accounts at the moment, and that they’ll be available to apply for again soon.1 If you already have access in-app, you may still be able to manage an existing account as normal.

A Starling USD account may be useful if you:

• Invoice US customers and want them to pay you using US-style bank details
• Pay US suppliers in USD (without converting every payment back and forth)
• Prefer to keep some money in USD for budgeting or cash-flow reasons

It’s less suitable if you need to send money internationally in lots of different currencies directly from the USD account. Starling states the USD business account supports ACH only for sending and receiving funds.²

Starling USD account features

Starling’s messaging around the USD account is fairly specific: it’s built around holding USD and using ACH.

Starling USD business account features: an overview^1,3

Feature	Supported?	What to know
Hold a USD balance	✅	Ability to keep money in USD in your Starling business account set-up
Receive USD payments via ACH	✅	Supports ACH for receiving funds
Send USD payments via ACH	✅	Supports ACH for sending funds
Send/receive SWIFT payments from the USD account	❌	Starling states SWIFT payments aren’t supported for the USD account
Make a Fedwire/wire transfer from the USD account	❌	High-value, same-day transactions are not supported (similar to UK CHAPS payments)
Convert USD to GBP (and vice versa)	✅	Conversion fee applies when you exchange currencies

Starling also note that all payments under $25,000 are processed same-day, offering quick payments (only for those supported by the ACH network).¹

What “ACH-only” means in practice when using the Starling USD account

ACH is a US domestic payment system. If your customer or supplier specifically needs an ACH routing number and a US account number, Starling’s USD account is designed for that use case.

But if you need other payment rails, for example SWIFT payments or wire transfers directly from the USD account - Starling says you’ll need to use the GBP business account for those types of payments.³

Starling USD account fees and pricing

To open a Starling USD account, there are some fees to be aware of when opening an account and transferring or converting payments.

Fee type	What you might pay
Monthly subscription fee	£5 per month
Currency conversion (e.g., USD<>GBP)	0.4% conversion fee (when you exchange)
Sending/receiving USD via ACH	Starling states no additional charge/fee per ACH payment

Another reminder that the account only supports ACH payments, so if you need to make a SWIFT or wire transfer, you’ll need to do this via your standard business account which may have additional fees such as intermediary bank charges and delivery fees. For example, transfers via the SWIFT network include a delivery fee of £5.50, a 0.4% markup, plus the conversion fee (at the mid-market rate).⁵

Starling USD exchange rate

Starling describes the conversion as using the mid-market exchange rate with a 0.4% conversion fee added.¹

So, the fees involved depend on the transfer type:

• If you’re sending USD from your USD balance via ACH, you’re not necessarily exchanging currency at all — so the 0.4% conversion fee may not apply.
• If you need to move money between USD and GBP (or another currency account), Starling states a 0.4% conversion fee applies to the exchange.

Weekends and exchange rates

Starling also explains that weekend conversions may use a weekend rate approach because currency markets are closed. As markets are closed between 10pm Friday until 2am Monday, in this time you'll get an exchange rate set by Starling, and an additional fixed margin of 0.5%.

This helps manage market swings while trading is paused. You’ll always see the rate in the app, so you can choose to convert right away or wait until live markets reopen early Monday (after 02:00) for potentially better rates.⁴

You can read more about Starling's multi-currency account exchange rate policies here.

Sending money to the US with Starling: USD account vs GBP account

This is where many businesses get caught out, because “sending money to the US” can mean a few different things.

If you’re paying a US supplier in USD (using ACH)

If your supplier can accept ACH payments and you already hold USD in your Starling USD account, Starling’s USD account is built for this.

• You send USD via ACH
• Starling’s product page messaging indicates no additional per-payment fee for ACH transfers from the USD account
• You avoid converting to GBP first (unless you need to)

If you need a SWIFT/wire or low-cost payment transfer

As mentioned, if you want to make a wire transfer, you do this from your GBP business account, not the USD account.

This distinction matters for costs as well, because:

• The USD account is positioned around ACH
• International payments/wires may have separate pricing and may involve delivery fees and/or correspondent bank fees, depending on the route and method. For example, a SWIFT transfer has a £5.50 delivery fee, whereas a low-cost payment has a £.30 fee plus markup and conversion fees.⁵

You can work out how much it’ll cost to make a transfer to the US from your GBP on Starling’s send money to the USA page.

💡 You may also be interested in:

Revolut vs Startling Business Account	Wise vs Starling Business Account

Alternative to Starling Bank business USD account - Discover Wise Business

If your business deals in USD and other currencies, you may want to compare Starling’s USD account to multi-currency business accounts that let you hold and manage multiple balances in one place.

One option is Wise Business (Wise is an electronic money institution, not a bank). Wise Business is designed for businesses that want to hold multiple currencies, convert between them, and send or receive international payments.

Here’s a round up of what you get from a Wise Business account:

• Available for UK business owners, sole traders and freelancers
• Open an account for a £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan) one time fee, and no ongoing charges
• Hold and exchange 40+ currencies including USD
• Send payments to 140+ countries, with both ACH and SWIFT transfers supported
• All currency exchange uses the mid-market rate with low fees from 0.33%
• Local bank account details to get paid fee free in 8+ currencies including USD
• Get linked debit and expense cards for you and your team
• Accounting integrations and batch payments with no extra fees
• Add and manage user permissions to allow team members to access your account as required

Wise Business account fees

Here’s an overview of the key services and fees for the Wise Business account:

Service	Typical fee (UK)
Registering for a Wise account	£50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan) no ongoing fees after this
Sending money / converting currency	Fee varies by currency — from 0.33%
Receive payments	Free to receive payments in 8+ currencies using local bank details including USD Free to receive USD by ACH, with a 6.16 USD fee to receive a USD wire
First card on the account	Free
Extra team member cards	One-time fee per card — 3 GBP
ATM withdrawals	2 withdrawals up to £200/month free per account; fees apply after that

If you’re comparing options, it can help to start with your must-haves (ACH vs wire/SWIFT, number of currencies you need, and whether you want to keep balances in foreign currency) and then work backwards into fees.

Open a Wise Business account

It’s easy to open a Wise Business account online or in the Wise app. Using the app is convenient and means you can get everything done right from your phone. Here’s how:

1. Download the Wise app
2. Click Open an account
3. Confirm you want to open a business account
4. Enter your personal and contact information
5. Add details of your business
6. Complete a verification step by uploading ID and address documents, and business paperwork, which varies based on business type

Sole traders and freelancers, and anyone with an eligible registered business in the UK can open a multi-currency Wise Business account. The exact information and documentation needed for verification varies based on the type of business you have - but you’ll be guided through the process by on screen prompts and can always get in touch with the Wise support team if you need extra help. Learn more about the requirements to open a Wise UK Business account here.

Get started with
Wise Business 🚀

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Starling Bank’s USD account can be helpful if you transact mainly in USD and prefer to send and receive payments via the ACH network. However there are a few important limitations, and a monthly fee of 5 GBP. If you’re looking for a more flexible multi-currency business account with no ongoing fees, check out Wise Business as an alternative.

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

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Starling USD account FAQs

Does Starling have a US dollar account?

Yes. Starling offers a US dollar business account for eligible UK businesses (limited companies). Starling currently states it’s not accepting applications for US dollar business accounts at the moment, and that they’ll be available again soon.

Can I receive USD into my Starling account?

You can receive USD into a Starling USD business account via ACH. Starling’s Help Centre states the USD business account supports ACH only for sending and receiving funds.

How much does it cost to transfer to the US with Starling USD business account?

If you’re sending USD from the Starling USD business account via ACH, there’s no additional fee per ACH payment. However, if you need to convert currency (for example, GBP to USD before sending), Starling states a 0.4% conversion fee applies when you exchange currencies.

If you need to make a SWIFT/wire transfer, Starling states you’d do this from the GBP business account, and separate fees may apply.

What is the FX markup on US transfers with a Starling USD business account?

If you exchange currencies within Starling (for example USD↔GBP), Starling states it applies a 0.4% conversion fee on top of the mid-market exchange rate. If you’re sending USD via ACH directly from your USD balance, you may not be doing any FX conversion at all.

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Sources used:

1. Starling — US dollar business account: https://www.starlingbank.com/business-account/multi-currency/usd-business-account/
2. Starling - opening an account online https://www.starlingbank.com/open-bank-account-online/
3. Starling Help Centre — ACH-only + wire from GBP: https://help.starlingbank.com/business/topics/us-dollar-accounts/which-types-of-payments-can-i-send-and-receive-to-my-business-usd-account/
4. Starling - Weekend exchange rate - https://help.starlingbank.com/business/topics/euro-payments/what-are-the-different-starling-exchange-rates/
5. Starling — Send money to the USA (used only to flag a verification gap): https://www.starlingbank.com/send-money-abroad/send-money-to-usa/

Sources checked: 23 February 2026.