Traditional banks were built for everyone. Tide was built for you—sole traders, freelancers, and small limited companies that need banking to be fast, transparent, and plugged into the tools you already use. Below is a practical, no-fluff look at how Tide differs from high-street providers and why thousands of UK businesses choose it.
1) Built-for-business from day one
Traditional banks: One-size-fits-all accounts with business features added on top.
Tide: A business-first platform where the essentials—payments, invoicing, expenses, team access—live in a single, modern app. You don’t need five logins or a branch visit just to get started.
What this means for you
- Faster setup and fewer hoops to jump through.
- A dashboard designed around daily business tasks, not retail features.
- Less admin: raise invoices, categorise expenses, and export for bookkeeping without juggling spreadsheets.
2) App-first onboarding instead of paperwork
Traditional banks: Paper forms, in-branch appointments, and long approval times.
Tide: Open your business account from your phone in minutes with guided verification. You can start sending and receiving payments right after approval, and add your card to Apple Pay or Google Pay while you wait for the physical card.
What this means for you
- Get trading faster.
- No commute to a branch.
- Clear, step-by-step progress in the app (and support on hand if you need it).
3) Transparent plans and predictable costs
Traditional banks: Complex fee tables, bundles, and “introductory” offers that change later.
Tide: A simple Free plan plus paid tiers (Smart, Pro, Max) you can switch between as your needs evolve.
What this means for you
- Start on Free to validate the fit; upgrade only when it saves time or money.
- Pay for features you’ll actually use (e.g., more transfers, included accounting, premium support).
- Clear headline prices and usage charges—easy to model for your business.
4) Everyday tools baked into your account
Traditional banks: Basic current account; you source the rest.
Tide: Banking + business tools in one place.
Highlights
- Invoicing: Create, send, and track invoices with automatic payment matching.
- Expenses: Categorise transactions, capture receipts, and export clean records for tax time.
- Virtual & Expense Cards: Create virtual cards for subscriptions; issue physical Expense Cards to staff, set limits, and freeze/unfreeze instantly.
- Team Access: Invite your bookkeeper or team with role-based permissions.
- Integrations: Export CSVs or connect to accounting software to keep books tidy.
What this means for you
- Fewer separate apps, lower subscription sprawl, and less copy-paste.
- Real-time visibility on spend and cash flow.
5) Get paid—without extra hardware or headaches
Traditional banks: You’ll likely need a separate merchant account and reader.
Tide: Multiple ways to accept money right now:
- Payment Links you can drop into emails, invoices, or DMs.
- Tap to Pay on iPhone to take contactless payments directly from your phone.
- Optional POS add-ons if you want a reader later.
What this means for you
- Start taking card payments same day.
- Fewer vendors to manage and simpler reconciliation.
6) Cash handling that still works for the real world
Traditional banks: Branch counters (with limited hours).
Tide: Deposit cash at Post Office and PayPoint locations nationwide using your card and PIN.
What this means for you
- Flexible, extended hours in thousands of locations.
- Keep your all-digital setup without giving up cash deposits.
7) International and travel-friendly by design
Traditional banks: Often opaque FX and surprise fees on card spend abroad.
Tide: Clear FX policies by plan, the ability to send/receive international transfers, and simple statements for reconciling multi-currency activity.
What this means for you
- Know your costs up front when paying overseas suppliers or travelling.
- Streamlined paperwork for your accountant.
8) Savings, cash management, and smarter decisions
Traditional banks: Savings and “sweeps” often feel bolted-on or hard to configure.
Tide: Open an Instant Saver right in the app, move funds in a few taps, and track balances alongside day-to-day spend. Paired with real-time notifications and categorisation, this gives you a crisp picture of cash runway.
What this means for you
- Park tax money or working capital quickly and visibly.
- Make decisions using up-to-date numbers—not last month’s spreadsheet.
9) Support that moves at your speed
Traditional banks: Phone queues and business hours.
Tide: In-app chat that knows your account context, plus enhanced support on higher plans (including phone and priority routes).
What this means for you
- Fix issues fast, inside the app.
- Get back to customers instead of waiting on hold.
10) Security and control without the friction
Traditional banks: Solid security, sometimes clunky controls.
Tide: Instant card freeze/unfreeze, granular permissions, and payment checks—without making routine tasks a chore.
What this means for you
- Empower staff to spend within guardrails.
- Move confidently with alerts and controls at your fingertips.
Who Tide is perfect for
- Sole traders & freelancers who want a clean, low-admin setup with invoicing and expenses in one app.
- Growing limited companies that need team cards, role-based access, and predictable transfer costs.
- Retailers & service businesses that want to take payments immediately—no hardware required—and reconcile easily.
- Online brands & agencies that rely on virtual cards, subscription control, and clean exports for accountants.
Common questions (and straight answers)
“Will I miss having a branch?”
Most Tide members don’t. You can deposit cash at Post Office and PayPoint, and everything else—from payments to support—lives in the app.
“Can I keep my accountant happy?”
Yes. Tide’s categorisation, receipt capture, and exports (plus integrations) make month-end handovers painless.
“What if I need more features later?”
Upgrade plans anytime for more included transfers, premium support, included accounting, and additional perks. Downgrading is just as simple.
“How hard is it to switch?”
It’s straightforward: open your Tide account, add your pay-ins (customers, marketplaces, platforms), set up pay-outs (suppliers, salaries, subscriptions), and migrate gradually or all at once. Tide’s interface makes it easy to see what’s left to move.
A quick migration checklist
- Open your Tide account and verify your details.
- Add payment methods (Apple Pay/Google Pay), set up virtual/expense cards.
- Import contacts or templates for invoices and suppliers.
- Connect accounting and test an export.
- Redirect incoming payments (update invoices, marketplaces, payout settings).
- Move standing orders/direct debits and confirm the schedule.
- Communicate the change to clients and suppliers (include new account details on invoices and email signatures).
- Run parallel for a short period if you prefer, then close the loop.
Bottom line
Tide strips away the complexity of legacy business banking. You get a current account plus the day-to-day tools you actually use—payments, invoicing, expenses, team cards, and savings—inside one clean, mobile-first experience. Pricing is transparent, upgrades are optional, and setup takes minutes, not weeks. If you want a bank account that keeps pace with how you really work, Tide is the modern choice.