Last Updated on October 1, 2026
If your customers pay in cash, your bank’s cash fee can cost more than every other line on the statement put together.
We read the cash deposit fees of 18 UK business account providers on 1 October 2026 and worked out what it costs to pay in £1,000. Paying £1,000 of cash into a business account cost £1 at Monzo and £16.50 at HSBC on 1 October 2026.
The quick verdict
Small, frequent deposits
Avoid minimum fees. Starling’s £3 minimum means a £100 deposit costs 3%; Zempler’s £4 minimum makes it 4%. Monzo charges £1 a deposit whatever its value, but publishes no business cash limits on its fee page, so check yours in the app.
Large deposits
The rate matters more than the minimum. At 1.5% plus £1.50 a credit, HSBC takes £76.50 from a £5,000 deposit (£75 from 14 December 2026). Barclays, at 60p per £100, takes £30.
A lot of cash every year
Read the limit first. Mettle caps cash at £23,000 a year. Starling’s eligibility page gives business current accounts £5,000 a day and £100,000 a year, and its sole trader page gives £20,000 a year. Starling also lists businesses that regularly make significant cash deposits among those it does not take.
What £1,000 of cash cost to pay in
| Account | Where | Published fee | Cost to pay in £1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monzo Business Lite | PayPoint or Post Office | £1 a deposit | £1.00 |
| Tide Smart, Pro or Max | Post Office | £2.50 per deposit up to £500; 0.5% of the whole deposit above £500 | £5.00 |
| Mettle (NatWest) | Post Office | £2.75 a deposit, £500 at a time, £500 a day, £23,000 a year | £5.50 (two deposits, two days) |
| Zempler Bank | Post Office | 0.55%, minimum £4 | £5.50 |
| Barclays | Post Office or self-service | 60p per £100 | £6.00 |
| Starling | Post Office | 0.7%, minimum £3 | £7.00 |
| Virgin Money M Account | Branch or Post Office | 90p per £100 | £9.00 |
| Tide Free | Post Office | £2.50 per deposit up to £500; 0.99% of the whole deposit above £500 | £9.90 |
| NatWest Standard Tariff | Branch or Post Office | 95p per £100 plus 95p per deposit | £10.45 |
| Santander Classic | Counter or Post Office | £1.25 per £100 (first £1,000 a month free at Santander cash machines) | £12.50 |
| Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account | Counter | £1.50 per £100 | £15.00 |
| Lloyds | Counter | £1.60 per £100 (85p at a deposit machine) | £16.00 |
| HSBC UK Small Business Banking | Branch or Post Office | £1.50 per credit plus 1.5% (per-credit fee removed 14 December 2026) | £16.50 |
| Revolut Business, Allica Bank | None | Do not accept cash | Not possible |
Over a year: a van trade and a café
Our van trade pays in £1,200 a month in four deposits; our café pays in £5,000 in eight. The full standard-year cost, including monthly fees and payment charges, is on the best business bank accounts UK page. Once cash is added, the full standard year looks like this:
| Account | Van trade, a year | Café, a year |
|---|---|---|
| Monzo Business Lite | £48 | £96 |
| Starling | £144 | £420 |
| Barclays | £188.40 | £462 |
| Virgin Money M Account | £129.60 | £540 |
| HSBC UK Small Business | £216 | £900 |
| NatWest Standard Tariff | £564.60 | £1,026.60 |
| Lloyds | £350.40 | £1,080 |
The traps
HSBC’s lines move on 14 December 2026; the detail and the £300 crossover are in our note on the change.
Minimum fees on small deposits
Starling’s £3 minimum and Zempler’s £4 minimum make small deposits expensive. Saving up for one weekly deposit cuts the cost, but holding cash on site has its own risk.
Counter or machine
Lloyds charged £1.60 per £100 over the counter and 85p at its deposit machines. Santander gave the first £1,000 a month free at its own cash machines and charged £1.25 per £100 at any counter.
Introductory offers that leave cash out
Metro Bank’s 12 months of fee-free banking for new customers excludes cash deposits and withdrawals.
Taking fewer notes
Every card payment you take is cash you do not have to carry to the Post Office. Compare the card fee with your bank’s cash fee: see payment processors compared and our SumUp review.
Multiply your bank’s cash fee by a year of takings before you choose. For a cash business, it is the biggest number on the tariff.
Questions
Which business bank account is cheapest for cash deposits?
Of the published fees we read on 1 October 2026, Monzo Business Lite was cheapest: £1 per deposit at any PayPoint or Post Office, whatever its value. Monzo does not publish business cash limits on its fee page. Paying in £1,000 cost £1 at Monzo and £16.50 at HSBC UK.
Can I pay business cash in at the Post Office?
Yes, for most UK banks. The Post Office says business customers of selected banks can pay in cash and cheques, and each bank sets its own limits. Starling and Mettle take cash only at the Post Office. Revolut Business and Allica Bank do not accept cash at all.
Does Starling charge for cash deposits?
Yes. Starling charges 0.7% of each Post Office deposit with a minimum of £3, and its eligibility page gives business current accounts a limit of £5,000 a day and £100,000 a year. Its sole trader page gives £20,000 a year, so confirm your limit in the app.
Is HSBC changing its business cash charges?
Yes. From 14 December 2026 HSBC UK removes the £1.50 per-credit counter fee on the Small Business Banking Account, keeps Post Office cash at 1.5% of the value, and raises branch cash to 2%.
