Last Updated on October 1, 2026
A home care agency’s bank account does one big job each month: pays every carer on time. The cost and ease of that payroll run matters more than the monthly fee.
We priced a standard year at 15 UK business accounts on 1 October 2026 for an agency with 35 carers paid monthly, local authority and private income of £40,000 a month, and no cash. For our model home care agency, a standard year of banking cost £0 at 3 of the accounts we priced, including HSBC UK Small Business Banking and Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account, and £4,446 at ANNA Free.
The accounts that suit home care agencies
- HSBC UK Small Business Banking, £0 a year. No monthly fee, free digital payments and a branch.
- Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account, £0 a year. No monthly fee and free electronic payments, with a branch bank behind it.
- Virgin Money M Account, £0 a year. No monthly fee, free electronic payments and a branch. For turnover under £1m.
Mettle is left out because only one owner can access it. Countingup is left out because we found no team access or bulk payments on its pages.
The model month
| Each month | Home care agency, 35 carers (limited company) |
|---|---|
| Payments received | 30 (£40,000 in total) |
| Transfers sent | 45 (including 35 staff payments) |
| Direct Debits | 10 |
| Debit card purchases | 30 |
| Cash paid in | None |
What a standard year cost a home care agency with 35 carers
| Account | Standard year | What drives the bill |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC UK Small Business Banking | £0 | Post Office cash 1.5% (tariff from 14 December 2026) |
| Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account | £0 | Cash £1.50 per £100 |
| Virgin Money M Account | £0 | Cash 90p per £100; turnover under £1m |
| Starling with Bulk Payments | £84 | Bulk Payments add-on £7 a month (limited companies); cash 0.7%, minimum £3 |
| Barclays Business Current Account | £102 | £8.50 a month after 12 free months; cash 60p per £100 |
| Santander Business Classic | £119.88 | £9.99 a month after 12 free months; counter cash £1.25 per £100 |
| Lloyds Business Account | £120 | £10 a month after 12 free months; counter cash £1.60 per £100 |
| Tide Free | £192 | 20p per transfer in or out after 5 a month |
| Revolut Business Basic | £204 | £10 a month, 10 transfers included, no cash |
| Tide Smart | £281.88 | £12.49 a month, 30 transfers included |
| Monzo Business Team | £300 | £25 a month Team plan (staff access, bulk payments) plus £1 per cash deposit |
| NatWest Standard Tariff | £483 | 35p per electronic item and card payment; cash 95p per £100 plus 95p a deposit |
| ANNA Free | £4,446 | E-money; 0.95% of money received above £1,000 a month |
Left out for this trade, and why:
| Account | Why it is not in the table |
|---|---|
| Mettle (NatWest) | Only one owner can access the account |
| Countingup | We found no team access or bulk payments on its pages |
What matters for home care agencies beyond the fee
Paying 35 carers
Paying staff one by one costs time, and on per-transfer plans it costs money. Starling sells Bulk Payments for limited companies at £7 a month; Monzo’s Team plan (£25 a month) includes bulk payments of up to 200 at once; ANNA puts bulk payments on its Business plan. Mettle lets only one owner into the account. On Tide Smart, 30 transfers are included a month and the rest are 20p; on NatWest’s Standard Tariff every one is 35p.
Local authority payments
Council payments often arrive weeks after the care is delivered. An overdraft or invoice finance facility can cover the gap, and that is where a high street bank earns its fee.
CQC and your trading name
Keep the name on your account the same as your CQC registration and Companies House record. This lets a payment, an invoice and the register all match.
Before you open
- Count carers and price a payroll run on each account.
- Ask about bulk payments and payment approval by two people.
- Price your own month: count a month of payments in, payments out, Direct Debits and cash, then use the fees on our best business bank accounts UK page.
- Check protection: who holds the money and whether it shares an FSCS limit. See FSCS protection on business accounts.
More for home care agencies: the home care hub and home care software and tools. Every trade we priced: business banking by trade.
For a care agency, choose the account that makes payroll quick and safe, then check the fee.
Questions
What is the best business bank account for home care agencies?
In our model of a home care agency with 35 carers, priced from published fees on 1 October 2026, 3 accounts tied for the cheapest standard year at £0, including HSBC UK Small Business Banking, Co-operative Bank Business Bank Account and Virgin Money M Account. The cheapest high street bank was HSBC UK Small Business Banking at £0. Your own mix of payments and cash decides the answer.
What bank account suits a home care agency?
In our model, accounts with no transfer fees cost little for 35 carers a month. The practical choice is between Monzo’s Team plan (£25 a month, bulk payments), Starling with its Bulk Payments add-on, or a high street bank if you need an overdraft against council payments.
