Last Updated on October 1, 2026
HSBC UK rewrites its business cash charges on 14 December 2026, and the same deposit can get cheaper or dearer depending on where you hand it over.
The bank’s Small Business Banking Account page sets out the new lines: the £1.50 fee per counter credit or withdrawal is removed, cash paid in or out at a branch rises from 1.5% to 2% of the value, cash at the Post Office stays at 1.5%, and withdrawals at UK cash machines, currently 25p plus 0.6%, become free. From 14 December 2026 a £500 cash deposit at an HSBC branch counter goes from £9 to £10, while the same deposit at the Post Office falls from £9 to £7.50.
The arithmetic
| Deposit | Until 13 December 2026 | From 14 December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| £200 at a branch counter | £4.50 (1.5% + £1.50) | £4.00 (2%) |
| £500 at a branch counter | £9.00 | £10.00 |
| £500 at the Post Office | £9.00 | £7.50 (1.5%, no per-credit fee) |
| £2,000 at a branch counter | £31.50 | £40.00 |
| £2,000 at the Post Office | £31.50 | £30.00 |
| £200 out of a cash machine | £1.45 (25p + 0.6%) | Free |
Who should move their routine
The change rewards the Post Office and punishes the branch counter for anything over £300. A shop banking £2,000 a week at a branch pays £442 more a year under the new lines; the same shop walking to the Post Office pays £78 less than it does today. HSBC’s charity account cash fee also rises, from 0.4% to 0.6%.
HSBC says it will contact existing business customers between now and 14 October 2026, entity by entity, and the notice of variation sits on its legal page. The current and future price lists are both published, so the new tariff can be read today.
We read HSBC’s charges alongside 17 other providers’ on the same day: the comparison is at best business bank accounts UK, and the cash-specific table at paying cash into a business account shows the same deposit costing £1 at Monzo.
Questions
What is changing in HSBC business banking charges?
From 14 December 2026, on the Small Business Banking Account: the £1.50 per-credit counter fee goes, branch cash rises from 1.5% to 2% of the value, Post Office cash stays at 1.5%, and UK cash machine withdrawals become free. HSBC’s charity account cash fee rises from 0.4% to 0.6%.
Do existing HSBC business customers need to do anything?
HSBC says it will contact existing customers directly about the changes between now and 14 October 2026, with a separate letter for each business entity. The notice of variation is on its legal page.
Who wins and who loses from the HSBC change?
Small, frequent cash deposits get cheaper because the £1.50 per-deposit fee disappears. Large branch deposits get dearer because the percentage rises to 2%. Post Office users come out ahead, and ATM users stop paying altogether.
