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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: 8weekly on January 05, 2017, 09:01:06 pm

Title: Nat West charges
Post by: 8weekly on January 05, 2017, 09:01:06 pm
We come off the two year free offer in March. It's going to be 35p for a bank transfer in and 70p for a cheque.  :o

At a conservative estimate £3k a year!

Santander, here we come. £7.50 a month. I was told over the phone that was unlimited cheques and electronic transfers, but I'm sure I've read otherwise so I'll investigate first.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: CleanClear on January 05, 2017, 09:37:30 pm
There was quite a lot of posts about Nat West not to long ago. They bumped their charges up massivley. I know someone who has gone over to Santander, they've got a good Rep. Plenty of positive comments about them on here too. The other option for you to consider is joining the FSB and you get free banking with the CoOp .
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Tom-01 on January 06, 2017, 07:30:35 am
We use Barclays. £6.50 per month, free on BACS transfers and £1.50 per cheque. Most cheques are from bigger management company jobs so not really a problem and now starting to charge regular customers £1.50 for cheque payments.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: martin hulstone on January 06, 2017, 08:42:58 am
Santander 7.50 a month and no other charges as long as you don't pay in more than 1000 pounds cash each month.
I too was with natwest and could not believe their price increases, I can only think they no longer wanted to bank with small businesses as my charges went from around 24 pounds a month to 85, seemed a polite way of saying look elsewhere.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: 8weekly on January 06, 2017, 10:10:57 am
Santander 7.50 a month and no other charges as long as you don't pay in more than 1000 pounds cash each month.
I too was with natwest and could not believe their price increases, I can only think they no longer wanted to bank with small businesses as my charges went from around 24 pounds a month to 85, seemed a polite way of saying look elsewhere.
That's I disagreeumption. That they no longer want businesses like ours.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Stoots on January 06, 2017, 10:51:24 am
I'm with santander at 7.50 a month and yes there doesn't seem to be any other fees involved. I only have transfers and cheques going in not much cash so dunno about cash limits
 
You should get a year or 2 free if you switch over.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: NWH on January 06, 2017, 12:15:04 pm
As I've said before if
You keep paying in cheques that are for business or start to look like business your account will be highlighted and you will get pulled up on it I've looked right into it,NatWest now charge me 60p per cheque 30p per online transactions well over £100 a month from £25 flat rate. If your paying in pennies a month I wouldn't worry but if
You've thousands going in and out every 4 weeks or so you won't get away with it,and that's coming from someone I know that's been with em over 15 years or so,to start you will get away with it but after a time your account will be flagged as not being used as a general current account more like a business hence the charges.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: 8weekly on January 06, 2017, 12:22:26 pm
As I've said before if
You keep paying in cheques that are for business or start to look like business your account will be highlighted and you will get pulled up on it I've looked right into it,NatWest now charge me 60p per cheque 30p per online transactions well over £100 a month from £25 flat rate. If your paying in pennies a month I wouldn't worry but if
You've thousands going in and out every 4 weeks or so you won't get away with it,and that's coming from someone I know that's been with em over 15 years or so,to start you will get away with it but after a time your account will be flagged as not being used as a general current account more like a business hence the charges.
I do have a business account. I had two years free banking when we went limited, but in the meantime they've whacked up the charges to the point where they are plain daft. They are obviously saying that they don't want businesses like ours.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Soupy on January 06, 2017, 12:23:46 pm
As I've said before if
You keep paying in cheques that are for business or start to look like business your account will be highlighted and you will get pulled up on it I've looked right into it,NatWest now charge me 60p per cheque 30p per online transactions well over £100 a month from £25 flat rate. If your paying in pennies a month I wouldn't worry but if
You've thousands going in and out every 4 weeks or so you won't get away with it,and that's coming from someone I know that's been with em over 15 years or so,to start you will get away with it but after a time your account will be flagged as not being used as a general current account more like a business hence the charges.

£100 monthly + 60 per cheque and 30p per online transaction is far too much, business account or otherwise. Time for you to shop around.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: NWH on January 06, 2017, 12:28:10 pm
Other banks will give you free banking for 18months then they are similar rates to NatWest,I don't want to change account numbers sort codes etc complete nightmare changing it all over. I've heard others say you don't need a business account blaa blaa if you've got a lot of transactions going through each month you won't get away with it.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Soupy on January 06, 2017, 12:30:57 pm
Other banks will give you free banking for 18months then they are similar rates to NatWest,I don't want to change account numbers sort codes etc complete nightmare changing it all over. I've heard others say you don't need a business account blaa blaa if you've got a lot of transactions going through each month you won't get away with it.

I have a business account. I don't pay anything like what you are being charged. Have you considered negotiating with your current bank? I would if I were you.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: NWH on January 06, 2017, 01:29:41 pm
You get charged on what your paying in or the activity on your account I pay over £100 a month now from £25
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Cookie on January 06, 2017, 02:51:31 pm
One of the best pieces of advice I received when I started up my business a couple of years ago (as a sole trader) was not to open a business bank account - I just have a standard account. I pay in all my cheques at the end of the month & have a good proportion of customers paying online now. So far I haven't been pulled up on this by my bank...

However had my first bounced cheque today... It may just be a matter of time ...
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: DaveG on January 06, 2017, 03:03:32 pm
I've just opened a business account with Santander, a month ago and yes no other charges apart from 50p per £100  cash paid in (after the first £1000 per month). No limits on cheques or BACS payments.

They even gave me free banking for 18 months because this is my first business account!  ;D



Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: 8weekly on January 06, 2017, 03:27:17 pm
I've just opened a business account with Santander, a month ago and yes no other charges apart from 50p per £100  cash paid in (after the first £1000 per month). No limits on cheques or BACS payments.

They even gave me free banking for 18 months because this is my first business account!  ;D
Yes. I think we'll pay for the next level - still only £10 for up to £3000 cash a month. It's madness to pay 60p or 70p a cheque. And internet credits of 35p are scandalous in my opinion. There is no processing fee at all really. That said, they have obviously made a business decision that they don't want our sort of business. It's their business and up to them.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: p1w1 on January 06, 2017, 03:34:35 pm
Ive recently changed to Santander , the only real gripe i have is you cant pay into a business account over the counter (my branch anyway) so you have to use the machines which can take forever if paying everything at the end of the month. They just spit back money that has any corners turned over etc, also they say the cheque machine can do up to 20 cheques at a time, lucky if i can get it to do 3, so be prepared to spend 20 mins paying everything into the machines.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: DaveG on January 06, 2017, 03:39:24 pm
Ive recently changed to Santander , the only real gripe i have is you cant pay into a business account over the counter (my branch anyway) so you have to use the machines which can take forever if paying everything at the end of the month. They just spit back money that has any corners turned over etc, also they say the cheque machine can do up to 20 cheques at a time, lucky if i can get it to do 3, so be prepared to spend 20 mins paying everything into the machines.

That's strange. I've paid into 2 different branches over the counter.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Splash & dash on January 06, 2017, 04:11:29 pm
I bank with lloyds and have done for 35 years  they tried to get me to have a business account  when they told me the charges I said you are having a laugh , if you are going to charge me I'll take all my business else where , that was 18 years ago and haven't been pestered since , just tell them straight and usually they will back down
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: trippyboy on January 06, 2017, 05:56:53 pm
Im with Santander
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: brianbarber on January 06, 2017, 06:00:33 pm
Was with natwest
They told me all advantage accounts would be changed to std terms...
I.e. Set £25 a month up to estimated they said £81 a month

With Santander now £7.50

Boom!
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: Tony dunmall on January 06, 2017, 09:38:06 pm
I've got two business accounts

Both accounts with Santander
First was original style business account which they've honoured and costs me £0 which is awesome

But the new account costs £7.50 and charges on cash which I don't mind as I don't accept cash anymore. online and go cardless only

Never had a problem with  paying in quantities of cheques they go in fine

I find Santander fairly helpful

Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: colin bird on January 06, 2017, 09:44:15 pm
We come off the two year free offer in March. It's going to be 35p for a bank transfer in and 70p for a cheque.  :o

At a conservative estimate £3k a year!

Santander, here we come. £7.50 a month. I was told over the phone that was unlimited cheques and electronic transfers, but I'm sure I've read otherwise so I'll investigate first.

Hi mate I was with nat west,was paying £25 a month fixed fee ,they then wanted to put me on a new tariff that would cost approx £112  charging per cheque,per bacs payments etc I'm now with Santander  for several months £ 7 50 a month fixed fee you can also  pay  a grand cash in a month that doesn't apply to me as I don't take cash,in my opinion you won't go wrong with santander
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: tlwcs on January 06, 2017, 09:52:58 pm
To those paying £1.50  a cheque at Barclays, pay them in at the post office with your paying in book using one of the P/O envelopes. There is no no charge for the cheque but it attracts the 6% we pay on money in.
I pay cash into my personal account at Barclays via the P/O and pY no charges on it. It's just accounted for as a personal drawing.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: CleanClear on January 07, 2017, 02:10:30 am
Other banks will give you free banking for 18months then they are similar rates to NatWest,I don't want to change account numbers sort codes etc complete nightmare changing it all over. I've heard others say you don't need a business account blaa blaa if you've got a lot of transactions going through each month you won't get away with it.

Thats not correct mate. Santander has remained consistently low, as have others. This has all been brought about by NatWest having to sell off their business accounts due to..i can't even remember just google it. Ironically it was all being sold to Santander, that fell through then the latest or last was all our (Nat west business) accounts where being sold off to Williams and Glynn. Thats still hasn't happened. I said earlier you can get free banking with the Co OP if you're a member of the FSB, thats still probably cheaper than many pay in charges.
 Regarding the "nightmare of changing over" same as you we where frightened about it but in practice we found it quite simple. Here's the process and how we done it (this should work the same with any bank you transfer to)......open account with Santander, give them your Nat West details. They seamlessly transfer over all your existing Standing Orders / Direct debits etc..... Cheques you recieve ? Just pay in to Santander, Cash you wanna deposit ? Just pay into Santander. Online payments/BACS etc.......  what we did here, was every customer we knew that paid by these methods we typed out a short note to say bank account details have changed... that went fine. Even if they paid  our old Nat West account, then the Nat west will still transfer them across to the correct account for a period of up to two years i think, but just check that date yourself. Other than that the only headache has been having slips with the old account number on when we wanted the new one on....but as i've outlined above it ain tthe end of the world and in practice its no real headache to save near a £100 a month.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: martin hulstone on January 07, 2017, 01:09:02 pm
Santander 7.50 a month and no other charges as long as you don't pay in more than 1000 pounds cash each month.
I too was with natwest and could not believe their price increases, I can only think they no longer wanted to bank with small businesses as my charges went from around 24 pounds a month to 85, seemed a polite way of saying look elsewhere.
That's I disagreeumption. That they no longer want businesses like ours.
Can not see any other reason why they would do that, they did not even try to keep my business when i said i was leaving. If you say you are leaving Virgin to join Sky they Will try tooth and nail to keep you and match or better your current deal.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: p1w1 on January 07, 2017, 02:38:12 pm
Santander 7.50 a month and no other charges as long as you don't pay in more than 1000 pounds cash each month.
I too was with natwest and could not believe their price increases, I can only think they no longer wanted to bank with small businesses as my charges went from around 24 pounds a month to 85, seemed a polite way of saying look elsewhere.
That's I disagreeumption. That they no longer want businesses like ours.
Can not see any other reason why they would do that, they did not even try to keep my business when i said i was leaving. If you say you are leaving Virgin to join Sky they Will try tooth and nail to keep you and match or better your current deal.
in window cleaning terms NatWest only want the big country houses while santander are prepared to take on any old crap/council work  ;D
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: martin hulstone on January 08, 2017, 11:27:33 am
I presume that was said tongue in cheek? A lot of my window cleaning is commercial work and some big properties on sandbanks! One of my customers has miniature steam trains running in his garden, so it's not really crappy/council house work.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: p1w1 on January 08, 2017, 06:38:10 pm
I presume that was said tongue in cheek? A lot of my window cleaning is commercial work and some big properties on sandbanks! One of my customers has miniature steam trains running in his garden, so it's not really crappy/council house work.
What i'm saying is it looks like natwest would rather have  fewer customers but with higher prices, as santander are charging  lower prices but with possibly higher volume of customers for a cheap as chips business account. nothing to do with having customers who play choo choo in there garden  ;D.
Title: Re: Nat West charges
Post by: CleanClear on January 08, 2017, 08:03:31 pm
I presume that was said tongue in cheek? A lot of my window cleaning is commercial work and some big properties on sandbanks! One of my customers has miniature steam trains running in his garden, so it's not really crappy/council house work.

You need to make sure that Nat West know that.