D
Dog
- Original Poster
- #1
For the past ten years I've been using my current account for my sole trader activity, as I'm legally entitled, and it's fine as my payments are regular and indistinguishable from a wage. I now intend to expand the scope of my freelancing work and therefore need a dedicated business account.
My credit score is very high and I've no black marks against me. My only criterion is that it must be accessible online via desktop (as distinguished from an app).
You'd imagine it would be easy, right? Wrong.
Some, like Barclays and most of the big banks, don't actually cater for sole traders, only businesses registered with Companies House.
Some, like Metro Bank, are only too happy to set up a business account for me, all I need to do is 'pop' into their conveniently located premises as they don't do applications online or over the phone. Just a quick 600 mile round trip, I'll do it before breakfast tomorrow.
One bank, I forget which, was so puzzled at the concept of a sole trader trading under their own name as opposed to a business name they ground to a standstill, and by association so did the application. Clearly they had never before encountered such an outrageous situation.
Some, like Coconut and the multitude of 'simpler' banks, have business packages specifically tailored for freelancers... as long as you have a smart phone capable of running their app (newsflash: some of us don't live in the city and can't even get 2G let alone 5G).
Others offer me the choice of a package for startups, or a package for those who want to transfer their business accounts from another bank. As neither apply then I can't apply either.
Others demand that I must have a current account with them before I apply.
And so it goes on, and on, and on. So far, after checking out at least 20 banks I've yet to find a single one that I can even apply to. My list is nearly at an end.
Am I the only non-smart-phone-owning, established sole trader in the entire country?
My credit score is very high and I've no black marks against me. My only criterion is that it must be accessible online via desktop (as distinguished from an app).
You'd imagine it would be easy, right? Wrong.
Some, like Barclays and most of the big banks, don't actually cater for sole traders, only businesses registered with Companies House.
Some, like Metro Bank, are only too happy to set up a business account for me, all I need to do is 'pop' into their conveniently located premises as they don't do applications online or over the phone. Just a quick 600 mile round trip, I'll do it before breakfast tomorrow.
One bank, I forget which, was so puzzled at the concept of a sole trader trading under their own name as opposed to a business name they ground to a standstill, and by association so did the application. Clearly they had never before encountered such an outrageous situation.
Some, like Coconut and the multitude of 'simpler' banks, have business packages specifically tailored for freelancers... as long as you have a smart phone capable of running their app (newsflash: some of us don't live in the city and can't even get 2G let alone 5G).
Others offer me the choice of a package for startups, or a package for those who want to transfer their business accounts from another bank. As neither apply then I can't apply either.
Others demand that I must have a current account with them before I apply.
And so it goes on, and on, and on. So far, after checking out at least 20 banks I've yet to find a single one that I can even apply to. My list is nearly at an end.
Am I the only non-smart-phone-owning, established sole trader in the entire country?
