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Barclays VS Wise: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


By: Ian Wright | Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Is Barclays or Wise better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Barclays and Wise reviews on Trustpilot along with their App reviews from Apple and Google.

We then look at typical fees, business savings rates, foreign currency options and a whole bunch of other account features to help you make up your mind.

Barclays Homepage
Barclays Homepage


Wise Homepage
Wise Homepage
 

Barclays vs Wise Trustpilot Reviews

BarclaysWise
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.44.2
Percent 5-Star Reviews8%83%
Percent 1- Star Reviews86%7%
Total Number of Reviews9,859207,506
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.barclays.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/wise.com

Barclays vs Wise App Reviews

BarclaysWise
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.84.8
Number of iPhone Reviews1,700,00085,400
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.84.8
Number of Android Reviews506,000762,000
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/barclays/id536248734
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/wise/id612261027

Barclays vs Wise Account Fees & Charges

BarclaysWise
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term Length12 MonthsNA
Cheapest Monthly Account Fee£8.50Free
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£8.50Free
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)Free (up to 500 per month; 35p after)0.42%
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)60p per £100/Free2% / 1.75%
Cheques (in/out)60p each/60p eachUnknown
CHAPS Payments Cost£15£25
SEPA Payments Cost35pNo

Barclays vs Wise Business Savings Rates

BarclaysWise
Types of Business Savings AccountsInstant access, Fixed-term Treasury Reserve AccountsBlackRock ICS Sterling Government Liquidity Fund
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)1.51%4.67%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)1.96%4.67%
Minimum Savings Amount£1£1
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Barclays vs Wise Account Opening Times

BarclaysWise
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
Up to 7 Working Days2 Working days
Do They Check Your Credit?YesNo
Current Account Switch ServiceYesNo

Barclays vs Wise Features & Account Types

Barclays Account Types
Barclays Features & Account Types


Wise Account Types
Wise Features & Account Types


BarclaysWise
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesNo
Business Credit CardYes, via BarclaycardNo
Business OverdraftYesNo
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesYes
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesNo
Card TypeMastercardVisa/Mastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesYes
Branch LocationsUK-wideNone, online only

Barclays vs Wise Customer Support Options

BarclaysWise
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesYes

Barclays vs Wise Foreign Currency Accounts

BarclaysWise
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • Australian Dollar (AUD)
  • Canadian Dollar (CAD)
  • Chinese Yuan (CNY)
  • Czech Koruna (CZK)
  • Danish Krone (DKK)
  • Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
  • Japanese Yen (JPY)
  • New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
  • Norwegian Krone (NOK)
  • Polish Zloty (PLN)
  • Singapore Dollar (SGD)
  • South African Rand (ZAR)
  • Swedish Krona (SEK)
  • Swiss Franc (CHF)
  • UAE Dirham (AED)
  • AUD – Australian dollar
  • BGN – Bulgarian lev
  • BRL – Brazilian real
  • CAD – Canadian dollar
  • CHF – Swiss franc
  • CZK – Czech koruna
  • DKK – Danish krone
  • EUR – Euro
  • GBP – British pound
  • HKD – Hong Kong dollar
  • HUF – Hungarian forint
  • IDR – Indonesian rupiah
  • INR – Indian rupee
  • JPY – Japanese yen
  • MYR – Malaysian ringgit
  • NOK – Norwegian krone
  • NZD – New Zealand dollar
  • PLN – Polish zÅ‚oty
  • RON – Romanian leu
  • SEK – Swedish krona
  • SGD – Singapore dollar

Other Business Services From Barclays and Wise

Barclays Account Types
Other Barclays Services


Wise Account Types
Other Wise Services


BarclaysWise
Business LoansYesNo
Commercial MortgagesYesNo
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYes, via BarclaycardYes
Card MachinesYes, via BarclaycardNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYes, FreshBooksYes

Barclays vs Wise Banking Basics

BarclaysWise
Bank TypeHigh StreetChallenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000No, unless money is held in assets
FCA Number122702900507
WebsiteBarclays WebsiteWise Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Barclays or Wise have better customer reviews?

Barclays scores 1.4 out of 5 based 9,859 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 8% are 5-star and 86% are 1-star.

Whereas, Wise scores 4.2 out of 5 based 207,506 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 83% are 5-star and 7% are 1-star.

Does Barclays or Wise have a better App?

Barclays’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,700,000 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 506,000 reviews.

In comparison, Wise’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 85,400 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 762,000 reviews.

Does Barclays or Wise have better business savings rates?

Barclays offers the following types of business savings accounts: Instant access, Fixed-term Treasury Reserve Accounts with interest rates ranging from 1.51% to 1.96%. (AER)

In contrast, Wise offers BlackRock ICS Sterling Government Liquidity Fund accounts with interest rates ranging from 4.67% to 4.67% (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Barclays vs Revolut Business
Barclays vs Danske Bank UK
Barclays vs Ulster Bank
Barclays vs Kent Reliance
Barclays vs Cynergy Bank


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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We do not provide merchant services nor can we recommend which solution is right for you and your business.
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