Merchant Machine

Cater Allen VS HSBC Kinetic: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is Cater Allen or HSBC Kinetic better for your small business?



Compare UK Business Bank Accounts

Powered By BusinessBankAccounts.co.uk



Below we look at both Cater Allen and HSBC Kinetic 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.

Cater Allen Homepage
Cater Allen Homepage


HSBC Kinetic Homepage
HSBC Kinetic Homepage
 

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Trustpilot Reviews

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.91.9
Percent 5-Star Reviews7%0%
Percent 1- Star Reviews80%100%
Total Number of Reviews13613
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.caterallen.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/hsbckinetic.co.uk

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic App Reviews

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)No Rating4.8
Number of iPhone ReviewsNo Reviews15,000
Android Review Score (out of 5)No Rating4.7
Number of Android ReviewsNo Reviews4,000
Sources:
https://www.apple.com/uk/app-store/
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hsbc-kinetic/id1457310350

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Account Fees & Charges

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Free Business Bank AccountNoYes
Free Business Account Term LengthNA12 Months
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFree£6.50
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£25£6.50
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)£2Free
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)Free1.10%
Cheques (in/out)£650p per cheque
CHAPS Payments Cost£25£17
SEPA Payments Cost£224p

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Business Savings Rates

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Types of Business Savings AccountsFixed Term, Notice AccountInstant access, 30+ day, 60+ day
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)3.00%1.94%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)4.70%2.02%
Minimum Savings AmountNoNo
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Account Opening Times

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
7 days48 hours
Do They Check Your Credit?YesYes
Current Account Switch ServiceNoYes

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Features & Account Types

Cater Allen Account Types
Cater Allen Features & Account Types


HSBC Kinetic Account Types
HSBC Kinetic Features & Account Types


Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardNoYes
Business OverdraftNoYes
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesNo
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesNo
Card TypeMastercardVisa
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingNoNo
Branch LocationsNone, online and phone onlyCan use HSBC branches for some services

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Customer Support Options

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support NoYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportNoNo

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Foreign Currency Accounts

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • CHF (Swiss Franc)
  • CAD (Canadian Dollar)
  • AUD (Australian Dollar)
  • NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
  • SGD (Singapore Dollar)
  • HKD (Hong Kong Dollar)
  • Brazilian real (BRL)
  • Canadian dollar (CAD)
  • Chilean peso (CLP)
  • Colombian peso (COP)
  • Mexican peso (MXN)
  • Chinese yuan (CNY)
  • Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
  • Indian rupee (INR)
  • Japanese yen (JPY)
  • Korean won (KRW)
  • Malaysian ringgit (MYR)
  • Singapore dollar (SGD)
  • Thai baht (THB)
  • Austrian euro (EUR)
  • Belgian euro (EUR)
  • Bulgarian lev (BGN)
  • Croatian kuna (HRK)
  • Czech koruna (CZK)
  • Danish krone (DKK)
  • Estonian euro (EUR)
  • Finnish euro (EUR)
  • French euro (EUR)
  • German euro (EUR)
  • Greek euro (EUR)
  • Hungarian forint (HUF)
  • Icelandic króna (ISK)
  • Irish euro (EUR)
  • Italian euro (EUR)
  • Latvian euro (EUR)
  • Lithuanian euro (EUR)
  • Maltese euro (EUR)
  • Dutch euro (EUR)
  • Polish zloty (PLN)
  • Portuguese euro (EUR)
  • Romanian leu (RON)
  • Slovak euro (EUR)
  • Slovenian euro (EUR)
  • Spanish euro (EUR)
  • Australian dollar (AUD)
  • New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Other Business Services From Cater Allen and HSBC Kinetic

Cater Allen Account Types
Other Cater Allen Services


HSBC Kinetic Account Types
Other HSBC Kinetic Services


Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Business LoansNoYes
Commercial MortgagesNoNo
Invoice FinancingNoNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesNoYes
Card MachinesNoNo
Free Accounting SoftwareNoNo

Cater Allen vs HSBC Kinetic Banking Basics

Cater AllenHSBC Kinetic
Bank TypeHigh StreetHigh Street/Challenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000Yes, up to £85,000
FCA Number178737765112
WebsiteCater Allen WebsiteHSBC Kinetic Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Cater Allen or HSBC Kinetic have better customer reviews?

Cater Allen scores 1.9 out of 5 based 136 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 7% are 5-star and 80% are 1-star.

Whereas, HSBC Kinetic scores 1.9 out of 5 based 13 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 0% are 5-star and 100% are 1-star.

Does Cater Allen or HSBC Kinetic have a better App?

Cater Allen’s iPhone App is rated No Rating out of 5 based on No Reviews reviews. And it’s Android App is rated No Rating out of 5 based on No Reviews reviews.

In comparison, HSBC Kinetic’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 15,000 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 4,000 reviews.

Does Cater Allen or HSBC Kinetic have better business savings rates?

Cater Allen offers the following types of business savings accounts: Fixed Term, Notice Account with interest rates ranging from 3.00% to 4.70%. (AER)

In contrast, HSBC Kinetic offers Instant access, 30+ day, 60+ day accounts with interest rates ranging from 1.94% to 2.02% (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Cater Allen vs CardOneMoney
Cater Allen vs Fair Everywhere
Cater Allen vs Countingup
Cater Allen vs State Bank of India (UK)
Cater Allen vs Charity Bank


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



Please note: Merchant Machine is an information and comparison website only.
We do not provide merchant services nor can we recommend which solution is right for you and your business.
Blog · About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact Us
Copyright © 2025 Brilliant British Ltd trading as Merchant Machine

Registered Office Address:
3rd Floor Great Titchfield House, 14-18 Great Titchfield Street, London, United Kingdom, W1W 8BD
Company number 10490224