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RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) VS OakNorth: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) or OakNorth better for your small business?



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Below we look at both RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and OakNorth 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.

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Homepage
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Homepage


OakNorth Homepage
OakNorth Homepage
 

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Trustpilot Reviews

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.34.8
Percent 5-Star Reviews7%84%
Percent 1- Star Reviews89%3%
Total Number of Reviews8388,904
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.rbs.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/oaknorth.co.uk

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth App Reviews

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.84.8
Number of iPhone Reviews106,9001,600
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.34.8
Number of Android Reviews81,700468
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/royal-bank-of-scotland/id334852412
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/oaknorth-savings/id1476387507

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Account Fees & Charges

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term Length24 MonthsNA
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFree£25
Most Expensive Monthly Account FeeFree£99.99
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)35pFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)70p per £10070p per £100
Cheques (in/out)70p per item£1 per cheque
CHAPS Payments Cost£20£17
SEPA Payments Cost45pNo

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Business Savings Rates

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Types of Business Savings AccountsBusiness reserve, Liquidity manager notice, Treasury reserve, Client deposit manager, Client account managerFixed Term, Notice Accounts, Easy Access
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)1.46%3.85%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)4.25%3.85%
Minimum Savings AmountNo£10,000
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesNo
 

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Account Opening Times

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
5 to 7 Working daysFew minutes
Do They Check Your Credit?YesNo
Current Account Switch ServiceYesNo

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Features & Account Types

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Account Types
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Features & Account Types


OakNorth Account Types
OakNorth Features & Account Types


RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardYesNo
Business OverdraftYesYes
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesYes
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesYes
Card TypeMastercardMastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesNo
Branch LocationsUK-wide including the ability to use some Natwest locationsNone, online and phone only

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Customer Support Options

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesNo

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Foreign Currency Accounts

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesNo
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesNo
Other Currencies Available:
  • Swiss franc
  • Japanese yen
  • Australian dollar
  • Canadian dollar
  • New Zealand dollar
  • Swedish krona
No

Other Business Services From RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and OakNorth

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Account Types
Other RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) Services


OakNorth Account Types
Other OakNorth Services


RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Business LoansYesYes
Commercial MortgagesYesYes
Invoice FinancingYesYes
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesYes
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesNo

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs OakNorth Banking Basics

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)OakNorth
Bank TypeHigh StreetChallenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000Yes, up to £85,000
FCA Number114724629564
WebsiteRBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) WebsiteOakNorth Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) or OakNorth have better customer reviews?

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) scores 1.3 out of 5 based 838 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 7% are 5-star and 89% are 1-star.

Whereas, OakNorth scores 4.8 out of 5 based 8,904 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 84% are 5-star and 3% are 1-star.

Does RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) or OakNorth have a better App?

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 106,900 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.3 out of 5 based on 81,700 reviews.

In comparison, OakNorth’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,600 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 468 reviews.

Does RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) or OakNorth have better business savings rates?

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) offers the following types of business savings accounts: Business reserve, Liquidity manager notice, Treasury reserve, Client deposit manager, Client account manager with interest rates ranging from 1.46% to 4.25%. (AER)

In contrast, OakNorth offers Fixed Term, Notice Accounts, Easy Access accounts with interest rates ranging from 3.85% to 3.85% (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs Airwallex
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs Triodos Bank
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs Soldo
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs Cambridge Building Society
RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) vs PayPal Debit


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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