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Santander VS Nationwide: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is Santander or Nationwide better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Santander and Nationwide 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.

Santander Homepage
Santander Homepage


Nationwide Homepage
Nationwide Homepage
 

Santander vs Nationwide Trustpilot Reviews

SantanderNationwide
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.41.7
Percent 5-Star Reviews8%15%
Percent 1- Star Reviews85%75%
Total Number of Reviews6,8685,509
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.santander.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.nationwide.co.uk

Santander vs Nationwide App Reviews

SantanderNationwide
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.84.8
Number of iPhone Reviews1,100,000595,000
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.44.5
Number of Android Reviews54,300106,000
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/santander-mobile-banking/id482973524
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nationwide-mobile-banking/id542355130

Santander vs Nationwide Account Fees & Charges

SantanderNationwide
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term Length18 MonthsNA
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFree£6.50
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£7.50£30
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)FreeFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)70p per £1001%
Cheques (in/out)Unknown£1.50
CHAPS Payments Cost£25£15
SEPA Payments CostNoNo

Santander vs Nationwide Business Savings Rates

SantanderNationwide
Types of Business Savings AccountsInstant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings AccountInstant access, Limited access, Fixed rate
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)0.40%2.25%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)3.60%6.50%
Minimum Savings Amount£1£1
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Santander vs Nationwide Account Opening Times

SantanderNationwide
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
Few minutes7 Working days
Do They Check Your Credit?YesYes
Current Account Switch ServiceYesYes

Santander vs Nationwide Features & Account Types

Santander Account Types
Santander Features & Account Types


Nationwide Account Types
Nationwide Features & Account Types


SantanderNationwide
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardYesYes
Business OverdraftYesYes
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesYes
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesYes
Card TypeMastercardVisa
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesYes
Branch LocationsUK-wideUK-wide

Santander vs Nationwide Customer Support Options

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

Santander vs Nationwide Foreign Currency Accounts

SantanderNationwide
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • Swiss Franc (CHF)
  • Japanese Yen (JPY)
  • Australian Dollar (AUD)
  • Canadian Dollar (CAD)
  • New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
  • Singapore Dollar (SGD)
  • Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
  • Canadian Dollar
  • Australian Dollar

Other Business Services From Santander and Nationwide

Santander Account Types
Other Santander Services


Nationwide Account Types
Other Nationwide Services


SantanderNationwide
Business LoansYesNo
Commercial MortgagesYesYes
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesNo
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesNo

Santander vs Nationwide Banking Basics

SantanderNationwide
Bank TypeHigh StreetBuilding Society
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000Yes, up to £85,000
FCA Number106054106078
WebsiteSantander WebsiteNationwide Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Santander or Nationwide have better customer reviews?

Santander scores 1.4 out of 5 based 6,868 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 8% are 5-star and 85% are 1-star.

Whereas, Nationwide scores 1.7 out of 5 based 5,509 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 15% are 5-star and 75% are 1-star.

Does Santander or Nationwide have a better App?

Santander’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,100,000 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.4 out of 5 based on 54,300 reviews.

In comparison, Nationwide’s iPhone App is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 595,000 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 106,000 reviews.

Does Santander or Nationwide have better business savings rates?

Santander offers the following types of business savings accounts: Instant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings Account with interest rates ranging from 0.40% to 3.60%. (AER)

In contrast, Nationwide offers Instant access, Limited access, Fixed rate accounts with interest rates ranging from 2.25% to 6.50% (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Santander vs Lloyds Bank
Santander vs Tide
Santander vs Virgin Money
Santander vs Monzo
Santander vs Bank of Scotland


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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