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Santander VS Saffron Building Society: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is Santander or Saffron Building Society better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Santander and Saffron Building Society 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


Saffron Building Society Homepage
Saffron Building Society Homepage
 

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Trustpilot Reviews

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.42.2
Percent 5-Star Reviews8%21%
Percent 1- Star Reviews85%73%
Total Number of Reviews6,86858
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.santander.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/saffronbs.co.uk

Santander vs Saffron Building Society App Reviews

SantanderSaffron Building Society
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.83.7
Number of iPhone Reviews1,100,00024
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.43.7
Number of Android Reviews54,30014
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/santander-mobile-banking/id482973524
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/saffron-building-society/id1482290341

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Account Fees & Charges

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term Length18 MonthsNA
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFree£10
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£7.50£10
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)FreeFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)70p per £100Free
Cheques (in/out)Unknown£1.50
CHAPS Payments Cost£25£15
SEPA Payments CostNo25p

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Business Savings Rates

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Types of Business Savings AccountsInstant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings AccountRegular Savings, Easy access, Fixed rate bonds, Notice accounts, Business/corporate accounts
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)0.40%1.20%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)3.60%5.75%
Minimum Savings Amount£1£1
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesNo
 

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Account Opening Times

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
Few minutesUndisclosed
Do They Check Your Credit?YesYes
Current Account Switch ServiceYesYes

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Features & Account Types

Santander Account Types
Santander Features & Account Types


Saffron Building Society Account Types
Saffron Building Society Features & Account Types


SantanderSaffron Building Society
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardYesYes
Business OverdraftYesNo
Accounts For StartupsYesNo
Accounts For CharitiesYesYes
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesYes
Card TypeMastercardMastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesYes
Branch LocationsUK-wideLocations in Essex only

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Customer Support Options

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesYes

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Foreign Currency Accounts

SantanderSaffron Building Society
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesNo
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesNo
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)
No

Other Business Services From Santander and Saffron Building Society

Santander Account Types
Other Santander Services


Saffron Building Society Account Types
Other Saffron Building Society Services


SantanderSaffron Building Society
Business LoansYesYes
Commercial MortgagesYesYes
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesNo
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesNo

Santander vs Saffron Building Society Banking Basics

SantanderSaffron Building Society
Bank TypeHigh StreetBuilding Society
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000Yes, up to £85,000
FCA Number106054100015
WebsiteSantander WebsiteSaffron Building Society Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Santander or Saffron Building Society 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, Saffron Building Society scores 2.2 out of 5 based 58 Trustpilot reviews. Of which 21% are 5-star and 73% are 1-star.

Does Santander or Saffron Building Society 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, Saffron Building Society’s iPhone App is rated 3.7 out of 5 based on 24 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 3.7 out of 5 based on 14 reviews.

Does Santander or Saffron Building Society 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, Saffron Building Society offers Regular Savings, Easy access, Fixed rate bonds, Notice accounts, Business/corporate accounts accounts with interest rates ranging from 1.20% to 5.75% (AER).

See Other Comparisons:
Santander vs OakNorth
Santander vs Airwallex
Santander vs Triodos Bank
Santander vs Soldo
Santander vs Cambridge Building Society


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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