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Santander VS Wise: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is Santander or Wise better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Santander 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.

Santander Homepage
Santander Homepage


Wise Homepage
Wise Homepage
 

Santander vs Wise Trustpilot Reviews

SantanderWise
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)1.44.2
Percent 5-Star Reviews8%83%
Percent 1- Star Reviews85%7%
Total Number of Reviews6,868207,506
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.santander.co.uk
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/wise.com

Santander vs Wise App Reviews

SantanderWise
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.84.8
Number of iPhone Reviews1,100,00085,400
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.44.8
Number of Android Reviews54,300762,000
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/santander-mobile-banking/id482973524
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/wise/id612261027

Santander vs Wise Account Fees & Charges

SantanderWise
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term Length18 MonthsNA
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeFreeFree
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£7.50Free
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)Free0.42%
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)70p per £1002% / 1.75%
Cheques (in/out)UnknownUnknown
CHAPS Payments Cost£25£25
SEPA Payments CostNoNo

Santander vs Wise Business Savings Rates

SantanderWise
Types of Business Savings AccountsInstant access, Business Reward Saver, Fixed Rate Business Bond, Treasurer’s Savings AccountBlackRock ICS Sterling Government Liquidity Fund
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)0.40%4.67%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)3.60%4.67%
Minimum Savings Amount£1£1
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Santander vs Wise Account Opening Times

SantanderWise
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
Few minutes2 Working days
Do They Check Your Credit?YesNo
Current Account Switch ServiceYesNo

Santander vs Wise Features & Account Types

Santander Account Types
Santander Features & Account Types


Wise Account Types
Wise Features & Account Types


SantanderWise
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesNo
Business Credit CardYesNo
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

Santander vs Wise Customer Support Options

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

Santander vs Wise Foreign Currency Accounts

SantanderWise
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)
  • 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 Santander and Wise

Santander Account Types
Other Santander Services


Wise Account Types
Other Wise Services


SantanderWise
Business LoansYesNo
Commercial MortgagesYesNo
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesYes
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesYes

Santander vs Wise Banking Basics

SantanderWise
Bank TypeHigh StreetChallenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000No, unless money is held in assets
FCA Number106054900507
WebsiteSantander WebsiteWise Website

Common Comparison Questions

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

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

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


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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