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Starling Bank VS HSBC Kinetic: Business Banking Review & Fee Comparison


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

Is Starling Bank or HSBC Kinetic better for your small business?



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Below we look at both Starling Bank 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.

Starling Bank Homepage
Starling Bank Homepage


HSBC Kinetic Homepage
HSBC Kinetic Homepage
 

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Trustpilot Reviews

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)4.31.9
Percent 5-Star Reviews76%0%
Percent 1- Star Reviews11%100%
Total Number of Reviews38,86913
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/starlingbank.com
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/hsbckinetic.co.uk

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic App Reviews

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.94.8
Number of iPhone Reviews477,50015,000
Android Review Score (out of 5)4.54.7
Number of Android Reviews114,0004,000
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/starling-bank-mobile-banking/id956806430
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hsbc-kinetic/id1457310350

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Account Fees & Charges

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Free Business Bank AccountYesYes
Free Business Account Term LengthNo Limit12 Months
Cheapest Monthly Account FeeNo£6.50
Most Expensive Monthly Account FeeNo£6.50
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)FreeFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)0.70%1.10%
Cheques (in/out)Free50p per cheque
CHAPS Payments Cost£20£17
SEPA Payments CostNo24p

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Business Savings Rates

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Types of Business Savings AccountsNoneInstant access, 30+ day, 60+ day
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)NA1.94%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)NA2.02%
Minimum Savings AmountNoNo
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesYes
 

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Account Opening Times

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
1 to 5 Working days48 hours
Do They Check Your Credit?YesYes
Current Account Switch ServiceYesYes

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Features & Account Types

Starling Bank Account Types
Starling Bank Features & Account Types


HSBC Kinetic Account Types
HSBC Kinetic Features & Account Types


Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardNoYes
Business OverdraftYesYes
Accounts For StartupsYesYes
Accounts For CharitiesYesNo
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableYesNo
Card TypeMastercardVisa
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingYesNo
Branch LocationsNone, but can use post office locations for some servicesCan use HSBC branches for some services

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Customer Support Options

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Phone Support AvailableYesYes
Email Support AvailableYesYes
App Based Support YesYes
Web Based SupportYesYes
In person Customer SupportYesNo

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Foreign Currency Accounts

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsYesYes
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsYesYes
Other Currencies Available:
  • CAD (Canadian 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 Starling Bank and HSBC Kinetic

Starling Bank Account Types
Other Starling Bank Services


HSBC Kinetic Account Types
Other HSBC Kinetic Services


Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Business LoansYesYes
Commercial MortgagesNoNo
Invoice FinancingNoNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesYesYes
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareNoNo

Starling Bank vs HSBC Kinetic Banking Basics

Starling BankHSBC Kinetic
Bank TypeChallengerHigh Street/Challenger
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000Yes, up to £85,000
FCA Number730166765112
WebsiteStarling Bank WebsiteHSBC Kinetic Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Starling Bank or HSBC Kinetic have better customer reviews?

Starling Bank scores 4.3 out of 5 based 38,869 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 76% are 5-star and 11% 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 Starling Bank or HSBC Kinetic have a better App?

Starling Bank’s iPhone App is rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 477,500 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 114,000 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 Starling Bank or HSBC Kinetic have better business savings rates?

Starling Bank offers the following types of business savings accounts: None with interest rates ranging from NA to NA. (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:
Starling Bank vs CardOneMoney
Starling Bank vs Fair Everywhere
Starling Bank vs Countingup
Starling Bank vs State Bank of India (UK)
Starling Bank vs Charity Bank


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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