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


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

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



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Below we look at both Tide 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.

Tide Homepage
Tide Homepage


Saffron Building Society Homepage
Saffron Building Society Homepage
 

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Trustpilot Reviews

TideSaffron Building Society
Trustpilot Review Score (out of 5)4.22.2
Percent 5-Star Reviews73%21%
Percent 1- Star Reviews17%73%
Total Number of Reviews18,59558
Sources:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/tide.co
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/saffronbs.co.uk

Tide vs Saffron Building Society App Reviews

TideSaffron Building Society
iPhone Review Score (out of 5)4.73.7
Number of iPhone Reviews64,80024
Android Review Score (out of 5)3.53.7
Number of Android Reviews16,20014
Sources:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tide-business-banking-app/id1140086177
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/saffron-building-society/id1482290341

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Account Fees & Charges

TideSaffron Building Society
Free Business Bank AccountYesNo
Free Business Account Term LengthNo LimitNA
Cheapest Monthly Account Fee£9.99£10
Most Expensive Monthly Account Fee£49.99£10
Electronic Payment Cost (in/out)FreeFree
Cash Payments Cost (in/out)£1Free
Cheques (in/out)Free£1.50
CHAPS Payments CostNo£15
SEPA Payments Cost€0.7025p

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Business Savings Rates

TideSaffron Building Society
Types of Business Savings AccountsBusiness savings accountRegular Savings, Easy access, Fixed rate bonds, Notice accounts, Business/corporate accounts
Lowest Savings Rate (AER)3.55%1.20%
Maximum Savings Rate (AER)3.55%5.75%
Minimum Savings Amount£1£1
Interest Paid On Foreign CurrenciesYesNo
 

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Account Opening Times

TideSaffron Building Society
Can You Apply Online?YesYes
How Long Does Opening An
Account Typically Take?
10 to 2880 minutesUndisclosed
Do They Check Your Credit?YesYes
Current Account Switch ServiceYesYes

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Features & Account Types

Tide Account Types
Tide Features & Account Types


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


TideSaffron Building Society
Business Current AccountYesYes
Business Savings AccountYesYes
Business Credit CardNoYes
Business OverdraftNoNo
Accounts For StartupsYesNo
Accounts For CharitiesNoYes
Accounts For Sole TradersYesYes
Joint Business Accounts AvailableNoYes
Card TypeMastercardMastercard
Online BankingYesYes
Mobile BankingYesYes
In Person/Branch BankingNoYes
Branch LocationsNone, online onlyLocations in Essex only

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Customer Support Options

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

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Foreign Currency Accounts

TideSaffron Building Society
US Dollar (USD) Bank AccountsNoNo
Euro (EUR) Bank AccountsNoNo
Other Currencies Available:NoNo

Other Business Services From Tide and Saffron Building Society

Tide Account Types
Other Tide Services


Saffron Building Society Account Types
Other Saffron Building Society Services


TideSaffron Building Society
Business LoansYesYes
Commercial MortgagesNoYes
Invoice FinancingYesNo
International PaymentsYesYes
Merchant Payment ServicesNoNo
Card MachinesYesNo
Free Accounting SoftwareYesNo

Tide vs Saffron Building Society Banking Basics

TideSaffron Building Society
Bank TypeChallengerBuilding Society
FSCS ProtectionYes, up to £85,000 via ClearBankYes, up to £85,000
FCA Number754568100015
WebsiteTide WebsiteSaffron Building Society Website

Common Comparison Questions

Does Tide or Saffron Building Society have better customer reviews?

Tide scores 4.2 out of 5 based 18,595 Trustpilot reviews. Of these reviews 73% are 5-star and 17% 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 Tide or Saffron Building Society have a better App?

Tide’s iPhone App is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 64,800 reviews. And it’s Android App is rated 3.5 out of 5 based on 16,200 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 Tide or Saffron Building Society have better business savings rates?

Tide offers the following types of business savings accounts: Business savings account with interest rates ranging from 3.55% to 3.55%. (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:
Tide vs OakNorth
Tide vs Airwallex
Tide vs Triodos Bank
Tide vs Soldo
Tide vs Cambridge Building Society


For other business bank accounts see our guide here.

 



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