Self-employed & small business

Business accounts & expense cards, compared

Mixing business and personal spending is what makes self-assessment painful. These are the business-account partners we work with — each solves a different problem, so start with what your business actually does.

The providers on this page are commercial partners: we may earn a commission if you open an account through a link here. It never changes what you pay, and it doesn't change what we say about them.

Which one fits

Provider	Best for	Account cost	Cards
Wallester Business	Solo traders & small businesses keeping records clean	Free business account	Up to 300 virtual cards at no cost, plus physical cards
Pleo	Teams where employees spend on the business	Plan-based — see pleo.io for current pricing	Smart company cards per employee, receipts captured automatically
Wise Business	Invoicing abroad or paying overseas suppliers	Pay-as-you-go fees — see wise.com for current pricing	Multi-currency account; hold, get paid in and convert currencies
bunq Business	A regulated bank behind the account, with deposit protection	Free plan for sole proprietors; paid plans — see bunq.com	Corporate cards; up to 25 accounts, each with its own IBAN

Wallester Business

Sole traders and small businesses that want a free dedicated business account with card-level control.

Mixing business and personal spending is what makes self-assessment painful. Wallester Business gives you a free business account with up to 300 virtual cards at no cost — each with its own IBAN — plus physical cards, real-time spending limits and accounting integrations, so your records stay clean for your accountant and for Revenue.

Explore Wallester Business

Wallester is a commercial partner. We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link — it never changes what you pay.

Pleo

Businesses with employees who spend — company cards per person, with receipts and reporting handled.

When you work for yourself, every coffee, subscription and supplier payment has to be untangled at Form 11 time. Pleo gives your business smart company cards that capture receipts automatically and sync straight to Xero and other accounting tools — with custom spend limits and automated reporting — so expenses are sorted before the tax deadline, not after it.

See how Pleo works

Pleo is a commercial partner. We may earn a commission if you sign up through this link — it never changes what you pay.

Wise

Contractors and businesses invoicing foreign clients or paying overseas suppliers in other currencies.

If you invoice clients abroad or pay overseas suppliers, the exchange-rate markup your bank adds can quietly cost more than the visible fee. A multi-currency account lets you hold, get paid in and convert currencies closer to the real rate.

See Wise Business

Wise is a commercial partner. We may earn a commission if you open an account through this link — it never changes what you pay.

bunq Business

Self-employed people who want an actual bank — with deposit-guarantee protection — behind the business account.

bunq is a digital bank, so business deposits are protected up to €100,000 under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme. There is a free plan for sole proprietors, opening is fully online in about 5 minutes, and plans scale to up to 25 accounts — each with its own IBAN — with corporate cards and 50+ bookkeeping integrations.

See bunq Business

bunq is a commercial partner. We may earn a commission if you open an account through this link — it never changes what you pay.

Why separate business spending at all

When you work for yourself, every coffee, subscription and supplier payment has to be classified at Form 11 time. A dedicated business account (or card) means your business transactions arrive pre-separated — your accountant works from one clean statement, and allowable expenses don't get lost in a year of personal spending. See how self-employed tax works for the full picture.

Business accounts — common questions

Do I need a separate business account as a sole trader?

There is no legal requirement for a sole trader to open a separate business account, but keeping business income and expenses out of your personal account makes Form 11 season far easier and your records cleaner if Revenue ever asks. If you trade through a limited company, the company’s money is legally separate and needs its own account.

Are these providers banks?

bunq is a licensed bank, so deposits are protected up to €100,000 under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme. Wallester, Pleo and Wise are regulated payment or electronic-money institutions rather than banks — money held with them is safeguarded (held separately from the company’s own funds) rather than covered by a deposit guarantee. Check each provider’s terms for how your funds are protected.

Can I still claim expenses if I pay from my personal account?

Yes — an expense is allowable because it is wholly and exclusively for the trade, not because of which account paid for it. But mixed accounts mean untangling a year of personal transactions at filing time, which is where a dedicated business card earns its keep.