NatWest Reviews 

Unfortunately I have to use NatWest Bankline for a client and would strongly advise avoiding it for business banking where possible.

Even the most basic tasks are unnecessarily cumbersome compared to modern digital banks. Logging in on desktop alone requires a Customer ID, User ID, scanning a QR code with a physical card inserted, entering a PIN, generating a 10 digit response, and then providing characters from a password. This is excessive and time consuming for routine access.

Opening EUR and USD accounts was also a painful, drawn out process which can be completed almost instantly with many digital banking providers.

Functionality is oddly restricted. Payment templates can only be created on desktop and not via the mobile app. Approval rules are equally frustrating. I can approve future dated payments to UK companies, but same day payments and international payments require dual approval, and there is no clear or intuitive way to adjust these settings.

Overall the system feels outdated, inflexible, and poorly designed for modern business use. If efficiency, usability, or digital first banking matters to you there are far better alternatives available.

Nat West advertised free business banking to new start-ups, trading for under 3 year's. I applied, got the account in October 2025, didn't notice they'd taken £20 in October then £30 in November in bank charges. Then in December they took £60.20 and took my account overdrawn. I run with very little profit being a new business and some months at a loss, I can't afford this!
I called to challenge this, they advised nothing they can do, it will have been in small print. I asked to close the account on the 2nd of January, they advised i have to complete a form, they will send it to me. It's been 24 days and they haven't sent the form and I can see £56.05 in charges pending now for the end of January. Avoid this bank, they deceived me with a free bank account and say they can't help when I raised this with them.

The NAT WEST business banking fraud team are the worst. They love blocking accounts while they do their due diligence and investigating. Meanwhile they delight at inconveniencing the business customer and are extremely arrogant. If you complain,m they simply write an email saying there is no vaild complaint. Terrible.

Business profile review system does not work on iPhones/iPads, does not give clear error messages (if you miss your title it will fail but not tell you) and even after 2 calls with helpdesk to confirm process is actually done it will mail you to say it’s not done and turn off your banking!

I have been trying to open a community bank account for several weeks, after jumping through many loops and what I thought was the finishing post I was informed my log in details were incorrect (used several times) I was advised to change my password and pin, I have had to do this now 3 times, each time told they were incorrect, my only option now is to look elsewhere as it appears to be totally impossible to complete the process.
I also tried to transfer a small amount of money from my current account, put in the NatWest account and sort code I had been provided with, only to be told the account didn't exist.

Tom is Brilliant, y
really helpful, he knows everything regarding business, banking, finance worries as I have a new project coming up, he advised savings ideas for my main account and how to find out if the business iam buying from is legit, i was worried about to buying expensive iteams needed from my house as i need the warranty.He is brilliant at his job, he's must have known everything I was worried about. M y future project he advised a financial advisor and all the other help he is very good at his job, so polite, intelligent, helpful, he has just made my plans alot easier without the confusion I had to start with. Thankyou Tom at the business line Liverpool..Thankyou so much Tom, you are a great asset for Natwest..

If I could give a zero rating I would, natwest made adjustments to my account from sole trader to partnership, all carried out internally. To then receive a letter to say they are shutting my account as something hasn't been done properly, attempted to speak to them on many occasion, managed to speak to an English person once who said take the money out of your account ASAP otherwise it will be hard work to recover, absolute shambles of a company

0 is best to identify NatWest. They closed my account, following letters for questions to my business, I completed on line as requested. But system not comparable with Mac, (they say they are) format issues they were not aware of or admitted to. Filled in several times. All I got as reply re address the online form but could not answer what the problem was. If I don’t know and you don’t know how can I complete problem?
Ending up passing deadlines and closed my account twice, NT would not reopen until a 2 week review completed, cost me lost business during my busiest time. Cost of Intl BACS transfers, deposits and returned funds charged. Credit card funds frozen.I had very unhappy customers. NW Telephone always busy, they have IT faults, no satisfactory reply’s. Reply was always “don’t No”, very stressful and unsatisfactory service. Went on for 9 months😱 NW is way behind with their security and facial ID can be hacked not secure. After looking deeper found I could and purchased. Www. Natwest.IT and many other URL’s, how bad is that. Advising this fact they have now gone quite on me. Now I have transferred my business eventually all. Now lost my International business. Looking at their reviews I’m not the only one.

Fraud was detected on my account on 06/11 and the card was blocked — fair enough. I was told in writing that a replacement card would arrive in 3–5 days. It never did.

After chasing on 20/11, I was told a card hadn’t even been sent and a fraud flag was still on the account. A new card was ordered, but with yet another 10-day wait. That’s almost a month without a debit card, with business transactions being blocked.

Trying to raise a complaint is a joke. The only option is the in-app chat with Cora, which doesn’t notify you of messages and is completely unhelpful.

My “Relationship Manager” doesn’t respond to emails, and charges are eye-watering for the level of service provided.

I try to keep things simple and don’t need the account for much, but when you genuinely need support, it’s impossible to reach anyone or get any common sense.

They absolutely do not live up to their “Helpful Banking” tagline.

As they like to say: Try Another Way — and choose a different bank.

I have spent many hours trying to complete MyBusinessProfile demanded by NatWest.
They warn us the account will be frozen if not completed by 21st JAN but we have found it impossible to complete by uploading files as they have to be in a very specific manner and as only 1 file for 4 scanned pages and it can't be done on an iPad nor can it be posted. TOTALLY FRUSTRATED AND STILL TRYING...

Long winded application process. Outdated processes (insisting that sending codes via physical post is secure - it isn't!).
Won't let you close an account without visiting a branch, like it's the 90s.
A chat bot that was out of date 5 years ago.

I have not had access to my banking for 3 months now, and had to use the account switching service to get access to my funds. Just no replies from Aarron the complaints handler. Absolutely worse than useless. After being with them for 14 years.

If I could give this farcical department of NatWest a zero I would, due to illness and financial issues they’ve insisted I speak to Step Change Business line but it’s taken me an hour and 20 minutes and 4 sets of security checks to ask them two small questions that step change require? Baring in mind it was the Business Team that insisted I speak to them in the first place!

This kind of treatment and general lack of help and knowledge you’ll receive if you actually manage to open a business account with them and they’ve been like this since I opened the account almost 15 years ago, go else where.

It’s a real pity as I’ve a personal account with them and the personal team are bloody amazing, I couldn’t wish for better! They could certainly teach the business team a thing or two!

I recently experienced raising a dispute through NatWest, and I have to say, the process has been incredibly complicated and frustrating. The process seems designed to confuse rather than assist. I was left second-guessing myself about whether I was even submitting my issue correctly.

Once I managed to submit my dispute, the response time was long, just at the end to receive "The Bank is unable to sit in judgement on the merits of the claim or arbitrate between the parties involved. The only line of enquiry available is where the retailer is unwilling to provide goods or services. Although we are unable to process a claim for you through Mastercard dispute resolution, it does not necessarily follow that you do not have a case. If you pursue the matter through your local Trading Standards Authority or Citizens Advice Bureau they may be able to advise you further"

I am disappointed in their inability to effectively help me resolve the issue and I'm searching for another bank who are respecting their clients more.

I'm afraid I don't understand why, in light of an obvious case of fraud on my credit card - that coincided with the transfer from Sainsbury's Bank - the NatWest Fraud team are being so unsupportive of a long standing customer they have inherited.

I'm left feeling like they believe they're doing me a favour rather than offering any sense of 'customer care.'

So glad to take my business elsewhere now.

Took 3 Months and a letter to.my MP just to open a business account.

They speak to you like it is a priviledge to be a customer.

Don't be fooled by the adverts saying how helpful and supportive they are. They have no realistic.expectations of what a small business can expect to acheive in the first 12 months.

Don't expect an overdraft or a credit card.

Do expect to be asked for your accounts when setting up a startup account. Yes that's right a startup account and they asked for accounts.

Do expect to be questioned like a criminal under the guise of due diligence.

Don't expect lending, an overdraft a credit card or aything short of a 1hr wait to speak to a human.

No hope of being near a branch anymore.

Cora! Totally pathetic and badically serves as a way og preve ting you finding a phone number or actually getting done what you want done.

Ignore their alleged financial dificulty suppport as basically it is a waste of 2hrs and ends up with an IVA.

My local small business forum had many many similar tales indeed Natwest customer service got a laugh at a recent event!

They don't attempt to understand your needs, costs and the current haed trading environment.

Staff regularly sympathise and agree it isn't right but can do nothimg other than raise a complaint.

Before this I did 26 years in project managment and IT and suffered stress related health issues. Natwest has exagerated these when all I want to do is work.

How are they operating as business bank provider?

I've switched from lloyds bank after 7years of nothing! so far my experience with starting with Natwest has been great! I have everything at my finger tips and it all works, 6 months free tyl by natwest for my ecommerce store, 2yrs free business banking, free freeagent accounting software. Everything I need in one place. It took me 9 minutes on a call to them to sort out an issue with my previous bank whilst it took me over 2hrs yesterday with Lloyds but no one was able to help. I am genuinely hopeful that Natwest will strive to do better and get better reviews, so far so good. I shall update you in a year or two to follow up.

-0 stars if I could. If you are planning on opening a business account with NatWest, be warned their customer service over the phone in non existent, you waste hours of your valuable time trying to speak with someone, they do not want to speak with you. digital channels is all they have to offer.

Horrendous. Tried to get help on phone and their chat Cora. They make you wait for ages and when you finally get someone they have no idea how to help.