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The Co-operative Bank: Business bank account reviews

Name: Business bank account
Rating: 1.96 (89 reviews)

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1.96

Based on 89 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Sep 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

87%

Latest highest rating:

4

Easy to deal with as branch nearby Easy to deal with as branch nearby Reviewed on: 20th February 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

The worst business decision you will make! Opening an account with The Co-Operative Bank will simply be the worst business decision you will make! Please if there was ever any random advice tha... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd September 2026

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About this product

The Co-operative Bank business bank account is suitable for startups and small business that bank online.

There’s no monthly fee but there are charges for certain transactions including cash deposits and cash withdrawals. When you open a Co-operative Bank business account, you get free access to a payment request tool.

Co-operative Bank business account reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used Co-operative Bank before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

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The Co-operative Bank Business bank account reviews (89)

Pathetic

I have been trying to close my business account for over 6 weeks now ( because it is so archaic ) you have to fill a form in and post it ( so 1980's ) someone actually did call me 10 days ago and said they would call me in a couple of days to complete the closure , still waiting ! I have been a customer since 2006 and they have gradually gone down hill Reviewed on: 21st December 2021

I expect the return of the next ice age before the phone gets answered - over 70 minutes and STILL waiting!!

The timer has just passed over 60 minutes whilst I wait for someone to answer the phone, it must be a bankers lunch! More likely some underpaid overworked administrator stuck on a switchboard with a stacked call log, maybe employ more staff or improve the on-line banking services to reduce the number of calls. It is unreal how long this bank expects you to wait. I transferred from the NATWEST using the business current account switch. How very stupid of me, I should have read these reviews first. Reviewed on: 10th December 2021

Nightmare

The Co op could not make it any more difficult to access online banking if they tried. First of all you have to go online, print off a form, fill it in, scan it back in and email it to them so they can send you a token with passwords and user codes and a telephone number to ring to activate the token. The waiting times are currently 30 minutes on an 0345 number which means if these numbers are not included in your package you can be charged up to 30p a minute some mobile network providers. There is no warning like there used to be such as ‘you could be charged for this call’. I have currently been on hold waiting for 42 minutes. Once and ‘if’ I get through I then have to ask about whether I qualify for the Business Banking Mobile App as this is not automatic. There are no branches near me so I can only access my account online. . . Only I can’t. I wish I had NEVER EVER switched to the Co op Bank, it is so bad it is verging on criminal. I currently cannot access my own money. Reviewed on: 8th December 2021

Awful experience - Business bank

The banking platform is stuck in the stone age! It's so badly designed and complicated to use. Want to pay someone new right now? Well, you can't, you have to wait for the 'cooling-off period' to finish. Which depending on what day of the week it is could be between 2-24 hours! Want to pay yourself or someone on a weekend? Nope, can't do that either. The platform logs you out within minutes of no activity, taking security to an annoying new level. You have to use a physical 'token' to access your account as their new banking app doesn't have this feature. Which other banks have had for many many years! Everything is so overcomplicated and fiddly and has no user experience whatsoever. It makes the most simple tasks complicated. I am switching to Barclays business banking next week! Reviewed on: 7th December 2021

Avoid This Bank Like The Pestilence

Avoid this branch and the uncooperative bank like the pestilence. The cooperative bank trades on the big selling point of being ethical, what a joke. I have PTSD, ADHD and Autism and when I tried to make a cash withdrawal from the Doncaster branch of the aforementioned bank they would not give me my own money because they did not believe what I was spending it on. I produced my autism awareness card but was still treated beneath contempt. Bear in mind I phoned online banking before going in to the bank to make my cash withdrawal and was told that I would encounter no problems. Anyway the cashier said I was basically lying about my intended purchases, then asked me how I wanted my money, gave me the slip of which I signed and then said I could not have my own money. I once more showed her my Autism awareness card, she called the manager who further intimidated me and I left the branch minus my own money, totally distraught and publicly humiliated. When I got home I made a complaint and jokingly said, “What do I have to do to withdraw my own money, wear a mask and brandish a shot gun?” The phone line went dead and then come the weekend I received a visit from the Police, yes the bank reported me to the police for my off the cuff remark, the Policeman saw the joke and advised me to change banks. I replied, the none ethical cooperative bank have given me thirty days notice of closure of an account that I’ve held for over twenty five years. I escalated my complaint and they offered me thirty quid, but I have reported this none ethical bank to the ombudsman, whatever you do don’t open an account with this bank, because they do not want you to have access to your own money and are, given my above experience not disable friendly, uncaring, unfriendly, belligerent and totally without any ethics and discriminatory in their handling of disabled customers. I suggest a name change for this bank to the, “Uncooperative Bank” Reviewed on: 6th December 2021

The Cooperative bank is discriminatory

The cooperative Bank Is Discriminatory The cooperative bank trades on the big selling point of being ethical, what a joke. I have PTSD, ADHD and Autism and when I tried to make a cash withdrawal from the Doncaster branch of the aforementioned bank they would not give me my own money because they did not believe what I was spending it on. I produced my autism awareness card but was still treated beneath contempt. Bear in mind I phoned online banking before going in to the bank to make my cash withdrawal and was told that I would encounter no problems. Anyway the cashier said I was basically lying about my intended purchases, then asked me how I wanted my money, gave me the slip of which I signed and then said I could not have my own money. I once more showed her my Autism awareness card, she called the manager who further intimidated me and I left the branch minus my own money, totally distraught and publicly humiliated. When I got home I made a complaint and jokingly said, “What do I have to do to withdraw my own money, wear a mask and brandish a shot gun?” The phone line went dead and the I received a visit from the Police, who saw the joke and advised me to change banks. I replied, the none ethical cooperative bank have given me thirty days notice of closure of an account that I’ve held for over twenty five years. I escalated my complaint and they offered me thirty quid, but I have reported this none ethical bank to the ombudsman, whatever you do don’t open an account with this bank, because they do not want you to have access to your own money and are given my above experience not disable friendly, uncaring and totally without any ethics and discriminatory in its handling of disabled customers Reviewed on: 6th December 2021

Worst buisness online banking I have ever encountered

If you are a fan of fiddly, over complicated ways of managing your bank account online then this is the bank for you. Want to transfer money from your Coop account to one of your other accounts? Then be prepared to wait for anything from 20 mins to half an hour for your money to get there. Every other bank is instant but I guess the Coop likes to be different. Logging on to your account online involves using a minute card reader with rubber buttons that don't always respond when you press and a very hard to read screen. Once you eventually get in to your account the fun just goes on and on. Everything you want to view or set up like adding or deleting beneficiaries can only be done with this very irritating card reader. Then when you do set one up you can't just go ahead and pay that person/business right away...oh no! You must wait for 24 hours before you are allowed to do that. Why? Who knows! If you have the audacity to try and send money to one of your befeficiaries after 8pm - not a chance. They will hold on to that payment till after 12. And, if your're transferring from one account to a Coop account don't expect them to move all your direct debits and standing orders. Nope. Not happening. If you need to speak to their customer services then be prepared for a min 40 min wait on a premium rate line. All in all I can safely say my blood pressure has risen significantly since I opened this account but I wont be hanging around for long. Reviewed on: 21st November 2021

Appalling in everyway

They don't care about their business customers. My business partner and I have had our business account for 10 years. Coop have prevented us from accessing our account for 8 days now. I have spent hours on hold to be then told no one can tell me why the account is 'frozen' just that I will get a phone call one day. We went into the Leeds branch and while Josh was nice, he couldn't help us The manager didn't bother to even come out of his office to spend 2 minutes with us. We have been unable to pay our wages, our office rent and other bills. No wages means we can't pay our mortgages, bills, buy food etc. It's shocking a bank can do this with no explanation. We also have a HMRC bill to pay soon. If we can't access our account our business will fold, it's that simple. It's shocking no one has called us to explain why. If you are considering opening a business account save yourself the stress which we are now going through not knowing how we are going to pay our personal and business bills. Appalling customer service. Reviewed on: 20th November 2021

If I could make it minus I would

30 minute wait but when I do, because my token is broken I have to wait for a human. BUT then the security questions are so numerous and diverse that I can't even answer them even though I am the only person ever to use the account. Joint up through Federation of Small business and one of the q's is what is my FSB membership number!!! Oh hang on, let me just get that out of my pocket cos I keep that one with me AL the time (not). And it went on with even more ridiculous questions that I am supposed to have like what is the page number of the last statement I had. Cos I carry those around too!!?? Please do not bank with these neandatharls. Reviewed on: 3rd November 2021

Shocking

I cannot believe in this day and age that such archaic banks exist. Call handling times are awful. I received a token to set up online banking. Definitely 1980's style. After passing all the security questions of which there were about 8, including pass codes, spellings. I failed due to not being able to give the exact times of my transactions. Really... go somewhere else to bank. Reviewed on: 27th October 2021

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