Free business banking push, Mettle by NatWest targets UK freelancers

NatWest Group is leaning on its digital brand Mettle to win over UK freelancers and small businesses with free business banking, in-app invoicing and integration with accounting tools. The app-only account sits alongside NatWest’s core offerings but aims squarely at mobile-first entrepreneurs.

Edited by ad hoc news Flagship & Bestseller Desk. Reviewed before publication on 06/15/2026 at 10:18 AM ET. Details in the imprint.

Mettle by NatWest is pitched as a free, app-only business account for UK sole traders and small companies, combining basic banking with tools for invoices, expenses and tax in a single smartphone interface. NatWest Group uses the standalone brand to test digital features and defend market share against challenger banks targeting freelancers and microbusinesses.

What Mettle offers freelancers and very small firms

Mettle is designed for UK residents who are sole traders or directors of limited companies with up to two owners, offering a UK business account number and sort code with no monthly account fee and no charges for standard UK bank transfers, card payments or ATM withdrawals within fair usage limits. The account currently runs on a Mastercard debit card, supports Faster Payments and can be opened entirely via smartphone, typically in minutes once identity and business checks are completed, according to the official Mettle business account description.

The app focuses on everyday tasks that solo entrepreneurs often manage themselves: users can create and send branded invoices from the app, match incoming payments to those invoices and set automatic reminders for late payments, reducing manual chasing. Mettle also lets customers categorize card transactions and bank transfers, attach receipts and export data, helping to separate business and personal spending and streamline bookkeeping. For small traders who do their own accounts, these functions aim to cut time spent in spreadsheets and lower the risk of missing deductible expenses.

Tax preparation is another focus: Mettle can estimate how much to set aside for income tax and National Insurance based on incoming payments and categorization rules, and it highlights this figure in the interface so users can earmark funds on an ongoing basis rather than scrambling at the end of the tax year. The app connects to cloud accounting packages widely used by UK freelancers, including FreeAgent, Xero and QuickBooks, allowing transaction feeds to flow automatically into accounting ledgers instead of being keyed in by hand, as described in an overview of Mettle’s integrations on Which?’s business account review.

Unlike NatWest’s core business accounts, Mettle is app-first: there are no branches, checkbooks or traditional relationship managers, and customer support takes place via in-app chat and phone. Eligible balances are protected by the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme because the money sits with NatWest, but customers still interact through the Mettle app and brand, a model similar to how incumbents in other markets run digital spin-offs to compete with fintech entrants such as Starling Bank and Tide.

As of mid-2020s, NatWest has progressively expanded Mettle’s features, adding support for Apple Pay and Google Pay, scheduled payments and improved onboarding for limited companies, aligning the product more closely with the needs of side-hustlers turning into full-time businesses. The bank has previously reported that tens of thousands of UK small businesses have signed up to Mettle since its beta phase, framing the service as part of its strategy to grow in the microbusiness segment while simplifying pricing with a no-fee model at the entry level, according to a NatWest Group small-business banking update cited by industry outlet Financial Times coverage of its digital initiatives.

Within NatWest Group’s portfolio, Mettle sits below full-service business banking and commercial accounts, giving the group a way to attract startups, side businesses and freelancers early and potentially convert them to higher-value products as they grow. Shares of NatWest Group (GB00B7T77214) are listed in London and as an ADR on the NYSE; the NYSE-listed ADR last traded at $16.57 on 06/12/2026.

Mettle by NatWest business account in brief

• Product: Mettle business account
• Manufacturer: NatWest Group plc
• Category: Flagship/Bestseller digital business banking
• Launch date: Pilot from 2018, broader UK rollout in subsequent years
• MSRP / Price: No monthly account fee for eligible UK businesses
• Availability: UK-based sole traders and small limited companies via the Mettle mobile app
• Target audience: Freelancers, contractors, side-hustle owners and very small businesses
• Key differentiator / USP: App-only, fee-free UK business account with built-in invoicing, expense tracking and tax estimation tools

This article was a.i.-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without warranty; prices and availability may change at short notice. Not investment advice and not a buy or sell recommendation. Trading involves risk up to and including the total loss of invested capital.