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A middle-aged white male with short grey hair and a trimmed white beard, wears a blue and white plaid shirt under a navy apron. He is stood in front of a fresh fruit and vegetable market stall, carrying a wooden crate of apples, smiling proudly as he tends to his display of quality goods, supporting the community with NatWest.
Community bank account

Do more with a Community bank account

We’re championing the power of community 

What is a not-for-profit bank account?

A Community bank account is designed to meet the needs of charities, clubs and societies. We've designed our Community account to be useful, simple, and easy to understand. So you can spend more time focusing on doing what really matters.

Want to see our other business current accounts? See the range.

An everyday account for charities, clubs and societies

Access award-winning* online accounting software for free for as long as you retain your business current account (optional add-ons may be chargeable).

Digitally sign payments and account changes with other members of your group through Bankline for Communities (available for free for Community account customers with a turnover up to £100k with a minimum of 2 and up to 4 signatories).

24/7 Online Banking and phone banking

Bank anywhere with our mobile banking app

*Friendliest Software of the Year, Institute of Certified Bookkeepers Luca Awards 2025.

Before you apply...

To open a Community bank account, you’ll need the personal details (including their home address for the last 3 years) of all partners, members, directors or trustees of the business as listed at Companies House or the Charity Commission. You’ll also need your business details, including your company’s registration number (provided by Companies House) if you’re a limited company. All the details are in the "Apply now" section, which will help you to prepare.

You can apply for free banking if you're an existing NatWest personal or business banking customer*, and your Community account's annual credit turnover is less than £100,000**.

*At least one of the parties named in the application must have an existing NatWest account/mortgage with us. Products such as credit cards don't meet the criteria - if there is no existing NatWest relationship your application will be declined.
** If your turnover exceeds £100k, your account will be moved onto our Standard Tariff. Fees & charges apply.

Apply for our Community bank account

Got 10 minutes to fill in your application? Lets get started.

Great, first let's check if you're eligible to apply.

  • You’re aged 18 or over
  • You’re the owner or director of the business
  • At least one person on the application is a UK resident
  • Your business is registered for UK income or corporation tax
  • You haven’t been declared bankrupt or received a County Court Judgement or Court Decree

 

If your business is based in Scotland

 

Next, review the information below

 

Take a moment to read each section, including the documents under ‘Important documents’. You’ll be asked later to confirm that you’ve read and understood these documents.

Which are you?
OK, so you're an existing customer. Is this new bank account for...
Which option best describes your business?
If your annual turnover is over £2 million, you’ll need to provide evidence of this when you apply. If you can’t provide this, select the first option.

Apply online in minutes

What you’ll need

  1. We’ll need a few details about your business
  2. We may use our partner Mitek to check your identity. You can see which documents are accepted on our Mitek page.
  3. Once we have everything, we’ll review your application and get in touch.

By starting an online application, you agree to:

  • Identity checks via Mitek
  • A credit check for everyone on the application

Prefer to call us?

You can call us to start your application – Discover how you can get in touch.

After the call, you’ll need to take your documents into a branch or to a professional service provider to verify your identity.

Please bear in mind you may need to wait a few days for an appointment.

Apply online in minutes

What you’ll need

  1. We’ll need a few details about your business
  2. We may use our partner Mitek to check your identity. You can see which documents are accepted on our Mitek page.
  3. Once we have everything, we’ll review your application and get in touch.

By starting an online application, you agree to:

  • Identity checks via Mitek
  • A credit check for everyone on the application

Prefer to call us?

You can call us to start your application – Discover how you can get in touch.

After the call, you’ll need to take your documents into a branch or to a professional service provider to verify your identity.

Please bear in mind you may need to wait a few days for an appointment.

Do you have a Relationship Manager?

Call your Relationship Manager

You should have a direct number for them. You can discuss applying for an additional business account. They can start the application for you and arrange to get the appropriate signatures.


When can I call?

Business and Relationship Managers are available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

No problem, we can still help.

You can use the form below to open an additional account.

Alternatively, you can call us on 0345 711 4477, or use the Relay UK Service: 18001 0345 711 4477.

More information on accessibility.

Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. To see how much your call might cost, visit the call charge information page.

Which option best describes your business?
If your annual turnover is over £2 million, you’ll need to provide evidence of this when you apply. If you can’t provide this, select the first option.

Apply online in minutes

What you’ll need

  1. We’ll need a few details about your business
  2. We may use our partner Mitek to check your identity. You can see which documents are accepted on our Mitek page.
  3. Once we have everything, we’ll review your application and get in touch.

By starting an online application, you agree to:

  • Identity checks via Mitek
  • A credit check for everyone on the application

Prefer to call us?

You can call us to start your application – Discover how you can get in touch.

After the call, you’ll need to take your documents into a branch or to a professional service provider to verify your identity.

Please bear in mind you may need to wait a few days for an appointment.

Apply online in minutes

What you’ll need

  1. We’ll need a few details about your business
  2. We may use our partner Mitek to check your identity. You can see which documents are accepted on our Mitek page.
  3. Once we have everything, we’ll review your application and get in touch.

By starting an online application, you agree to:

  • Identity checks via Mitek
  • A credit check for everyone on the application

Prefer to call us?

You can call us to start your application – Discover how you can get in touch.

After the call, you’ll need to take your documents into a branch or to a professional service provider to verify your identity.

Please bear in mind you may need to wait a few days for an appointment.

Already started an application?

Log in to continue or check the status of your application in our online application centre.

You can use the same details you created when you applied for your community account. If you haven’t already set up access to your online application centre, you can create a login now.

Current Account Switch Guarantee

Free banking on everyday transactions for 2 years when you switch to us

If you've got an annual turnover of up to £2m and switch your business account to us using the full Current Account Switch Service, we'll give you 2 years of free banking on everyday transactions.

Everything will be moved across from your old account to your new account for you, all within 7 working days, including Direct Debits and Standing Orders.

Current Account Switch Guarantee (PDF, 40 KB)

Your Guide to switching your account to us (PDF, 2.3 MB)

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Managing your Community account has never been easier

Visit our servicing hub for instant access to managing your business accounts, loans, credit cards and any other business service you have from NatWest. 

Community cash flow support

From time to time, you may need more than a bank account to manage your cash flow. Here are some other ways we could support your charity, club or community organisation.

Loans and finance options

Explore options based on your size, your needs, and your goals.

Security may be required. Product fees may apply. Subject to Status. Eligibility criteria apply.

See your options

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Business credit card

No annual fee for the first year (normally £30). Plus, you can manage your account with the ClearSpend app*.


Eligibility criteria apply. Security may be required. Product fees may apply. Subject to Status.

Our credit card features

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The flexibility of an overdraft

Our business overdraft helps you prepare for the unexpected. You’ll only pay interest on what you borrow.

Security may be required. Product fees may apply. Subject to Status. Eligibility criteria apply.

Find out about overdrafts

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Business savings accounts

Make your money work as hard as you do with a Business Savings account. 

Eligibility criteria apply. 

View all business savings accounts

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Get to know Bankline for Communities

Managing your money has never been this straightforward. With Bankline for Communities, you can set up multiple users and digitally sign payments together – just like co-signing a cheque!

If you have a Community bank account, a minimum of 2 and up to 4 signatories and an annual turnover less than £100,000, you're eligible for Bankline for Communities.

  • Manage money safely together
  • Secure access and clever controls to keep your accounts safe
  • Raise and approve payments as a team with dual control
  • View all your balances and transactions online at any time
  • Easily add and manage users in your group
  • Zero fees – no extra fees to those associated with your business current account.

Interested? Learn more about Bankline for Communites.

Questions about this account?

Need more information before you apply?

Info about charges

If you’re a not-for-profit organisation, we’ll offer you free banking as long as your annual credit turnover doesn’t exceed £100,000. This means you won’t be charged a service charge as long as your organisation remains eligible. We’ll monitor your turnover and if we identify that you’ve exceeded £100,000 in any 12-month period, we will contact you to tell you that you’ll start to incur fees at the Standard Tariff listed for your everyday transactions.

Business Account Charges Booklet (PDF, 77 KB)

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Your money is protected

Your eligible deposits held by a UK establishment of NatWest are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK's deposit guarantee scheme. Any deposits you hold above the limit are unlikely to be covered.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme Guide (PDF, 45 KB)

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Business account terms

Read our Business account terms document.

Business Account Terms (PDF, 272 KB)

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