Thousands of small business owners are accusing Santander of breaking its promises after the bank announced it would begin charging £9.99 a month for business accounts it had guaranteed would be “free for ever”.
The controversial move affects long-standing customers who signed up to Santander’s Free Banking Forever tariff—accounts that were marketed with a written guarantee of zero banking fees for life. Despite that pledge, affected customers have now been told they will be charged from October this year.
The decision has ignited fury among sole traders and microbusinesses who say they relied on the guarantee when choosing Santander. “Which part of ‘for ever’ do Santander think doesn’t apply now?” said a business customer since 2005 who wished to stay anonymous. “It’s not just about the money. It’s about trust—and they’ve broken it.”
Santander withdrew its free business banking offer for new customers in 2011, but existing account holders were assured their fee-free terms would continue indefinitely. The bank previously attempted to introduce fees in 2012 but was forced into a U-turn after facing threats of legal action.
Now, more than a decade later, Santander has revived the charges—this time claiming that the original guarantee no longer applies following internal mergers and account migrations.
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