Comparison · 2026 edition
Ebury vs Virgin Money (Nationwide): trade finance compared 2026.
Ebury and Virgin Money (Nationwide) side by side in the Trade Finance Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
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Ebury and Virgin Money (Nationwide) side by side in the Trade Finance Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Trade Finance Index, Ebury scores higher overall: 3.2 out of 5 (65 out of 100) against 3.0 (60), ranking 3 and 5 of 14. Ebury also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Ebury | Virgin Money (Nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Score out of 100 | 65 | 60 |
| Overall rank | 3 of 14 | 5 of 14 |
| For importers (out of 100) | 64, rank 2 | 60, rank 5 |
| For exporters (out of 100) | 65, rank 3 | 57, rank 6 |
| For wholesalers (out of 100) | 66, rank 2 | 62, rank 4 |
| Type | UK e-money institution with trade lending | UK building society (Nationwide) |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Ebury | Virgin Money (Nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| Products | 4/5 Supplier payment finance for imports and export invoice finance with buyer credit are published. | 5/5 Letters of credit, collections, guarantees, import and export loans, bill discounting and a UKEF-backed facility are published. |
| Published cost | 2/5 No standard rate; the only figure is an illustrative 0.5% a month in a worked import example, plus published zero set-up and early repayment fees. | 3/5 Commissions and minimums for trade services are published; loan pricing is not. |
| Facility size and tenor | 4/5 GBP 50,000 to GBP 5 million with 150 days to repay; the minimum sits above the scale's under-$50,000 floor. | 3/5 Only the General Export Facility maximum (GBP 31.25 million, up to two years) is published. |
| Speed | 3/5 Set-up within two weeks is published; drawdown on signing. | 0/5 No processing times published. |
| Access | 3/5 Published minimums (GBP 1M revenue, two years), but countries are not listed and a guarantee may occasionally be required. | 2/5 UK businesses only, with published export criteria for the UKEF facility. |
| Standing | 4/5 FCA-authorised e-money institution (900797); the lending entity and funding source are not named. | 5/5 A deposit-taking UK building society with FSCS protection. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Trade Finance Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 21 October 2026.
| Fact | Ebury | Virgin Money (Nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | 'Ebury Partners UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution (reference number: 900797).' EU: Ebury Partners Belgium NV/SA, a payment institution (Spanish branch supervised by the Bank of Spain, registration 6889). The financing pages do not name the lending entity: 'availability depends on the entity's regulatory permissions'. | Tariff issued by 'Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money)'. Following court approval on 23 February 2026, Virgin Money's business transferred to Nationwide on 2 April 2026; 'Nationwide is now your account provider'. FSCS 'protects eligible deposits up to £120,000 per person'. |
| Products | Supplier Payment Finance, an unsecured credit line to pay suppliers, raw materials and freight 'in most currencies'. Trade finance page: import finance (repay 'up to 150 days later') and export finance ('Provide your buyers credit': 90% of the invoice paid up front, buyers repay 'up to 120 days later'). | Import and export letters of credit, documentary collections, international guarantees and bonds, import and export trade loans, avalisations and bill discounting, and the General Export Facility (UK Export Finance backed). |
| Published cost | Set-up costs £0; interest only on the amount drawn 'at a rate pre-decided and mentioned in your terms and conditions'; 'zero fees for early repayment and any unused credit'. The trade finance page's worked example uses a 'Representative example of 0.5% per month funding cost'; no standard rate published. | International trade tariff: import LC 'Opened 0.35% per first 3 months or part thereof. Min £75.00', then 0.12% a month; export LC advising GBP 50, acceptance 0.15% a month (min GBP 50); sight collections 0.275% (min GBP 30, max GBP 100); usance collections 0.4% (min GBP 40, max GBP 120); guarantees '2.5% per annum' plus GBP 160 establishment fee. Trade loan pricing not published; General Export Facility: 'Arrangement fees are payable every year'. |
| Facility size and tenor | 'Access unsecured credit lines from £50K to £5M.' 'Sell your goods and repay Ebury within 150 days.' | General Export Facility 'up to a maximum equivalent £31.25m', standard terms up to 2 years (up to 5 with approval). Other sizes and tenors not published. |
| Speed | Account and credit line set-up 'usually takes up to two weeks'; funds 'available to draw and pay your suppliers as soon as you sign your T&Cs'. | Processing times not published. |
| Who can apply | Operating revenue of GBP 1M or more; tangible net worth above GBP 100,000; at least 2 years of trading. Countries not listed: 'Ebury's product offerings may vary based on your country of origin.' Unsecured; 'In rare cases, we may require a personal or cross-company guarantee'. | Business 'must be based and operate in the UK', excluding the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland; applicants 18 or over. General Export Facility: at least 5% export sales in each of the last three years, or over 20% in any one year. |
| Funding and history | Client funds held in separate accounts under safeguarding and client money rules. Funding source for the credit line not named. | A UK building society taking FSCS-protected deposits; 'Virgin Money are members of the UK Government Export Finance Scheme'. |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 | 21 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Ebury: published cost, who can apply, funding and history, access and standing.
Not published or not stated by Virgin Money (Nationwide): published cost, facility size and tenor and speed.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: ebury.com/products/financing/…, ebury.com/en/supplier-payment-finance, ebury.com/trade-finance, ebury.com/group-legal-entities; and uk.virginmoney.com/business/…, uk.virginmoney.com/downloads/pdf/business/…, uk.virginmoney.com/business/…, uk.virginmoney.com/nationwide-transfer/….
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Unsecured import finance with FX in one account.
UK exporters using a UK Export Finance backed facility.
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