Provider profile · 2026 edition
ClearBank review 2026: scores, fees and alternatives.
A UK clearing bank built for regulated firms, with a sister bank in the Netherlands.
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A UK clearing bank built for regulated firms, with a sister bank in the Netherlands.
ClearBank is ranked in 3 Buckingham Intelligence indices. Its highest score is 4.2 out of 5 (85 out of 100) in the Safeguarding Banks Index, where it ranks 1 of 14. It is strongest for EMIs and PIs needing direct UK and EU scheme access, with 5 out of 5 for who it serves, products, technology and standing. Not published or not stated on the pages read: pricing, onboarding and published pricing.
Also ranked in: Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index (3.3 out of 5, rank 4 of 10) and Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index (3.2 out of 5, rank 6 of 11).
Scores from the Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index, Safeguarding Banks Index and Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For E-money institutions | 85 | 1 of 14 |
| For payment institutions | 85 | 1 of 14 |
| For firms applying for a licence | 86 | 1 of 14 |
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For payment and e-money firms | 76 | 3 of 10 |
| For marketplaces and platforms | 67 | 4 of 10 |
| For businesses collecting from abroad | 55 | 4 of 10 |
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For fintechs launching accounts and cards | 63 | 4 of 11 |
| For software platforms embedding finance | 57 | 6 of 11 |
| For regulated payment and e-money firms | 71 | 4 of 11 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
EMIs and PIs needing direct UK and EU scheme access.
UK payment and e-money firms needing safeguarding and virtual accounts at a bank.
UK payment and e-money firms wanting FSCS-protected accounts and direct UK payment access.
What ClearBank publishes on its own pages, read on 21 and 26 October 2026.
A UK clearing bank built for regulated firms, with a sister bank in the Netherlands. It publishes safeguarding, client money and operating accounts for EMIs and PIs, direct membership of the UK and euro payment schemes, an operating account for firms still applying for a licence, and states it has no minimum volume requirement. It does not publish prices.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Legal status | "ClearBank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN: 754568)." "ClearBank Europe N.V. is authorised by the European Central Bank and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank." Subscriber to the Code of Conduct for Indirect Access Providers. |
| Who it serves | "Safeguarding accounts are for EMIs and Payment Institutions that must segregate end-customer funds under FCA rules." "ClearBank doesn't have any minimum volume requirements." Client types listed include digital asset platforms and pre-regulated firms; it says it has "worked with digital asset companies in the UK since 2019". |
| Products | Safeguarding accounts "held securely at the Bank of England" (GBP) and at DNB and the ECB (EUR); CASS 7 client money accounts; operating accounts; agency banking with sort codes; "Direct membership of Faster Payments Service, CHAPS, Bacs, SEPA Credit, SEPA Instant and T2"; FX; up to 6 million virtual IBANs per master account. |
| Pricing | No figures published. Indirect access page: services are "provided on an ongoing subscription basis" with a standing monthly fee plus implementation, account and transaction charges. |
| Onboarding | "Going live with ClearBank, including KYC, contracting, and integration, typically takes weeks rather than months." Pre-regulated firms: "Open an operating account as you kick off your application journey", with API sandbox access before approval. No document list published. |
| Technology | Accounts opened via API; "real-time statements, and direct scheme access"; virtual IBANs "allocated instantly via API with automated reconciliation"; safeguarding letter provided on request. |
| Protection and scale | Eligible deposits protected by the FSCS up to £120,000; EU national scheme up to €100,000. Published scale: "311+" clients, 4.9m open bank accounts, £20bn in deposits held. |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: clear.bank/products/accounts, clear.bank/faqs/accounts-and-agency-banking, clear.bank/use-cases/pre-regulated, clear.bank/indirect-access-to-uk-payments-system, clear.bank/learn/insights/….
ClearBank is a UK bank that lets regulated firms allocate up to 6 million virtual IBANs or virtual safeguarding and client money accounts from a single parent account, with direct access to Faster Payments, Bacs and CHAPS. It publishes its banking licence, FSCS protection and an integration time. It does not publish prices.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Currencies and markets | Multi-currency IBAN in GBP plus 11 currencies (USD, EUR, CAD, CHF, DKK, NOK, SEK, PLN, CZK, HUF, RON); multi-currency accounts listed as UK only. |
| Account ownership | "Allocate up to 6 million virtual IBANs from a single parent account"; up to 6 million virtual customer segregated or client money accounts; agency banking "Physical accounts, each with their own sort code". |
| Pricing | Not published on the pages read; "no minimum volume requirements". |
| Local rails | Direct connection to Faster Payments, Bacs (including Direct Debit) and CHAPS; EUR held at the European Central Bank. |
| Regulatory standing | ClearBank Limited authorised by the PRA, FRN 754568; FSCS "up to £120,000 per depositor"; ClearBank Europe N.V. authorised by the ECB and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank; FCA-compliant safeguarding letter available. |
| Integration | API; sandbox; "Average API integration takes 30 to 45 days". |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: clear.bank/products/accounts, clear.bank/faqs/accounts-and-agency-banking, clear.bank/products/multi-currency-and-fx, clear.bank/solutions/embedded-banking.
ClearBank is a UK bank authorised by the PRA, with a Dutch subsidiary authorised by the ECB, offering embedded current and savings accounts, Faster Payments and CHAPS, and up to 6 million virtual IBANs per parent account. It publishes deposit protection, an integration time and named fintech clients. It does not publish prices, cards or lending.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Product range | Embedded current accounts, savings accounts, Flexible Cash ISA; "accept payments via Faster Payments and CHAPS"; up to 6 million virtual IBANs; multi-currency accounts in GBP plus 11 currencies. Cards and lending not published. |
| Pricing | Not published on the pages read; "no minimum volume requirements". |
| Licence and deposit protection | ClearBank Limited authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA, FRN 754568; "Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000"; ClearBank Europe N.V. authorised by the ECB and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank. |
| Compliance support | "ClearBank owns the KYC process and sets minimum due diligence standards." |
| Integration | Sandbox "available throughout"; "Average API integration takes 30 to 45 days, with the fastest on record at 14 days." |
| Named clients | Tide, Capital on Tap, Coinbase, Wealthify, Lemfi and Raisin. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: clear.bank/solutions/embedded-banking, clear.bank/products/accounts, clear.bank/products/multi-currency-and-fx, clear.bank/use-cases/fintech, clear.bank/faqs/accounts-and-agency-banking.
Each score with the evidence behind it.
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Safeguarding Banks Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Merchant Bank | 3.8 | 2 of 14 | EU EMIs wanting a published safeguarding tariff |
| Mano Bank | 3.8 | 3 of 14 | EU EMIs and PIs wanting fixed published safeguarding fees |
| Memo Bank | 3.6 | 4 of 14 | EU firms wanting interest on safeguarded euros |
| Magnetiq Bank | 3.5 | 5 of 14 | EEA EMIs and PIs still in the licensing queue |
| Banking Circle | 3.5 | 6 of 14 | Multi-currency safeguarding across the UK and EEA |
| Bank of London | 3.5 | 7 of 14 | Firms opening accounts during authorisation |
| Griffin | 3.2 | 8 of 14 | Dedicated per-customer safeguarding accounts |
| LHV Bank | 3.0 | 9 of 14 | GBP and EUR safeguarding with agency banking |
| Starling Banking Services | 2.8 | 10 of 14 | UK payment firms wanting their own sort code |
| Solaris | 2.2 | 11 of 14 | A second safeguarding account for licensed EMIs and PIs |
| CaixaBank | 2.1 | 12 of 14 | Payment firms licensed or passported into Spain |
| BNY | 1.9 | 13 of 14 | Large EMIs investing safeguarded cash in money market funds |
| Sutor Bank | 1.9 | 14 of 14 | Digital e-money and payment firms using banking as a service |
Full Safeguarding Banks Index ranking
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airwallex | 4.3 | 1 of 10 | Platforms and businesses needing local receiving details in many currencies at published prices |
| Wise Business | 4.0 | 2 of 10 | Small and mid-sized businesses collecting from customers abroad |
| Nium | 3.8 | 3 of 10 | Payment firms and platforms issuing accounts in their customers' names under their own brand |
| Swan | 2.8 | 5 of 10 | European platforms issuing euro accounts with local IBANs to their customers |
| Griffin | 2.8 | 6 of 10 | UK payment, e-money and investment firms needing safeguarding or client money accounts |
| Weavr | 2.6 | 7 of 10 | UK and EU business software giving each client account an IBAN at a fixed monthly price |
| Payoneer | 2.6 | 8 of 10 | Sellers and freelancers collecting from marketplaces and overseas clients |
| Column | 2.5 | 9 of 10 | US fintechs needing FBO accounts and account numbers at a chartered bank |
| Increase | 2.4 | 10 of 10 | US platforms creating many account numbers for reconciliation |
Full Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index ranking
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan | 3.9 | 1 of 11 | European software platforms wanting accounts and cards fast, with no-code screens |
| Solaris | 3.9 | 2 of 11 | European fintechs wanting a licensed bank that carries the compliance work |
| Airwallex | 3.8 | 3 of 11 | Platforms serving business customers in many countries from one integration |
| Weavr | 3.2 | 4 of 11 | UK and EU business software adding accounts and cards at a fixed monthly price |
| Griffin | 3.2 | 5 of 11 | UK fintechs and platforms wanting a bank with published plan tiers and fast onboarding |
| Synctera | 2.8 | 7 of 11 | Fintechs in the US and Canada wanting onboarding and monitoring built in |
| Column | 2.6 | 8 of 11 | US fintechs wanting to build directly on a chartered bank rather than through a middle layer |
| Increase | 2.6 | 9 of 11 | US platforms wanting a fully priced payments and accounts API |
| Unit | 2.4 | 10 of 11 | US software platforms wanting ready-made banking screens |
| Treasury Prime | 1.9 | 11 of 11 | US banks running their own fintech programmes |
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
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