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Ethical Banking for Business

At Unity, we believe we have a responsibility to create a fair society for all

Providing safe and sustainable ethical banking

Unity Trust Bank is a specialist business bank with nearly 40 years’ experience of providing sustainable, ethical banking. Our purpose is to help socially minded businesses prosper and address economic, social and environmental needs in local communities.

Our business current accounts give you all you need to control your finances and we provide a truly personal service. As an ethical bank we use our customers’ deposits to fund lending to organisations that share our values.

 

Our 2022 Impact

Keeping people well and safe in their communities

by creating and renovating 890 bed spaces and supporting 493 people with housing and care.

Helping businesses to grow through responsible finance

with £12.8m of lending committed to social purposes organisations.

Ensuring quality education and productive employment

providing 846 day-care spaces and creating and protecting 476 jobs.

Providing a first-class service

with 87% of customers saying they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with our services*.

Source: Unity Trust Bank 2022 Impact Report

*Calculated as the unweighted mean average of 885 customers’ responses to the question ‘Having reflected in detail on the service from Unity Trust, overall, how satisfied are you with your experience of Unity Trust Bank’s service to you?’ Customers scores were provided on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being ‘Extremely dissatisfied’ and 10 being ‘Extremely satisfied’.

 

View Impact Report 2022

Our impact framework

As part of our ‘double bottom-line’ strategy, all customer loans are assessed on the societal impact they will make. We provide ethical banking to help organisations develop and improve facilities and services across these key themes which are aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Health & Wellbeing

Positive, physical and mental health, and wellbeing for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age or religion.

Community Spaces & Services

Creating services and spaces which are accessible to all and improve overall quality of life.

Financial Inclusion

Access to fair and affordable financing through Responsible Finance intermediaries.

Skills, Education & Employment

Skills, training, education and opportunities which provides greater access to inclusive, meaningful, quality employment.

Environment

Protecting the natural environment through renewable energy and sustainable practices.

Discover more

Our customers’ stories

See how our lending helps socially aware businesses create jobs, provide care and develop community facilities across the UK.

We’re here to help

Experience our personal service for yourself. To find out more about banking with Unity, call our UK based Customer Service team on 0345 140 1000.

Choose your Unity Business Current Account

If you’d like to bank with us, select your annual turnover below to choose the right account:

  • Under £100k

    Unity Tier 1 Current Account

    Product Information

    • Account management: UK customer service centre and internet banking
    • Fee: £6 per month
    • Charged: Quarterly
    • Opening deposit: Minimum £500
    • Interest: No credit interest paid
  • £100k to £2m

    Unity Tier 2 Current Account

    Product Information

    • Account management: UK customer service centre or Relationship Manager and internet banking
    • Fee: £6 per month plus 15p per individual credit and debit transaction
    • Charged: Quarterly
    • Opening deposit: Minimum £500
    • Interest: No credit interest paid
  • Above £2m

    Unity Custom Current Account

    Product Information

    • Account management: UK customer service centre or Relationship Manager and internet banking
    • Fee: Negotiated Items
    • Charged: Negotiated Items
    • Opening deposit: Minimum £500
    • Interest: No credit interest paid

How do I switch accounts?

Switch your business bank account to Unity in seven working days with the Current Account Switch Service.

  • Is my business or organisation eligible for the Current Account Switch Service?

    You can use the Current Account Switch Service if your organisation is:

    • An SME (any business type other than a charity or trust) with a turnover of less than or equal to £6.5 million with fewer than 50 employees.
    • A charity with an annual income of less than £6.5 million.
    • A trust with a net asset value of less than £6.5 million.

    Your current bank must also be signed up to the Current Account Switch Service

  • How long does it take to switch business bank account to Unity Trust Bank?

    Once you have opened your new Unity business current account, we will call you to discuss the switch. You will need to complete and return the Current Account Switch Agreement and the Current Account Closure Instruction Form. Once we have received and reviewed these documents, we will call you to arrange a switching date – this is typically within seven working days.

    Please note that the Current Account Switch Agreement and the Current Account Closure Instruction Form must be signed in accordance with your old bank mandate and the signatories that sign the forms must also be on your new account with Unity Trust Bank.

    Your correspondence address with your existing bank must also match the correspondence address on your Unity account.

  • What if I change my mind?

    You can cancel your switch up to seven working days before your switch date. If you do want to cancel, speak to your new bank, who can guide you through this process.

  • What happens to any debit card transactions or Direct Debits that I have asked my old bank to stop?

    The Current Account Switch Service will not interfere with this process and any debit card or Direct Debit transactions that you have asked your bank to stop should remain stopped after you switch.

  • What happens if I need to pay existing overdraft or charges to my existing bank?

    We can arrange a payment to your old bank (up to a maximum limit agreed with you) to cover any existing overdraft or charges, as long as you have enough money in your new Unity account.

    If you’re overdrawn when you switch business bank account, we may be able to help you pay this off (subject to our lending criteria).

  • Will I have to pay any fees on my old account?

    Charges (including debit interest) and fees may be applied to your old account, without giving you the usual notice. To find out more, please contact your old bank.

  • What happens if I don’t want to close my old account?

    If you’d like to keep your old account open and manage your balance transfer, then a ‘partial switch’ could be right for you.

    • All agreed Direct Debits and regular payments will be set up for you.
    • Switching this way may take up to 20 working days to complete but we can keep you informed by phone or email throughout – all we need is your contact number or email address.
    • You’ll need to arrange for any payments going into your account to be transferred.
    • You’ll need to keep money in both your old and new account to cover any payments as this service does not offer automatic redirection.
    • You’ll need to contact any companies that haven’t updated their records so future payments are taken from your Unity current account.

    The Current Account Switch Guarantee, the Current Account Switch Agreement and the Current Account Closure Instruction don’t apply to a partial switch.

  • What if my business doesn’t meet these criteria or I prefer not to use the Current Account Switch Service?

    In some cases, your business may not be eligible to use the Current Account Switch Service, your current bank may not be a member of the service, or you may prefer not to use it. Or perhaps you have another type of account which you’d like to switch. You can still move your account to us, but your switch won’t be covered by the Current Account Switch Guarantee.

    If any of the above scenarios apply, please print, complete and sign the Account Transfer request form and return it to us. Once we’ve received this information, we’ll begin the switching process.

    Download transfer request form