What’s the best business bank account for e-commerce companies? 7 options
Last update: 14 May 2025
If you’re in the market for the best business bank account for e-commerce, it’s likely that your current banking solution – if you have one at all – doesn’t have the features you need. Maybe you’re:
- Managing many different accounts for every marketplace you sell on
- Struggling to set up bank accounts in the various countries and currencies in which you want to scale
- Paying too much in account management or foreign exchange fees and they’re eating into your margins
- Unable to directly connect with different marketplaces (and so you’re affected by hidden fees)
- Waiting too long for your e-commerce revenue to clear when sending it across borders
In this guide, we share seven options of business accounts for e-commerce brands – to make both your life easier and your business more profitable.
We’ll introduce you to our World Account, WorldFirst’s all-in-one multi-currency account designed around the needs of global e-commerce businesses. Then we’ll share some alternative accounts that could be a good fit.
We cover:
- Five key considerations for e-commerce brands when looking for a business account
- The best business accounts for e-commerce compared
- World Account: The all-in-one multi-currency account that helps e-commerce businesses grow globally
- How WorldFirst supports Wild & Stone to build a global sustainable brand
- Juni Business Account
- Wise Business
- Shopify Balance
- HSBC Business Banking Account
- Barclays Business
- Monzo Business
Want to sell on e-commerce marketplaces globally while saving on FX fees? Open a World Account today.
5 key considerations for e-commerce brands when looking for a business bank account
As an e-commerce brand – particularly if you’re operating globally – you’ll have really specific needs from a business bank account. While you may be tempted to simply use a generic business account to manage your money, these typically don’t offer the features (such as multi-currency accounts) that you’ll benefit from when scaling globally.
E-commerce businesses have most success when using a business account with the following:
- Direct connections with e-commerce platforms. While you can use any bank account to withdraw money from an e-commerce marketplace, you want to be aware of hidden fees and slow payment processing times. Instead, choose an account with integrations or direct connections with marketplaces, which enable you to withdraw money faster and more cheaply.
- Local account details in the regions in which you’re selling. If you’re selling in different markets globally, you’ll typically need local account details in each market in order to receive funds. With a conventional bank, you’d have to create a separate bank account with a new bank in each region. However, there are business accounts out there that provide local account details in local currencies from just one account – so you can manage your global currency accounts in one place.
- Multi-currency functionality and fast international transfers. In order to generate local account details, a business account needs to work in different currencies. If you have ambitions to scale globally, the more currencies the better.
You’ll also benefit from finding an account provider that offers fast transactions between these currencies, for improved cash flow and to make it easier to pay your suppliers. If you’re relying on conventional banks, you’ll have to wait up to six days for SWIFT transfers to clear. Some business accounts for e-commerce, on the other hand, can dramatically reduce this time.
- A digital platform to manage all your transactions. If, like most e-commerce brands, you’re using different accounts for each marketplace or region, it’s hard to get visibility on all your transactions and to reconcile payments. Having a single platform to manage all your e-commerce income and expenses is indispensable.
- Low costs and transparent fees. Margins are tight in e-commerce. As such, it doesn’t help that many banks aren’t very transparent about how much they charge. Choose an option with low fees – and that’s upfront about its costs.
The best business accounts for e-commerce compared
| Currencies available | Marketplace and payment platform connections | Maintenance fees | Bank transfer fees | Trustpilot rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Account | Local accounts in 20+ currencies | 130+ connections | Pay nothing to open an account and hold money | Local payments cost as little as £0.30 | 4.2 (3,000+ reviews) |
| Juni Business Account | Accounts in 5+ currencies¹ | Integrations with Amazon and Shopify² | From £19 a month for basic plan³ | Up to 1.8% for card payments⁴ | 4.3 (400+ reviews) |
| Wise Business | Receive payments in 9 currencies. Transfer to 50+ currencies⁵ | Connections with Amazon, Etsy and Shopify⁶ | £45 for setup⁷ | Flat rates to receive money (rate depends on the currency⁷) | 4.3 (250k+ reviews) |
| Shopify Balance | 10+ currencies⁸ | Shopify’s native financial account | £1 a month for 3 months, then from £19 a month⁹ | Zero transaction fees¹⁰ | 1.3 (3,000+ reviews) |
| HSBC Business Banking Account | 4 currency accounts¹¹ | No connections to marketplaces | Free banking for 12 months. However, additional charges apply for international businesses¹² | All international transactions incur a minimum fee of £0.20¹² | 3.4 (11k+ reviews) |
| Barclays Business | 16+ currency accounts¹³ | No connections to marketplaces | Free for first 12 months, £8.50 thereafter¹⁴ | Transaction fees start from £0.35, but depend on the currency and type of payment¹⁴ | 1.8 (12k+ reviews) |
| Monzo Business | 40+ currencies¹⁵ | No mention of marketplace connections | A free plan is available, but Team account is £25 a month¹⁶ | No additional fees for international transactions | 4.5 (47k+ reviews) |
1. World Account: The all-in-one multi-currency account that helps e-commerce businesses grow globally
We’ll kick off this list with our own account for e-commerce businesses: the World Account.
We know the struggles that e-commerce brands face when selling in different regions. Put simply, it’s a real headache to set up local accounts, in different currencies, in order to sell in different markets.
At WorldFirst, we created the World Account to make this easier. With its connections with 130+ online marketplaces and payment platforms – and the opportunity to get local account details in 20+ different currencies – the World Account is a smarter, simpler, and faster way to manage global payments.
Plus, you can manage your finances from all the marketplaces on which you sell globally on one single platform.
Here are some reasons why you should open a World Account today.
Open local accounts in the regions where you’re selling
If you’re a growing UK-based e-commerce brand, there’ll likely come a time when you want to sell your products in Europe or the US. However, there are obstacles involved that you might not expect.
One of the biggest hassles is that, if you want to sell on Amazon US, for instance, you need to have a local US account in order to set up a profile and withdraw funds. This is particularly difficult because you typically can’t set up an account without a physical presence in the country.
With a World Account, on the other hand, your e-commerce brand can open multiple local accounts – with local details – in a matter of moments, so you can get paid like a local. With WorldFirst, you won’t need any overseas banking relationship at all.
You can set up an account in 20+ currencies and receive your sales income in the local currency of each market you sell in. This allows you to send and receive money via local payment networks, so you get paid faster by marketplaces and payment gateways, and can make quicker payments to any local suppliers and employees.
What’s more, there aren’t any fees to open or hold an account – and no paperwork or in-person processes are required at application. This means no more headaches associated with setting up your global payments.
If you want to, with a World Account, you can also use virtual cards (issued by Mastercard) to pay online in different regions and currencies. This makes it easy to manage business expenses by assigning separate card details to different platforms.
Connect directly with 130+ marketplaces and platforms to get paid faster – all from a single platform
As an e-commerce business, you’ll likely be using digital marketplaces such as Amazon, TikTok Shop, or Etsy. If you’re selling on your own site, you’ll still be using third-party e-commerce payment platforms like Stripe, Shopify, or PayPal to collect and process payments.
With a World Account, you’ll be connected with 100+ marketplaces and 30+ payment gateways around the world, to make it easier for you to manage your global payments.
With platforms including Amazon and TikTok Shop, you can withdraw your sales proceeds on the same day – in the local currency – instead of waiting several days. And you don’t need to have a separate account for each marketplace. Instead, all your global revenues will flow into the same e-commerce account.
This allows you to manage all of your currency accounts in a single online platform, so you have better visibility over spending, sales and profits. With WorldFirst’s fully digital experience, you’ll get real-time clarity on your finances and account balances.
What’s more, WorldFirst has integrations with accounting software such as Xero and NetSuite to help small business owners more easily manage their invoicing, bookkeeping and business finances.
Save on transaction fees and FX charges to protect your profit margins
You don’t need high transaction fees to eat into your tight profit margins even further.
At WorldFirst, we help keep the cost of business transactions low. You’ll benefit from low fees on FX conversions, with no minimum balances or payment limits. And as you’ve seen, you won’t have to pay anything to open an account, receive payments or hold funds.
When it comes to FX, we offer highly competitive rates, along with tools to help you make the most of them. You can lock in a conversion rate, or set up alerts for when the exchange rate hits your target. It makes it much easier to maximise your global revenues.
Get all the help you need with reliable global account management
Scaling globally doesn’t come without its hiccups. But while other banks might leave you to face these challenges alone, at WorldFirst we’re always here to help.
Alongside your dedicated account manager, we also have customer support teams around the world – so you can be sure you have the support you need when and where you need it.
Open a World Account today
It couldn’t be easier to open a World Account. Simply complete this form with some key details about your business. We’ll review your application in a maximum of two days. Once your account is active, you can open currency accounts in 20+ currencies and start receiving your e-commerce profits.
- Open 20+ local currency accounts and get paid like a local
- Pay suppliers, partners and staff worldwide in 100+ currencies
- Collect payments for free from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Etsy, PayPal and Shopify
- Save with competitive exchange rates on currency conversions and transfers
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months for cash flow certainty
How WorldFirst supports Wild & Stone to build a global sustainable brand
Wild & Stone is a UK-based brand selling sustainable plastic-free alternatives to household products such as hair ties and toothbrushes.
The company’s strategy was to leverage international e-commerce marketplace such as Amazon to grow globally. But expanding into the US market, for instance, brought unexpected costs – including shipping costs for transport within the US.
One area where Wild & Stone haven’t faced challenges, though, has been in managing international payment.
“I came from a business prior to Wild & Stone where we’d been using WorldFirst, so WorldFirst was my go-to option for international currencies, paying and receiving,” says Andrew Dowley, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Wild & Stone.
This made it much easier for the company to receive payouts in local currency.
“Amazon only pays out in local currency. So let’s say I’m trading in the US, Amazon will only pay out in US dollars. If I’m trading in Germany, they will only pay out in euros,” says Andrew.
“WorldFirst provides an account that collects money in the currency of the platform you’re selling on. So that could be USD, Canadian dollars, euros, Mexican pesos, Australian dollars or even GBP.”
These multi-currency accounts enable Wild & Stone to pay suppliers around the world much more quickly too.
“I could send ten, twenty thousand [dollars] to China within two minutes and that money will be in their account tomorrow.”
Read the full case study: Wild & Stone: Scaling a sustainable brand through marketplaces
2. Juni Business Account
Juni is a business financial management platform that brings together accounting features, expense management, business loans, and other financial services. As part of this offering, it also provides users with a business bank account.
With Juni, you can hold accounts in five different currencies – GBP, EUR, SWE, NOK and USD – and connect with some of the biggest e-commerce marketplaces and payment platforms. Note that transfers between currencies and accounts can cost up to 1.8%.
To access the business account, you’ll need to sign up for Juni’s entire platform. This costs £19 in monthly fees at the time of writing for the basic plan.
3. Wise Business
Wise is a well-known foreign exchange platform that has traditionally been aimed at expats. However, it also has an online business account offering – Wise Business – that can be a good fit for e-commerce brands, as well as other startups, entrepreneurs and limited companies.
The platform has a wide range of currencies available and you can open receiving accounts in 18 currencies. Wise also lets you receive funds directly from some marketplaces, including Amazon and Etsy.
In terms of costs, one thing to be aware of is that Wise has a setup fee of £45.
4. Shopify Balance
Like Juni, Shopify Balance isn’t strictly a business bank account. However, it does have many features that you’d expect from one. Given that Shopify is a platform specifically for e-commerce, it could be a good fit for your business.
You can’t access Shopify Balance without using Shopify to begin with. However, as an e-commerce brand, you may be using the platform already.
If you’re not currently signed up to Shopify, plans start from £19 a month. The benefit is that it includes free transactions.
5. HSBC Business Banking Account
HSBC’s Business Banking Account is the main product for businesses offered by this well-known traditional bank. It’s not specifically built for e-commerce brands, meaning it may not meet all your business needs.
For instance, you can open accounts in four currencies, although there are fees for international transactions. Plus, HSBC’s business account doesn’t have direct connections with e-commerce marketplaces, meaning withdrawals are typically slower.
That said, if you’re looking for banking services with a familiar name, this could be a good fit.
6. Barclays Business
Barclays is another major high street bank. While it’s a UK-based financial institution, its business current account provides you with support to scale globally. For instance, it offers currency accounts in 16 currencies.
Barclays’s business account is free for the first year, but you’ll pay £8.50 per month to hold an account thereafter. Plus, transaction fees start at £0.35, but depend on the currency in which you’re sending money.
Be aware that Barclays doesn’t offer connections to international e-commerce marketplaces.
7. Monzo Business
Monzo is a UK-based digital banking specialist offering accounts for individuals, businesses and sole traders. It’s known as one of the best banks for customer service. As an e-commerce brand, you can use Monzo Business to hold, receive and pay in 40+ currencies.
A free plan is available for businesses, but if you want the full offering you need to upgrade to Team – which will cost you £25 every month. You won’t pay any additional fees for international transactions.
Please note that Monzo’s website doesn’t mention connections to e-commerce marketplaces. If that’s something you need, this may not be the best choice for you.
Open a World Account today and start scaling your e-commerce business globally
In this guide, we’ve shared seven options for business bank accounts for e-commerce brands. If you’re hoping to grow your business abroad, you’ll now know some of the key features to look for in an account – including multi-currency accounts and marketplace connections, as well as low fees for international transactions.
Open a World Account today and you’ll be able to:
- Open local receiving accounts in 20+ currencies
- Connect easily with 100+ marketplaces and 30+ payment platforms
- Take advantage of fast, affordable international transfers
- Manage all your e-commerce spending in one intuitive platform
Ready to start growing your e-commerce business globally? Sign up for a World Account today.
Sources
- https://www.juni.co/why-juni
- https://help.juni.co/en/articles/101838-how-can-i-integrate-my-storefronts-with-juni
- https://www.juni.co/price-plans
- https://www.juni.co/price-plans
- https://wise.com/gb/business/get-paid-by-amazon
- https://wise.com/gb/business/get-paid-by-amazon
- https://wise.com/gb/pricing/business
- https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/store-currency/payouts-in-multiple-currencies
- https://www.shopify.com/uk/pricing
- https://www.shopify.com/balance
- https://www.business.hsbc.uk/en-gb/products/foreign-currency-account
- https://www.business.hsbc.uk/en-gb/products/business-banking-account
- https://www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking/business-abroad/foreign-currency-accounts/available-currencies/
- https://www.barclays.co.uk/content/dam/documents/business/Accounts/B0213_BAR0324764636-001_PN8206607_9918661_UK_0324_WCAG.pdf
- https://monzo.com/business-banking/get-paid
- https://monzo.com/business-banking
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