Charitable Bank Account

• The Charitable Bank Account is available for customers within our Small Business Banking and Business Banking* segments.
• Our eligibility criteria broadly aligns with the definitions of charitable organisations set out in the Charities Act 2011. This means not all not-for-profit organisations will be eligible. Check the following criteria to see if your organisation may be eligible before applying.
• The organisation must:
  • be established as a not-for-profit organisation
  • not operate for the benefit of shareholders, or for the generation or distribution of profit.
  • not be a political party who field candidates for elections. However, it can carry out political activity or non-political campaigning activity if it clearly supports the delivery or furthering of its not-for-profit purpose.

If your organisation doesn’t meet all of the criteria above, please view our Business Current Accounts here

• The main purpose of the organisation must also be for any one or more of the following:
  
  • Prevention or relief of poverty,¹
  • Advancement of education²
  • Advancement of religion³
  • Advancement of health or the saving of lives⁴
  • Advancement of citizenship or community development⁵
  • Advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science⁶
  • Advancement of amateur sport⁷
  • Advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity.
  • Advancement of environmental protection or improvement⁸
  • Relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship⁹
  • The advancement of animal welfare¹⁰
  • The promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown, or of the efficiency of the police, fire and rescue services or ambulance services.
  • Any other purpose currently recognised as charitable or which can be recognised as charitable by analogy to, or within the spirit of, purposes falling within 1 to 12¹¹

*Small Business Banking customers are typically small enterprises (including not-for-profits) with borrowing needs of up to £100k. Their everyday transactional banking products and needs wouldn’t require the support of a Relationship Manager. (Government lending schemes are subject to different limits.)

Business Banking customers are typically small and medium sized enterprises (including not-for-profits) with product needs that require support through a dedicated Relationship Manager, who work alongside our specialist teams. Our Relationship Managers can provide transactional banking and funding solutions of over £100k (both domestically and internationally).

¹such as providing services or grants, either directly or indirectly, to individuals in need in order to alleviate poverty, to enable them to generate a sustainable income and/or help them become self-sufficient – for example, the homeless, unemployed, refugees, asylum seekers and dependents of any of them

²such as awarding people scholarships, maintenance allowances or grants, providing or assisting schools to provide facilities or equipment for education

³ such as providing places of worship, raising awareness and understanding of religious beliefs and practices

⁴ includes the prevention of sickness, disease or human suffering, including by funding medical research, as well as providing or funding medical treatment, care and healing and providing disaster relief

⁵ including the promotion of civic responsibility and good citizenship (for example, Scouts, Guides, Rotary, Round Table), promotion of urban and rural regeneration and the promotion of volunteering

⁶ to promote and encourage the arts such as drama, ballet, music, singing, literature, sculpture, painting, cinema, the promotion of crafts and craftsmanship and the preservation and maintenance of historic or significant buildings, landscapes, cultures or traditions

⁷ includes advancing or providing facilities for any sports or games which promote health by involving physical or mental skill exertion

⁸ concerned with conservation of particular geographical areas or features or the conservation of particular plant or animal species or habitats

⁹ or other disadvantage including supporting the victims of crime

¹⁰ to prevent or suppress cruelty to animals and improve their wellbeing, including conservation (for example, zoos)

¹¹ or any other purpose recognised as charitable under the law of England

If your organisation doesn’t meet one of the above purposes, you do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Charitable Bank Account. One of our Business Current Accounts may be a more suitable alternative, find out more here

If your organisation meets the Charitable Bank Account eligibility criteria, please see the options below. If your organisation doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria then one of our Business Current Accounts may be a more suitable option, click here to find out more.

Apply online if:

• You’re a club, society or association
• Your organisations turnover is £2m or less
• You have less than 4 people to add to your application
• Your key controllers are all based in the UK

All key controllers can complete their details in their own time, and you can upload the supporting documents we’ll need to process your application. Click the “Apply now” button at the top of this page to begin your application.

• Global Payments, HSBC’s preferred supplier of card merchant services, offer a variety of solutions with the charity and not for profit sector in mind. Find out more about the solutions here.
• Your organisation may also want to consider digital banking solutions such as Business Internet Banking and the HSBC UK Business Banking app so that you can make payments and manage your accounts online.
• If cash and cheque are still a key part of how you operate you can access key banking services at HSBC UK or Post Office® branches nationwide.

The Current Account Switch Service makes switching to HSBC easy. All you need to do to get started is open a Business Current Account. Then, you can depend on us to make the switch process simple and straightforward. Once you have opened the account, you decide when you want to start the switching process.

Who is eligible for the new Current Account Switch Service

• Businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding £6.5m and employs fewer than fifty employees.
• Charities with an annual income of less than £6.5m and trusts with a net asset value of less than £6.5m.

Once your account has been opened, switching to HSBC is simple and hassle free using the 'Full' Current Account Switch Service.

Any credits or debits sent to your old bank account will be redirected automatically to your new account, giving you plenty of time to make sure you're happy that everything is as it should be.

If you change your mind

You can cancel the switch service up to the seventh working day before your switch date. After that only certain elements can be cancelled and the closure of your old account cannot be stopped. We will guide you through what will happen if you choose to cancel.

If you are switching out of HSBC UK into another UK based financial institution, we will send out a list of your Direct Debits and Standing Orders within 5 working days to your new bank. We will transfer out the balance and close the account on the switch date as confirmed by your new bank.

If your new bank or building society agrees, bank accounts that include an overdraft can switch using the Current Account Switch Service. And if you’d like to have an overdraft with your new bank account, speak to your new bank or building society before starting your switch.

Your new bank or building society will be able to advise if you’re eligible for an overdraft, dependent on their lending criteria and your credit status.

Third Party Provider Permission

If you’ve given permissions to Third Party Providers to make payments on your behalf, or to access your financial data, this won’t be transferred automatically to your new account as part of the Current Account Switch Service.

1. Before you close your old account, check whether you have any of these permissions set up. If so, make a note of who with. You can see the permissions you have via Open Banking Connections available in Online Banking or in your Mobile Banking app.

2. Once your new account is open, you can give your permission to the Third Party Provider to access it. You’ll need to contact them directly and provide your new account details.

3. If you’re unsure if your new bank will allow the Third Party Provider to access your account, you’ll need to discuss this before switching. You can also check your new bank’s terms and conditions for more information about Third Party Providers.