Santander faces backlash over business account charges previously promised as free forever

Santander has come under fire from customers after announcing plans to introduce charges for business accounts that were originally guaranteed to be “free for ever”. Thousands of small business owners received notifications that they would face a monthly fee of £9.99 starting from October, despite written assurances provided when the accounts were opened.

The row centres around accounts originally offered by Abbey National, the bank Santander took over in 2004. In 2005, sole trader Dave Lawrence opened a business account under the “Free Banking Forever” tariff, backed by a promise in writing that he would never have to pay banking fees. Lawrence expressed outrage at the new charges, stating: “Which part of for ever do Santander think doesn’t apply now?”

The situation has drawn sharp criticism from other customers as well. Graphic designer Jennifer Iles specifically signed up for the account because of the lifelong free promise. “I objected when Santander tried to impose charges in 2012, and now they are attempting it again while denying any obligation. They won’t backtrack without a fight,” Iles said. This is not the first time Santander has attempted to scrap the free-for-ever accounts, as a previous attempt in 2012 led to customer backlash and threats of legal action.

Santander has defended the move, stating that the transfer of legacy accounts into its Business Every Day account in 2015 effectively removed the “free for ever” guarantee. A spokesperson explained: “The business banking landscape has changed significantly over the past decade. To meet evolving customer needs sustainably, we are updating our account offerings as a first step.”

However, customers like Lawrence and Iles claim they were never informed that the terms of their original accounts had been withdrawn during the migration. Lawrence argued, “Had I knowingly signed up for a £9.99 monthly fee account, that would’ve been my choice, but I opened an account with a promise in writing that it would always be free. This is about principle, not the amount charged.”

Santander’s decision is expected to spark further frustration from long-standing customers and could raise wider questions over the fairness of revising terms on legacy accounts that were built on specific guarantees.