Starling Launches Free tools to Slash SME Finance Costs

Starling Bank has introduced two free digital tools for its small business customers, aiming to cut down on administrative workloads and help owners safely delegate company spending. 

The new features – Expense Cards and Team Access –  allow business owners to share account visibility and assign purchasing power to team members while maintaining strict oversight of cash flow.

The rollout targets a major pain point for the UK’s smaller enterprises. Recent research from the digital challenger reveals that the average small business owner spends £63,000 (US$84,401) annually just managing their finances.

For Starling, whose customers account for nearly 10% of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, the tools represent a direct push to deepen customer retention by addressing these operational overheads.

Bernadette Smith, Chief Customer and Banking Officer, says: “We are giving business owners the power to delegate daily spending and visibility without sacrificing an ounce of financial control. Expense Cards and Team Access are designed to eliminate administrative headaches, saving small companies valuable time and making their lives easier.”

The research from the bank also states that although 84% of SMEs use digital solutions for certain financial activities, almost half (48%) have no plans to expand their usage, frequently hindered by established procedures and cost anxieties. 

The same research also reveals that small businesses achieve an average time reduction of 41%, in comparison to manual workflows, when digital tools are implemented for financial duties.

Speaking to Finance Chief exclusively, Bernadette says: “If more of Britain’s smallest businesses could be persuaded to adopt digital financial tools, their growth could add £25.3bn (US$31.22bn) to the economy. 

“This is why at Starling we are focused on creating easy-to-use tools, which can smooth processes, be simply integrated and are accessible to all small businesses. Starling Accounting and free invoicing are good examples and complement newly launched Expense Cards and Team Access.”

Decentralising company spend safely

From a business operations perspective, the Expense Cards feature tackles the traditional, slow cycle of employee expense reimbursements. Starling customers can order up to five free physical debit cards for staff directly through the mobile app. Employees can then make in-person and online purchases, shifting the administrative burden away from retrospective claims.

Starling has structured these cards around isolated balances rather than the primary corporate account. Each card links to a dedicated "Expense Card Space" –  a distinct sub-account within the main platform.

Owners dictate the available budget by transferring specific sums into the Space, effectively setting a hard limit on exposure. Daily spending is capped at a maximum of £5,000 (US$6,700). 

Owners also retain real-time monitoring capabilities, receiving instant notifications for every transaction alongside the ability to lock cards, alter PINs or freeze specific spending categories instantly through the application.

Financial visibility for external partners

The second tool, Team Access, addresses corporate governance and accounting efficiency. 

Business owners can securely invite up to five users – including internal staff, bookkeepers or independent accountants – to monitor account data from their own mobile devices.

To protect company security, the platform limits these invited users to read-only access. 

They can view transaction histories, download statements and track ongoing cash flow, but hold no authorisation to move funds or execute transfers.

The feature acts as a precursor to a wider corporate accounting push.

Later this year, Starling plans to expand this ecosystem by allowing external accountants to view clients’ tax reports directly via the Starling Accounting platform.