Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Business Savings
  • Specialist Business Finance
  • Existing specialist business finance customers
    • I want to repay my existing agreement, what do I need to do?
      • Please call us at Hampshire Trust Bank on 020 7862 6262 for a settlement quotation.

    • I want to sell the equipment financed by Hampshire Trust. Can I do this?
      • While you still have outstanding installments to pay on your Hire Purchase agreement the equipment remains our property and you may not sell it without our prior agreement. For Leasing arrangements, you do not acquire the asset, but (with our prior permission) it can be sold to an independent third party or scrapped. However, we understand that your requirements can change. Please call us on 020 7862 6262 so that we can help you.

    • I’m having difficulty making my payments, can you help me?
      • If you are unable to meet payments on your agreement, please contact us as soon as possible on 020 7862 6262. We can discuss how best to resolve the issue for all parties involved.

    • I have paid VAT on the equipment purchased. How can I reclaim this?
      • You will receive a VAT invoice for all purchases. For Leases, an annual VAT invoice will be sent to you for the rental amount paid. For Hire Purchase, your copy of the document we send to you to confirm the arrangement is sufficient to reclaim your VAT.

    • I’ve changed my bank account and so the Direct Debit Instruction will need to be updated. What should I do?
      • Please contact us following contact with your bank to check the Direct Debit Instruction remains in place from your new bank account. Depending on timescales, you may need to send us a cheque to cover any payment due between closure of your old account and our being able to set up the new Direct Debit Instruction for your new bank account.

  • Opening a business savings account
    • I am not a customer. How do I open an account?
      • You can open an account online by following the link apply online.

    • Can I open an account?
      • We can open business savings accounts for:

        • Sole traders – trading in the UK
        • Limited companies/PLCs/LLPs – incorporated in the UK
        • Partnerships
        • Charities – registered in the UK
        • Clubs and associations
        • Small local authorities/PCCs/councils
        • Schools
        • Religious organisations
        • Small financial institutions
        • Credit unions
    • What checks do you do before I can open an account?
      • We will need to verify some details about your organisation. The requirements vary depending on the type of organisation. Read what verification documents we may require.

        We are required by law to verify the address and identity of any person mandated to operate the account and certain other individuals in your organisation. Please read more here.

        If we ask you to send documents to us we will still open your account and you will be able to pay money into it. However, you will not be able to withdraw money until we receive the documents we require. If you do not send us the documents within 30 days we will close your account and return any money deposited to you.

    • Do business accounts have online access
      • Not at the moment, our Customer Service Team are happy to help with any questions.

    • How quickly will you open my account?
      • We will usually open your account within two business days of receiving your application and we will write to you confirming your new account details and any further information we require.

    • I am already a customer. How do I open an additional account?
      • To open an additional account simply call us on 020 7862 6220 during business hours and we will do this for you over the phone. Alternatively, you can send us a written instruction by downloading and printing an additional account form and sending it to us by post.

    • How do I pay money into my account?
      • You can pay money into your account by sending an electronic payment (Faster Payment, BACS or CHAPS) to your Hampshire Trust Bank sort code and account number, which you’ll be notified of once we have opened your account.

        You can also pay money into your account by cheque. We will usually bank your cheque on the working day that we receive it. You should make the cheque payable to yourself and send it to us at our freepost address: Freepost RTXE-RYYB-AYZY, Hampshire Trust Bank, Savings, PO Box 74003, London EC2P 2QR.

        If you are opening a notice account you can send as many payments as often as you like.

        If you are opening a bond you have 14 days to fund your account. During this time you can make as many payments into the account as you like.

    • If I change my mind, can I cancel my account after it has been opened?
      • Yes, you can cancel any account with us within the first 14 days after the opening date. This is the date on your account opening confirmation letter. You can do this by calling us on 020 7862 6220 during business hours or writing to us.

        If you have already paid money into your account we will return this to you, along with any interest you have earned, when you tell us you would like to cancel it.

        Please note that it is not possible to close an account and withdraw the funds deposited outside of the first 14 days after the opening date without complying with the terms of the account. It is important that you understand what these terms are before opening the account.

    • What is a nominated account?
      • When you apply we will ask you to give us a nominated account, which must be a current account your organisation holds with a UK bank.

        We will check the nominated account details you give us and occasionally we may need you to provide evidence that you are the account holder, such as a copy of a bank statement showing the account number, sort code and your organisation’s name.

        All payments you make into your savings account must be made from your nominated account. If we receive an electronic payment from a different account we will return it to that account. If we receive a cheque from a different account we will return it to you uncashed.

        We will make all withdrawals by electronic payment to your nominated account.

    • Is there a limit to the amount I can invest?
      • To open an account you must be prepared to invest at least £5,000. You may invest up to £750,000 in a single account and up to £1,000,000 in total with us.

    • When will I start to earn interest on my money?
      • If you send us money electronically, such as by Faster Payments, BACS or CHAPS, you will start to earn interest on the day we receive it provided this is before 1pm. If we receive it after 1pm you will start to earn interest from the next working day.

        If you send us money by cheque you will start to earn interest on the second working day after we receive it.

    • Is my money protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?
      • Most deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Read more information on our FSCS page.

    • Are my deposits placed via a cash management platform or deposit aggregator covered by the FSCS?
      • Yes, the same compensation limits are applied if you’ve used an aggregator as for other bank accounts.  Savings marketplace, cash platform, savings service – this new type of financial company (also known as a deposits aggregator) spreads your money across multiple accounts with different banks. If an aggregator deposited your money with a regulated bank, your eligible deposits are protected up to a total of £85,000 per authorised entity.  The FSCS will check and pay these claims as soon as possible, and always within three months.

        For any further information please visit the FAQs section at the top of the FSCS web page. https://www.fscs.org.uk/

  • Managing your business savings account
    • How can I operate my account?
      • You can operate your account by post using written instructions signed in accordance with the account mandate.

    • How can I find out my balance?
      • You can call 020 7862 6220 and we can tell you your balance over the phone.

        We will send you an annual statement by post on the anniversary of account opening.

    • How can I find the interest rate on my account?
      • You can call 020 7862 6220 and we can tell you your balance over the phone.

        Your current interest rate, and any changes during the year, will also be shown on your annual statement, which we will send to you by post.

    • How do I withdraw money from my notice account?
      • To make a withdrawal you must give us a written instruction signed in accordance with the account mandate.

        You can make a partial withdrawal or ask us to close your account and return all of your money.

        We cannot accept instructions by email.

    • How do I withdraw money from my bond?
      • You cannot withdraw money from your bond before the end of the term.

    • What happens when my bond matures?
      • We will write to you approximately a month before your bond matures to ask for your instructions, at which time you can tell us to return your funds to you at maturity, reinvest them in a new bond or a combination of the two. If you do not give us an instruction before your bond matures we will open an easy access account for you and transfer your funds into it.

        You must give us your maturity instruction in writing, signed in accordance with the mandate.

    • Who do I make the cheque payable to?
      • Please make the cheque payable to the business name.

    • How many signatories are permitted on our mandate?
      • You can have up to four people on your mandate. The signing options are any one signatory, any two signatories or any four signatories.