An official UK bank with a speedy sign-up process, Zempler is designed for modern life. Is it everything you need from a UK-based current account?
An official UK bank with a speedy sign-up process, Zempler is designed for modern life. Is it everything you need from a UK-based current account?
An official UK bank with a speedy sign-up process, Zempler is designed for modern life. Is it everything you need from a UK-based current account?
Read on for our guide to Zempler accounts, or take a look at our ‘at a glance’ guide to discover the most important details.
Zempler started with prepaid Mastercards. In fact, the Zempler card was the UK’s first prepaid credit card.
Back in 2005, Zempler offered something new to UK consumers. With increasing popularity came several changes. Today, Zempler offers full UK current accounts with instant approval for most customers. Signing up for a Zempler account can take as little as four minutes, with online and app-based banking available for everyday account management.
Zempler offers both business and personal bank accounts. You can also choose to apply for a credit card, for personal or business use.
As a full UK bank, Zempler can offer a lot of security for customers. Deposits of up to £85,000 are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and overdrafts are available.
You’ll get an account number and sort code as soon as your application is approved. You can use the reliable smartphone app to manage your account on the go, or log in with your browser for a larger screen if you need it. Customer service is provided by a UK-based call centre, which is reassuring if help is needed.
So far, more than 1.6 million people have become Zempler customers. Both debit and credit products are available, with around 30% of Zempler customers using Zempler as their primary bank.
Though Zempler started with revolutionary roots, bringing prepaid credit cards to the market, what’s now offered is a standard UK bank account much like you’d expect to find elsewhere. What makes Zempler stand out is its unconventional history, ensuring that customers can benefit from reliable online banking technology. The smartphone app is easy to use and the browser-based alternative is slick, so Zempler can appeal to younger customers and those that are a little more traditional.
Zempler is a UK bank account, with a fast onboarding process. In as little as four minutes you can get an account, simply by applying online or through the Zempler smartphone app. There are no credit checks when you sign up, and you’ll get your sort code and account number almost straight away.
There are no Zempler branches, so your in-person banking should take place at your local Post Office. Visit any Post Office for cash deposits. Meanwhile, your Debit Mastercard is used for spending in store and online, accepted in over 200 countries worldwide.
A Zempler account comes with several modern features that will make it appeal to a wide audience:
With no credit check, you can get a Zempler account in as little as four minutes. Your account will be up and running with a sort code and account number, whilst your debit card will follow in the mail in 2-5 working days.
Any money you spend is sorted automatically into the relevant category. See at a glance where your money is going and where you’re most likely to spend it.
If your credit rating is poor, you can add Creditbuilder to your Zempler account. This is a loan, but one that won’t tempt you to spend.
Zempler will lend you the value of a year’s bank account fees, though these will be locked away out of view so you aren’t able to spend them. Every month when you pay your account fees, the money is used to gradually repay your Creditbuilder loan. Once your loan is completely repaid, your credit score should have improved slightly.
Payment Alerts will highlight if there’s a Direct Debit payment due, so you can make sure that you’ve put enough money into your Zempler account.
Choose to add a foreign currency card to your Zempler account. You can use a Travel Card to pay in local currency, with no foreign exchange fees and with competitive exchange rates.
If your card is lost or stolen, you can temporarily block it using online banking. This can offer some immediate protection, until you’re able to get through to the Zempler customer service team.
There are three different price plans for Zempler accounts. With all accounts, there’s a one-off charge of £5.95 for your card. All cash deposits at a UK Post Office have a fee of 0.3% with a minimum £2 charge.
If you choose the Flexiplus option then you’ll pay 99p for every purchase, transfer or Direct Debit payment. ATM withdrawals cost £2 each within the UK. The Flexiplus bank account is free.
An Activeplus account costs £5.95 per month, though purchases and Direct Debits come with no additional charges. You’ll also get up to 9 free electronic payments and transfers every month, with a 99p charge thereafter. Again, ATM withdrawals cost £2 each.
A Deluxe account costs £9.95 per month. There are no limits or charges for any type of outgoing transaction. UK ATM withdrawals are also free, though cash deposit charges still apply.
Zempler accounts are UK current accounts.
Customers have the option of signing up for a Travel Card, at no extra cost. With a Travel Card you can pay in local currency, with a competitive exchange rate and no foreign exchange fees.
Travel Cards are available for Euro and US Dollar purchases. With a Euro Card or US Dollar Card you’ll get free Euro or USD withdrawals in the UK and abroad, and can transfer money to and from your Zempler current account.
Be aware of the different charges for different Zempler accounts. All accounts include a 0.3% fee for any cash deposits, with a minimum £2 charge that will disproportionately affect small deposits. Flexiplus and Activeplus accounts include £2 ATM withdrawal fees, and all types of account include a £3 charge for any non-UK ATM.
Additional cards or replacement cards cost £5.95 each. With the Flexiplus account, most transactions include a 99p charge.
If you have an Activeplus account, remember that you can only make up to nine electronic payments and transfers each month. If you go over this limit, each additional payment will include a 99p charge.
In 2021, Zempler received its full UK banking license. This makes it as safe as any other UK bank.
Deposits of up to £85,000 are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
There are no physical Zempler branches, so any help you get will be provided over the phone or online. For now, Zempler has a UK-based call centre.
The customer service phone line is active from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, and from 8am to 4pm on Saturday. Help isn’t available on Sunday.
Zempler accounts are full UK bank accounts. They come with everything you’d expect from a current account, including FSCS protection. You get a sort code and account number, for incoming and outgoing payments, so your salary or wage can be paid directly into your Zempler account.
It’s worth noting that there are no Zempler branches, so all account admin must be done online or over the phone. However, you can make cash deposits at any UK Post Office.
For some people, the lack of branches will be an off-putting inconvenience, but with even the mainstream banks shutting down many branches you may decide that you don’t need to rely on a physical presence. Increasingly, customers are adapting to primarily banking online, with minimal face-to-face contact and no need to visit local branches.
If you like to travel, the USD and Euro Travel Cards may attract your attention. These are a unique selling point for Zempler, allowing the option to spend in other currencies without the foreign exchange fees. Perhaps the biggest highlight for most people, however, will be Zempler features for those with a bad credit rating.
If you don’t have a strong credit file, Zempler will approve your account application with no credit check. Once you’ve started using your new account, you can use the Credit Builder features to improve your credit score. Using Credit Builder requires no effort on your part, and there are no extra charges as you’re borrowing money that you’ll repay with your monthly account fee.
It’s impossible to argue with the fact that Zempler offers a conveniently speedy service. You’ll get a full UK bank account in less than five minutes, with both online and in-app banking.
If you don’t need to rely on physical bank branches, you can get a lot from Zempler accounts. On the rare occasion where you need to make a cash deposit, this is relatively easy and cheap through your local Post Office. Otherwise, everything you might need can be found through online banking or a phone conversation.
Of course, Zempler has its downsides. There are no free bank accounts, so you’ll need to be happy paying a monthly fee. Though the Flexiplus account doesn’t have a monthly fee, most transactions come with a 99p fee and the costs can quickly add up. If you expect to make more than six transactions a month then you’re better paying for an Activeplus account with a £5.95 monthly fee.
Zempler accounts come with some features that traditional banks don’t tend to offer. There are Travel Cards for purchases in Euros or Dollars, whilst Credit Builder loans can help to build your credit score without any additional spending.
Payment alerts and spending insights are still things that traditional banks don’t do particularly well, and that you’ll find as standard with any Zempler current account, but these features are standard with most challenger banks so they’re no longer especially exciting.
A Zempler account is probably best suited to an everyday consumer. There’s nothing that really stands out, unless you have a poor credit score and want to improve it. Though Travel Cards are a nice-to-have, there are other providers that do a better job in this area.
Zempler might be a good bank for an older person, looking to dip their toes into the world of more modern online banking. It offers all the safety and security they need, but with a few extra app-based features that might still feel new and exciting. For the younger generation, Zempler will simply be a safe bet for the kind of account they expect.
Zempler isn’t new. Since starting with prepaid credit cards way back in 2005, Zempler has gone through more than 15 years of change, evolution and improvement. For new customers and old, this should offer some reassurance and comfort. The UK banking license, approved in 2015, has allowed Zempler to operate as any other full UK bank. Now, customers get FSCS protection as standard.
The Founder and CEO of Zempler is Rich Wagner. Prior to launching Zempler, Wagner worked as the Director of Barclaycard, the COO of Providian Financial and the Vice President of Visa, which means that Zempler is also backed by its founder’s extensive knowledge of the financial industry.
Zempler is a bank for personal and business use. Customers can choose one or more of the following Zempler products:
Personal bank accounts are separated into three different price plans:
Business accounts cost a set £69 per year, with no alternative options. There are some transaction limits for these products. A business account can operate with up to three electronic payments or transfers each month at no extra cost, but after this there are 99p charges for every electronic transaction. As with personal accounts, there’s a 0.3% fee applied to a cash deposit and a £2 charge for every UK ATM withdrawal.
Other services and products are available for business customers. These include business credit cards to be given to employees, and payroll solutions for bulk payments.
With a full UK banking license approved in 2021, Zempler offers the reassurance of FSCS protection. A customer’s deposits, up to £85k, are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Using online or in-app banking, you can temporarily block your card if it’s been lost or stolen.
All customers also have the option of blocking gambling transactions.
Zempler
6th Floor
One London Wall
London
EC2Y 5EB
Telephone: 0330 024 0924
Email: [email protected]
Find answers in Q&As and ask your question
Dear All, CASHPLUS BANK is a SCAM
i got stolen 22 000 pounds from my personal account with them without any reason!!!
Just like that.
After weeks of emails they just replied that i have to contact Financial Ombudsman Service to get an answer. CRAZY:!
How is possible that the LAW in UK does not take any action? You need to acquire a financial license to be authorized from the UK Government to stole money to people ? Amazing. IF YOU HAVE MONEY WITH CASHPLUS , PLEASE TAKE ALL YOUR MONEY BEFORE THEY FROZE YOUR ACCOUNT WITH ANY EXCUSE AND YOU GET STOLEN.
I give Cash Plus Business Bank 1 Star, I wish there was a zero star!
My business account for SecuresIT Limited has been restricted for over 2 weeks. We have an investor waiting to transfer money but can't! How can businesses operate when we can't pay bills or accept payments? My account is in credit and has never been overdrawn. This is legalised fraud! I have reported Cash Plus to GB News! I suggest everyone who is experiencing the same contact GB News ASAP
Kindest regards
Jon
The bank is awful. They simply don't care.
I've had a business bank account with Cashplus for almost two months. A week ago, I couldn't log in to my account online anymore. When I called customer service, they informed me that my account was frozen for security reasons. They didn't inform me of any email or information they needed to reactivate the account; instead, they refused it outright, demanding personal identification and address verification. I sent them what they asked for, but they claimed the images were unclear, despite being perfectly clear as I took them with a high-quality camera. How do they expect a company to function without a bank account for over a week!
Since my account was frozen, I've contacted customer service on four separate occasions. Each time, they said it could take up to 5 working days, but that time has passed and I still cannot access my account.
Suppliers haven’t been paid, and some won’t send goods without payment in advance. I've received multiple late fee charges for direct debits which Cashplus canceled. Finally, I have five employees who I cannot pay their wages today.
It’s an absolute disgrace, it’s theft, and an abuse of their powers. Once I regain access to my account, I will leave immediately.
I would advise any business owners considering dealing with Cashplus to avoid them like the plague.
They have no care for their customers, no accountability, no honesty, no morality.
DO NOT USE this Bank. CASHPLUS should be closed down, being such an abusive entity, calling themselves a “bank”. What a JOKE.
I've been with them for more than 2 years now, and I'm using them to receive my student finance money, and to live, commute, carry on with daily student life. Yesterday, on the 08.04.24 I was supposed to receive a payment and they've said the maximum balance limit has been exceeded? so I could not receive the funds. I wasn't even aware there is such a limit, which is very weird. I've called customer service, and they've said they've made the request for raising the balance limit and everything is going to be ok following this request. And today while trying to access my funds, I've noticed the account has been blocked. Earlier when I've called the customer service, they weren't able to explain this, all they've done was to send me off to read the terms and conditions. What's surprising is that there are 3 sets of terms and conditions for personal accounts. They weren't clear on which one I was supposed to read, and neither were they clear to point out why they've blocked my account. This is highly abusive and untrustworthy. I will never use digital banks again. Best to stick to the high street banks, as at least they don't block your account for no reason. I need my money and cannot access my account. This is shambolic. I will go to court with this. Cashplus is rubbish.
