Tide, in plain English

• Tide is an all‑in‑one business finance platform built for small businesses that don’t have a full finance team. You get a business bank account plus the “must‑have” back‑office tools (invoicing, expenses, accounting, payroll, and ways to take payments) in one place, with a focus on quick setup and ease of use. As of July 29, 2025, Tide supports over 1.5 million small businesses across the UK, India and Germany. (tide.co)

Who it’s for

• Freelancers and contractors who want simple banking, fast invoicing, and clean records without juggling multiple apps.

• Growing SMEs that need team cards, role‑based controls, and better cash‑flow visibility as complexity increases.

• Startups that want to get paid, stay compliant, and keep admin light from day one.

What you get in one platform

• FSCS‑protected business banking (UK)

Open a Tide business account that’s provided by ClearBank, with eligible deposits protected up to £85,000 by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You can also open a linked instant‑access saver for surplus cash. (tide.co)

• Fast, flexible payments

Send/receive UK payments via Faster Payments, Bacs and CHAPS. Faster Payments typically land within minutes, so day‑to‑day transfers don’t hold you up. (tide.co)

• Ways to get paid in person (no clunky terminals required)

Use Tide’s Tap to Pay on iPhone (powered by Adyen) to accept contactless cards and wallets straight from your iPhone, or order a Tide Card Reader if you prefer a dedicated device. (businesswire.com)

• Online payments, invoicing and billing

Create and send professional invoices from the app, auto‑match incoming payments, and keep on top of who’s paid and who to chase. (tide-marketing-site-wip.tide.co)

• Expense management and team cards

Issue up to 50 expense cards, set spend limits, freeze/unfreeze instantly, and capture receipts in‑app so your ledger stays tidy without spreadsheets or paper slips. (tide.co)

• Built‑in accounting (powered by Sage)

Tide Accounting brings cash and accrual‑based accounting into your banking app—bookkeep, reconcile, view P&L/Balance Sheet, and submit VAT (MTD) from one place. That means fewer tools to glue together and less risk of errors. (sage.com)

• Payroll inside your banking app

Run HMRC‑compliant payroll directly from Tide (built with KeyPay). Automate pay runs and pay employees from your Tide account without flipping between systems. (finextra.com)

• Credit and cash‑flow tools

Get automated cash‑flow forecasts and credit insights, and (if eligible) access short‑term Credit Flex directly in the app; Tide has expanded availability of this embedded credit product for UK members. (tide-marketing-site-wip.tide.co)

• Open Banking connectivity (use Tide without switching)

Prefer your existing bank? Connect that business account to Tide to use features like invoicing, cash‑flow insights and more—so you can “virtually switch” your back office without moving your primary account. (tide.co)

• Fraud protection and security

24/7 Fraud Rapid Response, instant card freezing, and clear security guidance are baked in; Tide also invests in dedicated fraud monitoring to protect members. (tide.co)

Why this matters for a solid Back Office

• One source of truth: Banking, payments, invoices, receipts and ledger entries live together, so month‑end is about review and approval—not chasing paperwork.

• Cleaner controls: Role‑based access, expense limits, and instant card controls reduce rogue spend and keep approvals simple.

• Faster close: Automatic categorisation, receipt capture, and direct posting into the accounts means fewer manual journals and cleaner reconciliations.

• Better cash discipline: Real‑time forecasts plus built‑in credit options help you plan payroll, taxes and supplier runs with fewer surprises.

• Audit‑friendly by design: Digital trails for payments, invoices and receipts make audits and funding applications much smoother.

• Less context‑switching: Your team works in one app, so training is easier and processes are repeatable.

Setup, speed and day‑to‑day experience

• Quick onboarding with in‑app verification; once live, UK payments via Faster Payments typically arrive within minutes. (tide.co)

• In‑person payments, fast: Start taking contactless in minutes with Tap to Pay on iPhone; add a Tide Card Reader if you prefer hardware. (businesswire.com)

• Always‑on help: 24/7 in‑app support, plus dedicated fraud lines if you ever need urgent help. (tide-marketing-site-staging.tide.co)

Important notes and trade‑offs to be aware of

• Availability by country: Tide operates in the UK, India, and Germany today. If you’re US‑based without a UK/India/Germany footprint, you likely can’t open a local Tide account yet. (tide.co)

• International payments scope: UK accounts support SEPA EUR transfers, but full SWIFT coverage is limited—plan accordingly if you pay suppliers globally. (nerdwallet.com)

• Feature tiers: Some advanced controls and perks sit on paid plans; check what you need against your expected usage before upgrading. (nerdwallet.com)

Bottom line

• Tide is a practical back‑office stack in one app: bank, pay, get paid, control spend, run payroll, and keep clean books—without duct‑taping tools together. For lean teams, this means less admin, tighter controls, faster closes, and clearer cash‑flow—so you can focus on growth, not bookkeeping.