Zempler Bank

Zempler Bank is a UK digital bank offering personal and business current accounts, credit cards and a credit-building product. It has no branches: day-to-day banking is done through its smartphone app and Online Banking, with cash handled at the Post Office. It was previously known as Cashplus¹.

The most important thing anyone arriving here needs to know is that Zempler Bank's personal current accounts are temporarily closed to new applications². Existing customers are unaffected, and its business accounts remain open to freelancers, sole traders, limited companies, partnerships and charities³. Its personal account range includes the Zempler Pay As You Go, Zempler Everyday, Zempler Cashback and Zempler Premium plans, each with its own pricing structure.

Money held with Zempler Bank is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £120,000 per eligible person, the same level that applies across UK banks⁴. The bank appears on the Bank of England's list of UK banks that accept deposits⁵.

Zempler Bank accounts: personal, business and add-ons

Zempler Bank's personal current accounts are current accounts built for everyday banking rather than saving: the bank states plainly that it does not pay interest on them¹. Customers choose a pricing plan and can customise the account with add-ons as needed, including international payments, overdrafts and a travel currency card¹. The personal range is made up of the Zempler Pay As You Go, Zempler Everyday, Zempler Cashback and Zempler Premium plans, which differ mainly in how their monthly charges and transaction fees are structured.

Business accounts are aimed at freelancers, sole traders, and small and growing businesses, including limited companies, partnerships and charities³. Business customers can add credit products, with Zempler offering business overdrafts and business credit cards as add-ons⁷. The business credit card includes a cashback feature, although Zempler classifies cashback as a credit rather than a payment, so cardholders must still make their monthly payments even when a cashback credit has reduced the balance⁸.

On the personal side, Zempler also sells a credit card and a product called Creditbuilder. Creditbuilder is not a credit card and does not advance any money: customers make a series of monthly payments, and Zempler reports those payments to credit bureaux with the aim of building a credit history⁹. Managing the repayments is done through the same app and Online Banking used for the bank account¹⁰. If you are weighing up options for improving your credit record generally, the site's guide to credit scores and credit reports explains how reported payments affect what lenders see.

How Zempler Bank's fees and pricing plans work

Zempler Bank's charging model is based on pricing plans rather than a single tariff. One personal account carries no monthly fee, while other plans charge a monthly amount in exchange for different transaction terms¹⁰. Business accounts start at no monthly fee². Zempler does not publish its current figures on this page; its own website sets out today's prices for each plan.

Two things about the plans matter in practice. First, it is free to move between Zempler pricing plans, and any eligible cashback payments are credited to the new account when you switch¹¹. Second, the switch is done entirely in the app or Online Banking: in the app, go to Settings, then Pricing Plan, then View Plans; in Online Banking, go to Settings, then Account details, scroll down to Pricing plan and select the Switch pricing plan button¹¹.

Charges for add-on services are disclosed before you commit. For international payments, the exchange rate and transfer fee are shown in the app once the transfer details have been entered, so the cost is visible before the payment is sent¹². On the credit card, interest works on familiar terms: pay the balance in full and on time each month and purchases receive up to 56 days interest free credit, while paying only the minimum loses the interest-free period and interest is charged from the date of purchase until the balance is cleared⁷. Cash advances on the card carry interest from the date of the transaction⁷.

Who can open a Zempler account, and why personal applications are paused

Personal current accounts are temporarily closed to new applications². Zempler has not given an end date for the pause, so anyone wanting a personal account will need to check its website for the current position. The pause applies across the personal range, including the Activeplus account¹³.

For those who can apply, the personal account criteria are simple: you need to be 18 or over, and Zempler states there are no credit checks to open an account². That makes the account one of the options people with a thin or damaged credit history sometimes consider, since a basic account can otherwise be hard to obtain. Opening the account and switching an existing account to Zempler are separate processes: the new bank carries out its own security checks before a switch date can be agreed¹⁴.

Business applications remain open. Zempler business accounts are made for freelancers, sole traders, small and growing businesses, including limited companies, partnerships and charities³. Partnerships and limited liability partnerships need to provide documents for each partner involved, not just one³.

Banking with Zempler: app, Online Banking and Post Office cash deposits

Zempler Bank is app-first. The Zempler Bank app is available on the iOS App Store and Google Play, and through it you can check your balance, make payments, block cards and report cards as lost or stolen¹⁵. Online Banking complements the app with tools to track spending, see statements on the go, use itemised billing to track expenses, and make payments¹⁵.

Payments can be made in either channel, and Online Banking also lets you make immediate payments and set up payments for the future¹⁶. There are no branches, but cash is handled through the Post Office: Zempler has teamed up with the Post Office so customers can deposit cash over the counter at any of its 11,500-plus branches across the UK, and all you need is the money and your card¹⁷.

The app also carries the account's transaction controls, including the gambling block described below, and the personal details settings, where you can review and edit your information under Settings, or by calling customer service¹⁸. Open Banking is supported: Zempler checks every company that requests access to your account against the open banking directory, refuses any that are not listed, and shares information only through secure APIs and with your explicit consent¹⁹.

Payments in and out: what Zempler handles and what it does not

Outbound, Zempler sends Faster Payments to any UK bank account¹⁶. Inbound, receiving BACS or Faster Payments into a Zempler personal or business account is straightforward: you give the sender your account details and the money arrives through those standard UK systems¹⁷.

What Zempler does not do is cheques. The bank states it does not currently allow customers to deposit money by cheque¹³. This is worth knowing if you still receive cheques, for example from small employers or family members, because the money will need to go into another account first and then be transferred. Paper cheques sit outside the payment services rules that govern most everyday banking transactions²⁰.

International payments are available to both business and personal account holders, and are processed through Wise¹². The exchange rate and transfer fee are displayed in the app before you send the money¹². Any refunds for outbound international payments are returned to the Zempler account from which the payment was made, and Zempler charges no fees for returned payments on the inbound side, though the sender may receive less than they sent because of fees applied elsewhere in the chain²¹. For a wider view of moving money, the site's guides to money transfers and money abroad cover the options.

Opening an account: the identity and address documents Zempler accepts

If Zempler cannot verify your identity and address automatically during the application, it will request documents by personalised email³. Documents are uploaded to a secure online portal provided in that email, using your surname and application reference number; charities and other business applications email their documents instead, quoting the reference number³.

Every document must be clearly readable, not blurred or affected by glare, valid and current, dated within the last three months if it is a letter, and complete, showing both sides where applicable, with your current address visible for address documents. Screenshots are not accepted³. The same document cannot verify both identity and address, so if one document is used to prove who you are, a separate document is needed for your address²².

Accepted proof of identity includes a passport from any country (it must be valid, and UK passports do not need to be signed), a UK provisional or full DVLA photocard with copies of the front and back of the card (the paper counterpart alone is not accepted), an EU photocard of the same kind, an EEA member state ID card, a firearms certificate or shotgun licence, a Northern Ireland electoral ID card, a construction industry scheme card, a military ID card, or a biometric residency card³.

Proof of address has its own rules for each document type:

• Utility bill: a PDF or original bill dated within the last three months, not a printout or copy; mobile phone contracts are not accepted, and PDFs are only accepted alongside a valid passport or UK DVLA photocard³
• Council tax bill: a copy from the current tax year; reminders, adjustment notices and demand notices must be dated within the last three months³
• HMRC letter: must include your national insurance number and be dated within the last three months³
• Benefits or DWP pension confirmation: a copy from the current or new tax year³
• Tenancy agreement: from a council or housing association only, dated within the last three months; private tenancy agreements are not accepted³
• Credit card or store card statement: an original statement dated within the last three months³
• Solicitor's letter: an original document dated within the last three months, not a printout or copy³

Overdrafts and credit add-ons: how limits are set and reviewed

Zempler offers credit as add-ons to its accounts rather than as standalone products. On personal accounts this is an overdraft add-on, which Zempler describes as able to help build your credit score; on business accounts it offers overdrafts and credit cards⁷. Credit limits are personalised and vary based on individual circumstances⁶.

The personal overdraft has a defined route in. You must have had a Zempler Bank personal account open for at least three months, and you must receive an overdraft offer before you can apply²³. Applications are made in the app or Online Banking under Add-ons in the Account Overview, where you read and accept the Credit Agreement and Terms²³.

Zempler's responsible lending policy sets out how it decides what to lend. It takes into account the information you provide, how you use your account, and data from credit bureaux⁶. It sends payment reminders by email and text when a payment is due, and it states that it would consider a customer's case sympathetically and look for a workable solution where someone is struggling⁶. Two rules are worth noting: all products come with a 14-day cooling-off period, and Zempler says its products are for short term borrowing, not long term borrowing⁶. Failing to make regular minimum payments can be reported to the credit bureaux, which may make obtaining credit in the future difficult⁶. The site's guide to loans explains how short-term credit compares with other ways of borrowing.

Scams and fraud: how Zempler handles reimbursement claims

If you think you have paid a scammer, call Zempler Bank on 0330 024 0924 as soon as you realise, or +44 207 153 8940 from abroad. Check your statements, report the fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via its website, and obtain a crime reference number, which Zempler requires²⁶. You can also call Stop Scams' phoneline 159, which can connect you to your bank if you receive a suspicious call and cannot find the number²⁷.

Zempler's claims process has published timescales. Claims are processed within five working days and, if approved, reimbursed within this time, subject to a stop-the-clock provision if information is needed from you; where extra information is required, it can take up to 35 business days to resolve a claim²⁶. Zempler will contact you with an update within five working days²⁸. A levy of up to £100 per claim may be deducted from your refund, but if you have a vulnerability that has a material impact on your ability to protect yourself from a scam, no excess applies²⁸.

When assessing a claim, Zempler considers evidence of first-party fraud, your vulnerability, evidence of gross negligence, and whether the claim qualified under the reimbursement requirement²⁸. That requirement introduced a mandatory reimbursement scheme for authorised push payment scams within Faster Payments, and shares the cost of reimbursing victims 50:50 between the sending and receiving payment firms²⁹. The rules cover payments made using Faster Payments and CHAPS³⁰. The Financial Ombudsman Service adds that if the rules apply and you were particularly vulnerable to the specific type of scam, your bank must reimburse you³¹.

A common scam aimed at bank customers is the "safe account" scam, where a criminal convinces you that your account is at risk and asks you to move money to an account they control. Scammers can replicate a bank's Caller ID, so a call or text can appear to come from Zempler Bank when it does not³². Zempler has also seen fake emails claiming to be from the bank about suspicious account activity; it advises never calling the number in such an email, but using the contact page on its website instead, and forwarding suspicious messages to its cybersecurity team without opening attachments or clicking links²⁷. The Take Five campaign offers free, impartial guidance on checking that a request for money is genuine³³. The site's guide to scams and fraud covers the wider warning signs.

Complaints, extra support and bereavement

Complaints go to Zempler's complaints team in the first instance. If you do not feel a satisfactory resolution has been reached, you may contact the Financial Ombudsman Service, which can look at unresolved disputes and, where it upholds a complaint, ask the firm to put things right, add interest, or pay compensation for distress or inconvenience²⁶. The site's guide to consumer protection explains how the ombudsman process works and when you can use it.

Zempler offers several forms of extra support. If you have specific needs because of illness or difficult circumstances, you can share your personal situation in the app under Help, then Personal circumstances, and the bank will leave a note on your account so staff know your needs whenever you contact them; the note is never used for another purpose, is not shared outside Zempler, and can be removed on request³⁴. Where a customer can no longer manage their account themselves, Zempler supports third party access such as a Power of Attorney or a Third Party mandate³⁵.

To register a power of attorney, call the team first, then mail or email the document. Zempler accepts a PoA that relates to property and financial affairs. An enduring power of attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be registered on a Zempler account, but it can then be used in the same way as a lasting power of attorney, and a registered attorney can request account statements by contacting the team³⁶. For customers who receive benefits and need someone to manage their account, Zempler also supports appointeeships: an appointee can manage the account, request statements, update details and manage payments and Direct Debits, registered by calling the team and sending the appointeeship order, Form BF57 from the DWP³⁷.

When a customer dies, notify Zempler by email or phone via its contact page as soon as possible. The bank will freeze the account, cancel the card and stop payments out, including Direct Debits and standing orders, until it receives documents and confirms the executor or next of kin; it will only discuss the account with the executor or next of kin once specific documents are received²². The documents needed are the death certificate or coroner's certificate, proof of your identity, proof of your home address on a separate document, and the will if available, with the executors' details and their ID²². If the account holds more than £5,000, a grant of probate is required, or in Scotland a certificate of confirmation from the sheriff court. Remaining funds are transferred to the executor or next of kin, and if there is outstanding borrowing on the account when it is closed, Zempler states this will be written off²².

Business accounts are treated differently on death. A sole trader's account is frozen, cards are cancelled, debt is written off and funds are transferred to the executor or next of kin after document review. For a limited company, Companies House must be notified of the death and any change in directorship within 14 days, and a change of directorship is needed for the account to continue; without one, the business is eventually dissolved, the account is closed and the funds pass to the Crown²². Charity accounts need a change of trusteeship, with the Charity Commission notified and supporting letters and ID supplied²².

FSCS protection for Zempler deposits: up to £120,000

Eligible deposits with Zempler Bank are protected up to a total of £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme⁴. The limit is £120,000 per depositor per bank, and it covers deposits, current accounts and savings accounts³⁸. Zempler Bank and Zempler are trading names of the same bank, so money held across both counts together towards one £120,000 limit⁴.

The FSCS is the UK's statutory compensation scheme: if a bank fails, it pays depositors automatically up to the limit, and its protection badge indicates that eligible deposits are covered up to £120,000 per eligible person, per firm³⁸. You can check any bank's protection using the FSCS's own protection checker³⁹. One point worth knowing if you use savings platforms: if an aggregator deposited your money with a bank that then fails, it is likely that FSCS will protect it³⁸.

Because the limit applies per person per firm, someone with more than £120,000 spread across accounts at Zempler and other banks is only protected up to £120,000 at each bank. The FSCS gives worked examples of how spreading deposits across separate banks keeps larger balances within protection, for example holding £60,000 with one bank and the rest elsewhere³⁸. The site's guide to savings explains how the rules work across the market.