[Brian Turner]

Just got my call back - if I want my business credit card limit raising above £3,000/month, I have to "upgrade" to something called a chargecard.

To do so involves a £140 fee, plus the company director has to sign a personal letter of guarantee.

This is absolutely pathetic - my company has *never* had any form of debt - no overdraft, no loans, and the credit card is paid off by direct debit every month.

And to expect a "personal guarantee" from the director is a disgusting way of treating a limited company, which by definition doesn't require personal liability.

On top of that, there is enough cash reserve in my company account that it would take months to wipe that out through non-payment (sure, it's waiting for the taxman, but it's a liquid assets all the same).

I think the customer service aspect is absolutely pathetic - banks have been in the firing line recently for being self-serving against customer interests, and from what I've been told by RBS, they are at the forefront of this policy.

Not a recommend business bank.


ADDED: Okay, just contacted HSBC - they apparently run something similar - any lending over £3,000 requires a personal guarantee from the director, at a cost of £80.

Going to contact a few different banks and see how common this is. Either way, I think it's a pretty anti-customer policy.