Mettle, NatWest’s free standalone digital business account, has announced that FreeAgent, the cloud based accountancy software for small businesses, is available free of charge for its customers. Businesses who sign up to link their Mettle and FreeAgent accounts will save at least £150 a year – the minimum cost of an annual FreeAgent subscription.

New and existing customers of Mettle can now sign up to FreeAgent directly through the Mettle app free of charge in a matter of seconds, with transactions also being shared between the two apps immediately, using API (application protocol interface) technology.

This feature ensures all transactions are synced in real time, helping reduce the chance of admin errors or duplication, and allowing both providers to provide helpful tips, so that business owners can focus on growing their business.

FreeAgent’s standard pricing is between £150 to £260 annually, depending on the size of business, but through the partnership businesses signing up for Mettle won’t be charged for a FreeAgent subscription, for as long as they hold an active Mettle account and make at least one transaction a month.

Ed Molyneux, CEO, FreeAgent, said: “We’re really excited to be working with Mettle and providing small business customers with the most intuitive way of staying on top of their finances. With faster data flow and greater visibility over business accounts - not to mention the fact that FreeAgent will be completely free to Mettle customers - we believe it’s the best offer on the market for the UK’s five million small business owners and self-employed workers.”

Ken Johnstone, Chief Product Officer, Mettle by NatWest, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching an innovative partnership with FreeAgent that will not only allow businesses to have greater insight and control over how they run their business but will do so completely free of charge. FreeAgent share our passion for making it simpler to run a business, and by joining forces we now have one of the most compelling financial packages for small businesses in the UK.”

NatWest intends to build on this new partnership between Mettle and FreeAgent to provide sole trader, freelance and small businesses with simple, innovative solutions that help businesses start and grow with ease. The partnership comes weeks after NatWest announced revised aspirations to help 50,000 new UK based businesses start by 2023, alongside helping 500,000 people become an entrepreneur.

With both products being offered free of charge, the offer complements NatWest’s wider programme of specific support for small businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak, including a package of £5bn of working capital support for business who need urgent access to funding during this uncertain period.

The bank is also participating in the Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme (CBILS) and has opened the scheme up to more business customers by offering loans from £5,000, available to sole traders and partnerships as well as limited companies.

Interested businesses can find out more at www.mettle.co.uk, www.freeagent.co.uk, and www.natwest.com.