Tide Launches UK's First Business Banking Mobile Plan on Vodafone's 5G Network
Right then. This one got my attention - and not just because I've been a Tide customer for a few years and genuinely rate them as one of the best business banking platforms in the UK.
Tide has launched its own mobile service. A proper one. Business Phone Number ("BPN") runs on Vodafone's 5G network, is built into the Tide app, and gives small business owners a dedicated business number via eSIM - no second phone, no faff.
If you're on Tide's Smart, Pro, or Max plans, you get a free business number with unlimited calls and texts. If you want data too, the Unlimited Boost plan is £15/month for unlimited 5G data plus 10GB of EU roaming. No annual price hikes, no credit checks, cancel whenever you like. That's genuinely competitive - significantly cheaper than what most traditional business mobile providers charge.
The setup is eSIM-based, so you can activate it straight from the app. You can transfer your existing number or grab a new one, and switch between personal and business lines when making calls. Incoming calls show whether they're business or personal. One bill, one app, no juggling multiple providers.
Why this matters
This is the first time a UK business banking provider has integrated a full mobile plan directly into its platform. Tide has nearly 800,000 UK members - roughly 14% of the UK small business market - so the potential reach here is enormous.
It's also part of a much bigger trend. Revolut launched its own mobile service in the UK back in December (read more). Across the Atlantic, Nubank, Klarna, Wealthsimple and Sezzle have all made similar moves. Connectivity is becoming a genuine battleground for fintechs, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense. If you already manage your business finances in one app, why not your phone service too?
Let's have some quotes:
Heather Cobb, UK Managing Director at Tide, said: "Small business owners tell us time and again that admin gets in the way of running their business. BPN removes yet another task from their to-do list."
Rafa Plantier, VP Go-To-Market at Gigs, added: "Gigs is proud to partner with Tide to power the UK's first fully embedded mobile plan designed for small businesses."
Editor's note
Full disclosure: I'm a big Tide fan and have been using them for my business banking for a while now. So I'm looking at this offer very carefully for myself. I would have already bought the Revolut offering if it was available to me as an Ultra customer. So I am absolutely thinking closely about this one. I'll report back once I've had a proper play with it.
