As an OnlyFans creator in the UK, finding a bank that won’t freeze or close your account is a challenge. High street banks often reject creators, leaving you without secure access to your hard-earned money.
This guide is dedicated to solving that problem. I contacted more than 20 banks and business accounts, to cut through the confusion, and find the most reliable OnlyFans friendly banks and business accounts.
Why are banks declining OnlyFans creators?
The reason why opening a bank account as an OnlyFans creator is challenging is because most UK banks view OnlyFans as part of the adult entertainment industry, which they consider to be a high-risk activity.
As a result, they will close your account if they discover that you receive income from OnlyFans.
TSB and Monzo are known to be particularly proactive in shutting down accounts, but almost all banks and financial institutions have similar terms and conditions that prohibit adult entertainment services.
The UK banks and account that accept OnlyFans creators
Zempler Business Go – Our Top Pick
Zempler Business Go earns my top recommendation because it offers something the others don’t: full bank account status with FSCS protection. It combines the modern flexibility creators need with the security of a traditional bank, making it an outstanding choice for managing your OnlyFans income.
Why It’s a top pick:
FSCS Protection: Zempler is a licensed UK bank, meaning your deposits up to £120,000 are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This is the same level of protection you get with high street banks and offers creators ultimate peace of mind.
Extremely Low Cost: The account is free to open and your first three transactions each month are free. After that, it’s just a 35p fee per transaction, making it one of the most affordable business accounts available.
Full UK Bank Account: You get a proper sort code, account number, and a business Mastercard, allowing you to manage your earnings, pay bills, and handle expenses professionally.
The Application Process (Please Read):
I have confirmed with Zempler that they assess applications on a case-by-case basis and do accept some OnlyFans creators. However, approval is not guaranteed.
The crucial advantage is that Zempler doesn’t perform hard credit checks for applications. This means if your application is unsuccessful, it will not harm your credit score or affect your ability to apply for other accounts like Card One Money (below). Given the FSCS protection, it is absolutely worth applying for first.
>> Open a Zempler Business Go account
Suits Me
Suit Me is one of the few accounts that actually welcomes OnlyFans creators. They even blog about it on their website. As such it’s my top choice for those new to the platform and growing their channel.
There are no complicated complicated application forms, and no credit checks meaning you can have a new account open in as little as 3 minutes. Signing up is quick and easy.
Suits Me has two account plans: Premium and Premium Plus. The main difference between the two is that Premium Plus includes queue jumping for customer support and removes the ATM withdrawal charge (usually £1.25) on the first four ATM withdrawals per month. There is also a discounted rate for physically paying in cash at PayPoints, but as an OnlyFans creator, this is unlikely to be useful for you.
The Premium account is cheaper at £4.97 per month, and is the one we’d recommend for new creators. You can always upgrade to Premium Plus (£9.97 a month) later if necessary.
Deposits in your Suits Me account are not protected under the FSCS, but are ring-fenced a major high street bank. Still, between that, and the £7,500 maximum account balance, we’d recommend only leaving the bare-minimum needed to cover your operating costs in the account, and transfer everything else out to your personal account.
Note: Suites Me does not have an IBAN. To use it with OnlyFans in USD, you’d need to use a third party service like Payoneer. If your OF account is setup in GBP, then you can withdraw money from the platform using the sort code and account number instead.
Card One Money
- Quick Setup: Fast application process with same-day account activation.
- Transparent Costs: £12.50 per month plus a one-off £55 application fee.
- International Transfers: Supports direct SWIFT payments, ideal for receiving OnlyFans income.
Card One Money is a dedicated business account suitable for businesses of all sizes. There are no credit checks, and I have been told directly by the firm, that being an OnlyFans creator is NOT a problem.
The application takes just a few minutes, and your account should be ready to use the same day.
The account costs £12.50 a month, with a one off £55 application, but for this you get nearly all of features of a traditional business account. And remember that as an OnlyFans content creator, you are essentially running a business. As such, all of your banking costs can be claimed as allowable expenses thus reducing your tax burden.
You can easily set-up standing orders and direct debits, and even pay in cash and cheques at Barclay’s branches. Crucially you can send and receive international payments.
This simplifies withdrawing your money from OnlyFans, as although OnlyFans is a UK based company, it sends money via SWIFT and as such counts as an international transfer.
There are ways around that, but being able to do a direct transfer from OnlyFans to your Card One Money saves the hassle of messing around with third party wallets such as Payoneer.
It’s worth pointing out though that Card One Money is not covered by the FSCS. Instead your funds are held in safeguarded bank accounts. Still, as a self-employed creator, we’d suggest withdrawing any excess funds to your personal account.
>> Open a Card One Money account
High Street Banks and Popular Fintechs to Avoid
You might be tempted to use your existing high street bank or a popular app like Monzo or Revolut. Based on their terms of service and countless reports from creators, this is a significant risk. Here’s why.
High Street banks (Lloyds, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC etc.)
Major UK high street banks have very strict “acceptable use” policies and a low appetite for what they consider “high-risk” industries, which often includes adult content creation. While they won’t state it publicly, applying for a business account and listing OnlyFans as your income source will almost certainly result in a rejection. Trying to use a personal account will lead to closure once they identify the source of the funds.
Monzo, Revolut, and Wise for OnlyFans
While these digital accounts may seem more modern than their high street rivals, their policies are often just as strict as traditional banks, if not more so due to automated risk-management systems.
Monzo & OnlyFans: Monzo is known for closing accounts that receive funds from OnlyFans. Their terms of service are clear about not supporting businesses in the adult entertainment sector. It’s not a matter of if they will close your account, but when.
Revolut & OnlyFans: This is one of the most common queries. While Revolut is great for currency exchange, their terms explicitly prohibit using their services for adult content. Many creators have had their accounts frozen and funds held for weeks during a review before being permanently closed. Avoid using Revolut for OnlyFans payouts.
Wise (formerly TransferWise): Wise is a money transfer service, not a full-fledged bank. While useful for receiving international payments, their acceptable use policy also forbids transactions related to adult content. They are very quick to suspend transfers and close accounts linked to this industry.
Using any of these banks for your OnlyFans income is a gamble. The sudden closure of an account can disrupt your business and leave you without access to your money. This is precisely why choosing a specialist, creator-friendly account from our recommended list is the most secure and professional way to manage your earnings.
What should you be looking for in a business account as a content creator?
As a content creator traditional banks may not be the best fit, as they tend to be geared towards traditional businesses. They don’t understand the nuances of digital businesses, especially OnlyFans creators. That’s not to say they can’t work for you, but it’s not their strength.
Whether you choose a traditional business account, or one of our recommended accounts above, there are a number of things you should be looking for. Some of which are unique to content creators and digital businesses.
Low cost or Fee-free banking
Earning money from content creation, requires scale. Unless you’re lucky enough to go viral from the get go, your following will likely start small, and grow over time.
Even when you do start earning, initial ad revenues are small. We’re talking single digit cents per click or watch in most cases.
As such, it pays to ensure your fledging revenue isn’t being swallowed up by bank chargers. Typically, traditional banks charge a monthly service fee for a business account and sometimes transaction fees on top that. This is an antiquated approach. The only time it would be worthwhile paying a monthly or yearly fee for your account is if the that fee saves you more than is costs.
An example of this would be the £2 fee for Starling’s euro account, or the £5 fee for its USD account. Being able to receive money directly in the currency in which you earned it, will save you a lot in third party conversion fees from the likes of paypal, or payoneer.
Why can’t I use my personal account?
Although there is nothing illegal against using a personal account for business, it typically goes against the bank’s terms and conditions.
In the article, Yes, you can use a personal account for business, I polled a number of leading high street banks. All of which said using a personal account for business, no matter how small the side hustle, would be a breach of their terms and conditions.
At the time, Nationwide Building Society was the only account that said using a personal account was ok. That’s because Nationwide didn’t offer business accounts, and so had nothing to gain.
Unfortunately, Nationwide has now changed its tact using any of personal accounts for business use, is now forbidden. See, why doesn’t Nationwide offer business accounts?
Despite this, many are still tempted to use their personal bank account for their business or side hustle. Our advice is don’t. While you may get away with it for a few months, perhaps a few years, you run the very real risk of your account being suspended, and eventually closed. There are documented cases of this happening. Don’t be one of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why do banks view OnlyFans income as high-risk?
A: Banks classify OnlyFans payouts under **High-Risk Merchant Category Codes (MCC)**. Traditional banks avoid these codes to minimise their exposure to potential chargeback fraud and regulatory scrutiny, regardless of what specific content you create.
Q2: Can I use my personal bank account for my content creation business?
A: While it is not illegal, using a personal account for commercial activity violates most bank terms and conditions. This often leads to immediate account suspension once they detect regular payouts from platforms like Fenix International. Separating your business and personal finances is strongly recommended for security and tax purposes.
Q3: What are the advantages of using a dedicated business account?
A: A dedicated business account clearly separates your personal and professional funds, offers specialized transaction management, and simplifies your tax return by keeping all allowable expenses in one place.
Q4: Which bank account is best for someone just starting out on OnlyFans?
A: In our testing, Zempler (formerly Cashplus) was the only regulated UK bank that explicitly confirmed they accept business from this industry, provided you pass their standard identity checks.
Q5: How do international payment features benefit digital creators?
A: Typically creators earn in US dollars. Having a bank account that allows you to receive income in multiple currencies directly helps to reduce conversion fees and dependence on third-party wallets.
Q6: What documentation might I need to prove my business is legitimate?
A: Be prepared with basic business details such as your trading name, proof of identity, and evidence of your trading history. This can include your website URL, your social media channel profile, or previous payment invoices from subscription platforms.
Q7: How can I protect my bank account if my income source is flagged?
A: Opt for banks or fintech providers known to support “High-Risk” merchants. Using a dedicated business account isolates this income stream, ensuring that if one account is flagged or closed, your personal savings and daily spending money remain unaffected.
Q8: What should I do if my bank account is closed due to OnlyFans income?
A: Contact your bank for clarification immediately, but be prepared to switch. We strongly recommend the ‘Dual-Account Strategy’: keep your primary **High-Risk Friendly** account for receiving payouts, and instantly transfer your clean post-tax income to a standard **High Street** account for daily spending.
Q9: Can I use banks like Monzo, Revolut, or Wise for OnlyFans payouts?
A: No, we do not recommend it. Monzo, Revolut, and Wise all list “adult entertainment” and “dating/escort services” as Prohibited Business Activities in their terms of service. While payments might go through initially, these banks frequently freeze accounts once they detect the source of funds.
One comment on “The best bank accounts for OnlyFans content creators”
Suits me does not have an IBAN, only fans require an IBAN, been on the phone to both and there is no work around for this so I had no choice but to close the account, back to square one.