Frequently asked questions

Our Relationship Managers and Business Banking teams across the UK are here to offer help to mitigate the financial impact of coronavirus.

Support available includes:

Recovery loan scheme. A new debt finance programme that launched 6 April 2021.

Repayment holidays for up to 12 months on your Business Loan.

Overdrafts.

Local Business Growth Enablers that support their networks by sharing information and providing business advice.

For more information about the government support available and how to access it, visit our government schemes page.

The government has launched schemes to support small businesses affected by Covid-19. These include:

Recovery loan scheme. A new debt finance programme that launched on 6 April 2021.

More information about support available to businesses can be found on our government schemes page.

Other sources of information:

Gov.scot for businesses in Scotland.

Gov.wales for businesses in Wales.

UK Government business support page.

Royal Bank has put a range of measures in place to help support you if you're experiencing personal financial difficulties as a result of coronavirus.

Visit our Personal hub for support and the latest guidance.

As the impact of coronavirus begins to impact more businesses, NatWest Group has announced a package of support for SMEs across the UK. This includes a £5bn Working Capital Support extension* to its Growth Funding Package, ongoing support and practical advice for businesses.

*Security may be required. Product fees may apply. Subject to status, business use only.

Businesses are facing acute challenges, and sectors that have been particularly impacted are able to apply for a business rates holiday in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and nursery sectors could be eligible for a business rates holiday. Find more out on our government schemes page.

The government has put in place grant schemes to support specific businesses. To find out more, visit our government schemes page.

We have a range of solutions that could help manage your trading risks and provide tailored funding to help your supply chain remain healthy.

To find out more about the support we can provide your business, read our practical steps guide to managing cash flow and working capital.

If you have a Relationship Manager, get in touch. They are on hand to help and can advise on the support measures available.

If you believe that you are experiencing, or will experience, financial difficulties, there are independent organisations that can provide free advice and support on your financial needs, such as Citizens Advice, National Debtline, Business Debtline and PayPlan.

Details of how you can contact these organisations and other sources of free advice can be found on the Money Advice Service website:

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

To get business advice, contact the government helpline. Call may be charged.

Business Support Scotland
Telephone: 0300 303 0660
Textphone: 0800 023 2071
Relay UK: 18001 0300 303 0660
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

Business Support Helpline (England)
Email: enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org
Telephone: 0800 998 1098
Relay UK: 18001 0800 998 109
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm

Business Wales Helpline
Telephone: 0300 060 3000
Relay UK: 18001 0300 060 3000
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

Invest Northern Ireland
Telephone: 0800 181 4422
Relay UK: 18001 0800 181 4422
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm

Tyl by Royal Bank provides payment services - over the phone, online, via link or in person – helping to adapt your business model. Keep customers and staff safe with more ways to pay with minimal contact.

In this difficult time, we have waived terminal rental fees until the end of 2020. After 2020 waived fees charges will return to normal.

3G connectivity charges will also be waived until the end of June or longer. So, with our standard no minimum monthly transaction fees, you only pay for what you use.

More about Tyl

Talk to HMRC about managing payments. You can set up a Time to Pay agreement to delay debt collection.

Call the HMRC coronavirus Helpline: 0800 015 955.

Read more on the government website.

Chargeback gives customers the chance of getting their money back if they bought faulty goods, a service wasn't provided, or the company they bought something from went bust and the goods weren't delivered. 

We ask for money back from the supplier's bank, not the supplier itself, and the money should come back even if the retailer has gone bust – though this isn't guaranteed. 

How much can be claimed?

The total sum the customer paid will be covered by the chargeback scheme, although the minimum amount for Mastercard is £10. There is no minimum for Visa.

What are the exceptions?

You will only get the value of the transaction back that was paid by a card.

You aren't covered for problems that emerge with goods at a later date i.e. a piece of machinery stops working after 2 years.

How to initiate a claim

For credit and charge cards
Call: 0370 909 3701
Relay UK: 18001 0370 909 3701

For debit cards:
Call: 0345 711 4477
Relay UK: 18001 0345 711 4477

We have tools and services to help entrepreneurs meet the challenges of high growth.

Visit our High Growth page for more details.

In the March 2021 Budget, the government announced updates to support for businesses who have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Some of these measure include:

Extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of September 2021

The continuation of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until September 2021, with extended eligibility to include 19/20 Self-Assessment filers.

The continuation of a range of Covid-19 temporary easements including for home office expenses and Covid-19 antigen tests for the 2021-22 tax year.

Investment of around £200m in additional resources and new technology for HMRC in 2021-22.

For further information, visit the government website.

Royal Bank Mentor service is your expert in employment law & HR, health & safety and environmental management. We may be able to provide you with consultancy and advice to help your business. Royal Bank Mentor services incur a fee.

Visit Royal Bank Mentor

Through our Royal Bank Mentor service, we’re offering free access to MentorDigital, an online compliance management system where you will find a range of tools, templates and guidance to help you identify key priorities and take specific actions to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on your people and your business.

Register for MentorDigital

Small and medium-sized employers in the UK will continue to be able to reclaim up to two weeks of eligible Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) costs per employee from the Government.

To find out more, visit our government schemes page.

Advice about what to do if an employee is unwell with coronavirus is on the government website.

All UK businesses will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during the crisis. This scheme has been extended by the government until the end of September 2021.

To find out more, visit our government schemes page.

Royal Bank Mentor service is your expert in employment law & HR, health & safety and environmental management. We may be able to provide you with consultancy and advice to help your business. 

Visit Royal Bank Mentor. Mentor services incur a fee.

Through our Royal Bank Mentor service, we’re offering free access to MentorLive, an online compliance management system where you will find a range of tools, templates and guidance to help you identify key priorities and take specific actions to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on your people and your business.

Visit gov.uk for the latest advice about coronavirus.

We are participating in the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing activity.

This means we may share your phone and email contact details with the NHS contact tracing team if there is a risk you have been within two metres of someone who has symptoms of Covid-19.

We’re doing everything we can to keep our branch services running for customers. Unfortunately we’re unable to keep all our branches open today and our remaining branches are operating on reduced hours.

We're prioritising core opening hours from 10am until 3pm. Please help us support those who need us most. Our colleagues in branches and contact centres are working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances. Please don't visit your branch unless it's critical and if you do, please practice safe social distancing.

If you still need to deposit cash and cheques, there are a few options which can help you maintain safe social distancing:

If you’re already signed up for our Business Quick Deposit service, you won’t need to use our cashier service, and you can use the receipt as pay-in evidence.

In branches with Bulk Coin In machines (BCI) you’ll be able to empty the bags of unsorted coin to be automatically counted and then take your receipt to the branch colleague at the front desk, who can lodge the receipt in your account.

You can also place orders for cash and coin.

You can still use Night safes, which will be emptied and items processed as usual although there may be delays if the branch is temporarily closed

Open Credits – if your branch is closed, although it’s not possible to transfer Open Credits between branches your nearest open branch will be able to help you

Post Offices offer banking services and remain open as an essential service. You can find information about branch opening times and services here.

If you need to deposit cash and cheques, here are some options to help you maintain safer social distancing:

Sign up to our Business Quick Deposit service, which means you won’t need to use our cashier service, and you can use the receipt as pay-in evidence.

In branches with Bulk Coin In machines (BCI) you’ll be able to empty the bags of unsorted coin to be automatically counted and then take your receipt to the branch colleague at the front desk, who can lodge the receipt in your account.

You can also place orders for cash and coins before visiting to reduce your time in the branch

You can still use night safes, which will be emptied and items processed as usual although there may be delays if the branch is temporarily closed.

Open Credits – if your branch is closed, although it’s not possible to transfer Open Credits between branches your nearest open branch will be able to help you.

If you can't reach your branch or nearest Post Office, you can post cheques to the following address:

NatWest, CPU, PO Box 21, 41 The Drapery, Northampton, NN1 2EY

We can only accept cheques with a paying-in slip. You can order paying-in slips via Digital Banking, or request paying-in books through Bankline if you have access. There are also a small number of paying-in slips at the back of your cheque book.

Please note:

Do not send cash; it will not be processed and there will be no way to return it

We can't pay a single cheque to multiple accounts, you can only pay in one or multiple cheques using a single paying-in slip..

We'll process cheques within 5 working days of receipt.

You can deposit up to 10 foreign cheques drawn on overseas banks.

For larger volumes of foreign cheques, send them via a secure recorded delivery mail service to:

National Westminster Bank Plc, Overseas Clearing Team, First Floor, Thanet Grange, Nestuda Way, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, SS0 0EJ

Use the Post Office Finder to find your nearest branch.

While our own data usage and privacy policies have not changed, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the British Business Bank (BBB) are required to ensure that they can use the data in relation to facilities that we’ve offered under the Covid-19 loan schemes:

Coronavirus Business Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Coronavirus Large Business Loan Scheme (CLBILS)

Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

This is to support their reporting requirements in relation to state aid. We’ll contact all customers who have applied and been offered lending, regardless of whether they’ve drawn down on the loan.

These notices have been updated to clarify the ways customer data for the Covid-19 loan schemes is used. Data will be used for data analytics and to meet reporting obligations to the European Commission and the UK government. 

Customer data is information which you provided to us for the purpose of obtaining your loan, as well as information about the loan. This information may include details of individual loans (including the identity of the borrower).

Where required, certain information about loans granted under the Covid-19 loan schemes including customer data must be shared with the UK government and the European Commission. They may publish details on their respective transparency websites.  

You don’t need to do anything; this is just to keep you updated on these changes. 

You’ll find more details on these changes in the communication that you’ll receive from us. You can find further information about the BEIS / BBB data and privacy notice here:

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy - data reporting questions and answers

British Business Bank - data reporting

If you have any questions in relation to the BEIS / BBB data and privacy notice which are not answered by these Q&As, contact the BEIS at enquiries@beis.gov.uk.