Connect Accounting Start your bank

Connect Accounting Start to your online bank with a secure bank feed. We’ll automatically check for new transactions each day and download them as soon as possible.

Before you start

  • Make sure you have a bank account set up in the Banking area of Accounting Start.
  • Check if a feed is available for you bank and account type.

  • To avoid problems when connecting bank feeds, we recommend checking that the browser you're using is set up to allow cookies from other websites.

    Instructions for allowing cookies vary according to the internet browser software you're using. More details can be found on the following links:

    The following errors or behaviour may be experienced if your device is not set up to allow cookies:

    What you might see When or where you might see it
    Error - We are having technical difficulties, please try again Any time when connecting a bank feed
    When you enter the name of your bank or credit card company in the search box a drop-down list of available bank feeds does not appear when you start typing. When searching for bank accounts on the Connect your bank screen.
    Error 402
    Error 414 When connecting to bank accounts

  • Some banks will require you to log in to your bank account. Make sure you know the following

    • Online bank account credentials including the user name and password.
    • Your account number and sort code.
    • Your bank may send a code or message to your phone or email for additional security. Make sure you have access to the phone or email address registered with your bank.

    • For additional security, you'll have to re-enter your online bank credentials every 90 days.

Check if a feed is available for your bank

We are able to set up a bank feed for most bank accounts. Most banks have specific connections for the various types of bank account, so it's important to know what type of bank account you have, for example a personal or business account.

Note: At the moment it's not possible to connect foreign currency bank feeds.

Bank and account type

Allied Irish Bank (GB)

Allied Irish Bank (GB) - Business

American Express

Bank of Ireland (UK) - Business On Line

Bank of Ireland (UK) - 365 Online

Bank of Scotland - Business

Bank of Scotland - Personal

Barclaycard (UK) - Mobile Banking: Personal

Barclaycard (UK) - Business

Barclaycard (UK) - Online Banking: Personal

Barclays (UK) - Mobile Banking: Business

Barclays (UK) - Mobile Banking: Personal

Barclays (UK) - Online Banking: Wealth Management

Barclays (UK) - Online Banking: Business

Barclays (UK) - Online Banking: Personal

Barclays (UK) - Corporate

Santander (UK) - Personal and Business

CashPlus

Clydesdale Bank

Coutts

Cumberland Building Society

Danske Bank (UK) - Business

Danske Bank (UK) - Personal

First Direct

First Trust Bank (UK) - Business

First Trust Bank (UK) - Personal

Halifax

HSBC (UK) - Business

HSBC (UK) - Personal

Lloyds Bank - Business and Commercial

Lloyds Bank - Personal

MBNA - Personal

Monzo

NatWest - Current Accounts

Nationwide Building Society

Revolut

Royal Bank of Scotland - Current Accounts

Sainsbury's Bank

Santander (UK) - Personal and Business

Starling

Tesco (UK)

The Co-operative Bank - Personal Online Banking

Tide

TSB

Ulster Bank (UK)

Virgin Money

Yorkshire Bank (UK)

Yorkshire Building Society (UK)

If a bank feed is not available for your account, we recommend checking again soon, as new feeds are added regularly.

To bring in your bank transactions, you can:

  • Export transactions data from your online banking service as a digital file (CSV, QIF, or OFX) and then import your bank statement.

or

  • Enter transactions manually.

Follow steps 1-3 in "Connect your bank feed" below. Select Tell us about it from the drop-down list when you search for your bank.

location of tell us about it

Connect your bank feed

  1. From Banking find the tile of the bank account you want to connect.

  2. Select Actions, Connect.

    location of Actions menu

  3. Enter the name of your bank or credit card company and bank account type in the search box.

  4. Follow the steps to authorise the connection with your bank.
  5. If your bank supports downloading historical transactions, enter the date you want to import transactions from.

Authorise your bank feed connection

Your bank requires you to authorise the connection between your bank account and Sage. Once authorised, your bank will send bank transactions to Accounting Start.

What you need to do depends on which bank and account type you're connecting to.

Use an Authorisation form

After completing and sending an authorisation form, your bank sets up the bank feed within 3 to 10 days. Historical transactions are not included (unless you bank with Tide).

  1. Enter the details of your bank account and Accept the Terms and Conditions.

  2. Select Download form.

  3. Open the downloaded form.
  4. Complete all relevant details, sign the form and send to the address listed at the top right of the form.

While you're waiting for the form to be authorised, the tile for your bank account will show the connection as Pending.

Bank Authorisation required Timescale
Bank of Scotland Download an authorisation form. Up to 10 working days from receiving the form before the bank feed is set up.
CashPlus Download an authorisation form. Up to 5 working days from receiving the form before the bank feed is set up.
HSBC Log in to your online banking. Up to 3 working days before the bank feed is set up.
Lloyds Download an authorisation form. Up to 10 working days from receiving the form before the bank feed is set up.
NatWest Download an authorisation form. Up to 5 working days from receiving the form before the bank feed is set up.
Tide Follow the prompts on-screen.

Up to 24 hours before the bank feed is set up

 

Once connected, we'll check your bank feed for transactions on this schedule:

When Bank
Every day, for the previous day HSBC, Tide
Monday to Saturday, for the previous day NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland
Tuesday to Saturday, for the previous day Bank of Scotland, CashPlus, Lloyds.

Connect via Plaid

To securely import your bank transactions we’ve partnered with Plaid, an FCA authorised service to form a direct connection with your bank. Set up usually takes 24 hours.

Follow the connection steps and log in to your online bank account when prompted

  1. Accept the terms and conditions.

  2. Select Continue to log in to your bank account.

  3. Enter the details requested by your bank.

    For most banks you'll need to know your:

    • Online bank account credentials including the user name and password.
    • Your account number and sort code.
    • Your bank may send a code or message to your phone or email for additional security. Make sure you have access to the phone or email address registered with your bank.

    • For additional security, you'll have to re-enter your online bank credentials every 90 days.

  4. Once you've filled in all details and have completed any additional security checks, you are returned to Accounting Start. It should take less than 30 minutes to authorise and then set up your feed. You can continue to use Accounting Start while you are waiting.

Problems connecting your bank feed?

Check out some common problems connecting a bank feed

 

What's next?

Check your bank feed

Process incoming bank transactions