By Peter King, Director of Business Banking at OakNorth.
Why now
In a market where the cost of capital can shift faster than planning cycles, well-run companies treat cash as a strategic asset, not a parking balance. The job is simple to state and hard to do well: make surplus cash earn more without slowing down decision-making. That is what we set out to solve with OakNorth Business Notice accounts, now live and managed within your existing business banking account.
Our point of view
Scaling businesses win when they combine discipline with optionality. Your treasury should earn, stay visible, and be accessible on a timetable you control. Used well, notice periods can create that advantage. They reward planning without punishing agility.
What we designed for
- Time is a lever: Cash has a job to do between payrolls, VAT dates, supplier runs and acquisitions. Align access to those dates and you turn idle funds into contribution.
- Rate clarity matters: Rates should respond to the market in a way you can understand. Ours are variable and tiered. They track the Bank of England base rate minus a spread, so returns update with market conditions. And better yet, the more you save, the higher your interest rate.
- Control beats complexity: You shouldn’t need a separate workflow for reserves. Open and manage notice accounts in minutes next to your day-to-day banking in the web platform or app. Fund your notice account directly from your OakNorth Spend or current account.
What this means in practice
- Use 30-day notice for near-term reserves you expect to deploy, and 95-day for longer-dated plans or acquisition war-chests.
- Match notice periods to your forecasted outflows. If plans change, cancel during the window and reset.
- Keep an easy-access saving account buffer for the unexpected, so discipline doesn’t become rigidity.
Why OakNorth
OakNorth is built for ambitious, multi-entity businesses that want speed without losing depth. Notice accounts support that philosophy, bringing planning discipline and flexibility into the same experience you already use to run your finances.
What you can expect
- No hoop-jumping. Manage everything alongside your current account in web or app.
- Transparent returns . Variable, tiered rates that move with the base rate, minus a clear spread.
- Designed for planning. 30- and 95-day options you can align to real dates.
- Stay in control. Request a withdrawal and cancel it within the notice window if plans change.
Ready to put surplus cash to work? See current rates and account details here . Or get in touch with me to chat further.
