Our ethics statement - Starling Bank (2025) (original) (raw)
Starling Bank grew out of a desire to create a new kind of bank and to make banking more inclusive by putting customer needs first. For us, good business and ethics go hand in hand. We believe that businesses should be aware of their social, economic and environmental impact and their responsibilities to pursue the social good.
This policy outlines how our values and ethics shape our business and the way we work.
At the core of our value system is a belief in transparency, fairness and inclusion. This means no hidden or rip-off fees and no hard sell. It also means listening to our customers.
Workplace culture
We are committed to providing a workplace culture that reflects our values of fairness, equity, inclusion, compassion and non-discrimination. Our employees should be - and feel - safe from harassment and bullying. They should be - and feel - free to discuss concerns about our operations internally to their line manager or externally without fear of consequences.
Living Wage
We are a Living Wage Employer and are committed to paying our employees a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum.
Supply chain/Partners
We are committed to developing business relationships with high quality suppliers and partners who themselves are committed to operating under ethical and environmental standards equivalent to our own - including in the fair treatment of customers, employees and other stakeholders.
Ethical banking
We don’t provide banking services to or invest in organisations that use excessive power to systemically promote public behaviour that is harmful to individuals, groups or to the whole of society in order to maximise their own profits. This may include, for example, arms manufacturers and tobacco companies.
We will be transparent about where we invest our customers’ money.
We will maintain best-in-class processes to detect fraud and money-laundering.
Treating customers fairly
We commit to:
- Treating our customers fairly
- Ensuring the voice of our customer base is heard
- Communicating with our customers in plain language that they can understand
- Being transparent about fees and charges and keeping them at reasonable levels
- Involving our customers in designing and improving our products and services to best meet their needs
- Supporting staff who work with vulnerable customers
- Taking account of the needs of vulnerable customers and paying attention to possible indicators of vulnerability particularly with regard to collections
- Adopting a responsible approach to lending and providing information to help customers recognise borrowing patterns that appear unsustainable or irresponsible
- Helping customers avoid financial problems through the support of financial education and the design of our products, for example by enabling them to block gambling and betting merchant codes on our app.
Technology for Good
We recognise that digital technologies including artificial intelligence, the internet of things and blockchain, as well as technologies yet to be invented, have the potential to be a force for good, reducing inequalities, saving resources, eradicating disease and promoting economic and educational advancement. But we also recognise they can have harmful impacts. We therefore commit to do what we can to:
- Ensure the benefits of our technology are able to be shared equitably across all parts of society
- Promote and maintain human rights in the production and implementation of our technology
- Help our workforce develop the skills they need to adapt to new technology and the future of work
- Help protect our people’s health and wellbeing as they use our technology
- Maintain best-in-class processes to protect client and personal data, as well as commercially sensitive data of other businesses we engage with
- Ensure we do not build bias, prejudice or discrimination into our algorithms or any part of our technological processes
- Be alert to the social, economic and environmental impacts of our technology.
Environment
We are committed to the pursuit of ecological sustainability and to combating climate change. We’re a branchless, digital and largely paperless bank – one that’s built in the cloud, with debit cards made from recycled plastic. Protecting the natural environment is a priority for us, which is why we practise energy and resource efficiency, recycle materials and use sustainable waste management. Find out more about our approach to sustainable banking.
Politics
We will never donate to a political party, politician or party political campaign group.
Campaigns
We are committed to using our voice to stand up for causes related to our business in line with our values and ethics. This includes our campaign to #MakeMoneyEqual, aimed at treating all customers fairly, and other work to improve financial literacy.We recently launched Make Pocket Money Equal, highlighting the ‘gender play gap’ that exists for kids.
Volunteering
Employees will be allowed 16 hours paid leave per year to undertake a volunteering activity of their choice.
Tax
We will not do anything in our tax affairs that runs contrary to either the letter or spirit of tax legislation in the UK and any other country in which we are liable for tax.
Board members
We will strive to draw our board and senior management team from a diverse pool with the express purpose of establishing a varied mix of skills, experience and outlook. Board members will be screened for conflicts of interest and relationships with companies that do not meet our values and ethics.
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FAQs
Our ethics statement - Starling Bank? ›
We don't provide banking services to or invest in organisations that use excessive power to systemically promote public behaviour that is harmful to individuals, groups or to the whole of society in order to maximise their own profits. This may include, for example, arms manufacturers and tobacco companies.
Is Starling Bank an ethical bank? ›
Starling Bank has been assessed in The Good Shopping Guide's Ethical Banks & Building Societies Ratings Table and receives a below-benchmark score.
How to get a Starling statement? ›
If you need a certified paper statement, tap the top right icon in the app to open the account menu, tap on 'Statements', then 'Statement history' and select a date range. From there, select the option to export in PDF format, then you can choose whether you'd like it as a 'Certified' or 'Standard' statement.
How to get a bank statement from Sterling bank? ›
To view your eStatement:
- Go to sterlingbank.com.
- Log-in to Online Banking.
- Select Transactions.
- Select View Statements.
- Choose the filter criteria from the drop-down selections for Account(s), Document Type, and Date Range, then select Filter.
- Download the statement(s) you wish to view.
Regarding the comments about Starling being a "woke" company to a painful extent, it's important to understand that Starling is deeply committed to inclusivity and diversity. While this may not resonate with everyone, the company's goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
What are the downsides of Starling Bank? ›
The only fees personal users will see are overdraft fees or cash deposit fees. Starling Bank's overdraft charges an EAR of 15%, 25% or 35% (dependent on your credit score).
Your Starling account is protected by industry-leading security features, but it's important to stay personally aware too. To that end, we've rounded up some helpful links and resources about what fraud looks like and how you can avoid it.
Is it hard to get a starling bank account? ›
It's free to apply, easy to set up and you'll benefit from 24/7 support.
Can my accountant access my Starling bank account? ›
For sole trader accounts only the account holder can access the account and for limited company accounts only PSCs who are also directors can access the account. Accountants can be given access within Xero to view Starling transactions pushed to Xero.
No monthly fees - Starling Bank.
Can I get a bank statement without going to the bank? ›
Visit your bank's website. Log in to Online Banking/Digital Banking/Internet Banking/eBanking etc. Click 'statements', 'e-documents', or 'download' Make sure you've selected the correct account.
How do I get a PDF statement from my bank? ›
Visit the bank's Internet Banking website. Log in to your net banking account with your username and password (You can register for an Online banking account in case you already don't have one) Choose any one of these options: 'Download e-Document', 'Bank account statement' or 'View transaction history'
How can I request a bank statement? ›
Getting a copy of your bank statement is easy. Your online banking page will list out all of your statements. From there, you can download a PDF or request a paper version by mail. You can also call your bank's customer service line for help.
Is Starling Bank losing money? ›
The results show a third year of profitability for the Group, driven by strong growth in revenue, deposits, active customers and customer transactions. The UK digital banking group reports a 54.7% increase in pre-tax profits to £301.1m.
Who is Starling Bank owned by? ›
100% independent. We're not owned by any other bank. We're part-owned by our founder Anne, employees and an employee benefits trust with investment from Harry McPike, a global private investor, Chrysalis Investments Ltd, Fidelity, Railpen, Qatar Investment Authority, Millennium Management and Goldman Sachs.
Following a £272m Series D funding round, Starling Bank has reached a valuation of £1.1bn and secured 'unicorn' status in the fintech startup mark...
Which UK bank is most ethical? ›
The UK's most ethical banks and building societies
- Triodos Bank. What's on offer? ...
- Charity Bank. What's on offer? ...
- Ecology Building Society. What's on offer? ...
- The Co-operative Bank. What's on offer? ...
- Coventry Building Society. What's on offer? ...
- Nationwide Building Society. What's on offer? ...
- Starling Bank. ...
- Gatehouse Bank.
What is the most ethical national bank? ›
FinTech Magazine's Top 10 banks for ESG in 2023
- Economic social governance (ESG) is becoming one of the most important considerations for financial institutions and banks alike. Below, FinTech Magazine runs through our Top 10 most ethical banks of 2023. ...
- Deutsche Bank. ...
- DBS Bank. ...
- Bank of America. ...
- Barclays. ...
- JPMorgan. ...
- HSBC. ...
- Citi.
What is the least ethical bank? ›
Want your money to do good in the world? Many of us do and an easy way to do that is to keep your money OUT of the least ethical banks around. In the US, the four least ethical banks are easy to spot. It's Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Citi Bank.
Which bank is behind Starling Bank? ›
100% independent. We're not owned by any other bank. We're part-owned by our founder Anne, employees and an employee benefits trust with investment from Harry McPike, a global private investor, Chrysalis Investments Ltd, Fidelity, Railpen, Qatar Investment Authority, Millennium Management and Goldman Sachs.
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Last Updated: 2025-02-12T20:41:30+07:00
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