Clear Books, Metro Bank Partner For SMB Accounting

Clear Books and Metro Bank are partnering to offer a new accounting software solution for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), including online and mobile bank feeds and financial management tools, according to a press release.

Metro Bank customers can download the Metro Bank app or register for a complimentary Clear Books accounting trial. They can then manage their Metro Bank transactions in Clear Books for 30 days.

The app also lets customers raise professional invoices and view financial reports. They can access the app for a 25 percent discount after the trial period ends, the release stated.

Ruth Fouracre, Clear Books CEO, said the company aims to make managing finances simpler for SMBs.

“We worked alongside Metro Bank to carefully design a customer experience that provided small businesses with access to Clear Books accounting tools through Metro Bank’s online banking platforms,” she said, according to the release. “This partnership provides users of both Clear Books and Metro Bank with great tools, a more aligned experience between the two products, and amazing discounts.”

Metro Bank Chief Commercial Officer David Thomasson said in the release that the bank is “thrilled to partner with Clear Books to provide our business customers with essential money management tools, easily accessible from our mobile app.”

“These will empower [SMBs] to free up time in a way that wasn’t possible before, to spend running and growing their businesses,” he said, according to the release.

Metro Bank struck a deal earlier this month to buy peer-to-peer lender RateSetter for 2.5 million pounds ($3.3 million), which will be accompanied by additional payments if RateSetter is able to hit some benchmarks. Metro Bank plans to operate RateSetter independently and make loans under both that brand and its own Metro Bank label.

Clear Books recently integrated with Stripe in order to give SMBs a new way to take invoice payments, enabling it for either credit or debit card. The method can help to speed up cash flow and see more details on payments.