Starling Bank

Is Starling Bank ethical?

Starling Bank has been assessed in The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Banks & Building Societies Ratings Table and receives a below-benchmark score.

Although our ethical requirements have not yet been met by this company, we hope that in the future, it will make the necessary changes to become a more ethical bank.

More information on the ethical issues faced by the sector, may be found in The Good Shopping Guide’s article on Ethical Banking. You can also use our Ethical Banks & Building Societies Ratings Table to compare Starling Bank to other businesses.

What does Starling Bank do?

Starling Bank is a digital challenger bank founded in January 2014. The company offers services such as current accounts, business banking, loans and money transfers.

For which criteria does Starling Bank score poorly? 

Starling Bank receives a bottom rating in the Environmental Report criterion, as the company does not provide sufficient information on its environmental commitments and therefore does not effectively demonstrate that it prioritises being a sustainable business.

Additionally, in 2021, Starling was criticised for accepting funding from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, despite its longstanding opposition to fossil fuels. Critics pointed to the hypocrisy of this move, given the key role that fossil fuels play in Qatari financing. As a result, Starling Bank receives a middle rating for Other Criticisms.

In what areas does Starling Bank score well for its ethics?

Starling Bank receives a top rating for Irresponsible Lending, as it was not found to have any recent links to unethical investment practices.

How can Starling Bank improve its ethical rating?

The ethical rating of a Finance brand is divided into three categories by The Good Shopping Guide: the Environment, People and Other. Find out more about how we rate.

Starling Bank has several areas of improvement required before it can meet our ethical benchmark and be considered a top-rated brand. For instance, Starling Bank should work on establishing clear sustainability commitments to increase its score in the Environmental Report criterion.

If you’re interested in learning more about achieving Ethical Accreditation for your brand, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.