Simple on-the-go bookkeeping for the self-employed.

Mettle was created by NatWest in response to two big problems. Firstly, sole traders and small limited companies were often operating at a loss within NatWest’s traditional business banking product that centered on relationship management. And secondly, challenger banks were winning these customers with lean, digital-native products. NatWest’s mission was to build a challenger bank in Mettle, to be more commercially effective for this customer segment, who wanted a simple, fully digital banking experience.

Working in the Accelerator hub, I was the Lead Product Designer owning all of Mettle’s bookkeeping features. Our mission was to enable business owners handle the entire bookkeeping process from their banking app. Our hypothesis was if they can complete it on the go, as part of their everyday banking, they would be able to avoid the end of year bookkeeping nightmare everyone was familiar with.

We launched three essential bookkeeping app features that seamlessly integrated with our partnered accounting software, FreeAgent. Customers were able to create invoices and reconcile payments, categorise transactions and capture their expense receipts all from their Mettle Banking App.

So instead of having to sit down at the end of their tax year and spend hours trying to reconcile their bookkeeping, Mettle customers could do it on-the-go, bit by bit, at the point of each transaction. And if they signed up to our free accounting software, FreeAgent, this data automatically synced into their account, ready for their accountant to review.