Lately, I’ve noticed a clear trend: more dentists are switching to Capital on Tap for their business credit card. And honestly? I can see exactly why.
I helped one of our dentists switch over this month, and it reminded me just how simple and beneficial it can be when you know what to expect. So I thought I’d share the process, what we learned, and why this card is becoming a bit of a favourite among our dental clients.
But Capital on Tap is a corporate credit card, so it only works if you trade through a limited company or limited partnership. That already rules out a lot of dentists who are still sole traders or in partnerships, but for limited companies, it can be a brilliant fit.
Why Capital on Tap Works So Well for Dentists (Associates and Practice Owners)
Here’s why it’s becoming the most popular business credit card among our dental clients:
1. You get 1% cashback on spending
Simple, easy, passive income.
Even if you’re only putting £500 a month on the card (and let’s be honest, most dentists spend more), that’s money back in the business for doing nothing extra.
2. Vouchers instead of cashback (if you prefer)
Some of our clients like using the cashback for Amazon vouchers or similar. Totally fine — just remember:
Cashback and vouchers count as taxable income in your company.
It’s not a problem, just something the accountant in me has to say!
3. You get a genuinely good business savings account
They’ve got a built-in savings account with a rate currently around 3–4%, which beats what a lot of normal business banks are offering.
Great place to keep your tax buffer, earning something.
4. Really clean Xero integration
It links smoothly — just be aware that the transactions show up around 24 hours behind.
Not the end of the world, but worth knowing so you’re not wondering where yesterday’s card payments went.
The integration is set up from the Xero login, it’s from the Capital on Tap browser login and not their app, like many other banks do.
5. Brilliant for dental practices with teams
If you run a practice, you can give cards to team members and set limits however you want.
Makes life easier when the team member needs to buy something and you’re mid-surgery.
6. Super easy to open and set up
Every dentist I’ve helped says this:
“That was way easier than I expected.”
It really is just a few clicks.
⚠️ Quick heads-up: Don’t use it to pay HMRC
Yes, technically, you can pay HMRC with the card, but HMRC charges a fee for all card payments from a corporate card of between 1.5% to 2.8%. The fee varies from bank to bank.
HMRC charges 1.6% for card payments from Capital on Tap…
…and you only get 1% cashback.
So you’d be losing money. Stick to bank transfer for tax bills.
Interestingly, HMRC make no charge for paying by a personal debit card, and they will not accept any personal credit cards.
🔄 How to move your card payments over to Capital on Tap (zero faff)
When you switch, do one simple thing:
➡️ Disable your old business card payments from inside your banking app.
This forces every supplier to email you saying, “Your card failed, please update your details”.
This is perfect and just what you want, as within one payment cycle, everything will have been naturally moved over to the new Capital on Tap card.
Thinking bigger? The Capital on Tap Pro account is actually quite good
If you’re a practice owner or you spend a fair bit each month, the Pro account is surprisingly good value at £299, which is tax deductible. Here’s why dentists who travel tend to like it:
💳 1. Higher cashback: 1.25% on preloaded funds
If you preload the card (basically add your own money), you earn 1.25% cashback instead of 1%.
Easy win if you’ve got regular spending.
🌍 2. Unlimited airport lounge access
This comes with Priority Pass™ access.
If you travel for courses, holidays, or to visit family, you’ll definitely use it.
✈️ 3. Convert your points to Avios
Great if you’re already collecting points for flights.
🎁 4. 10,000 bonus points £100
Spend £5,000 in the first 3 months and you’ll get a nice little reward.
📞 5. Better customer support
24/7 priority support — good for busy practice owners.
🧳 6. Radisson VIP hotel status
Nice little upgrade perk if you travel.
🔧 7. 6 months of Xero for free (if you’re new)
Not relevant for most of you already on Xero, but great for new incorporations.
💳 8. And yes… it comes with a metal card
Feels very “CEO of my own dental company”.
Referral link (supporting DentAid & Bridge2Aid with £75 donations)
I’ve moved SmallBiz Accounts over, and if you want to give Capital on Tap a go, 👉 here’s my referral link:
All the £75 rewards we receive will be added up at the end of the year and split between dental charities DentAid and Bridge2Aid — so you’re doing some good as well.
How to Sync a Capital on Tap Card with Xero – Quick Steps
Once your account is set up, make sure to connect your Capital on Tap card to Xero to keep your bookkeeping smooth:
- Log in to your Capital on Tap online portal (not the mobile app).
- Go to the “Accounting” section.
- Click “Connect” next to the Xero option.
- Follow the prompts to authorise the connection — this will set up a bank feed from your card into Xero.
- Within a few hours, your card transactions should start appearing in Xero.
- Let your accountant know once it’s done so they can double-check everything is working correctly.
Tip (important if you have multiple Capital on Tap cards):
If you and your team use more than one Capital on Tap card, the setup process is slightly different. Before connecting anything in Capital on Tap, log into Xero first and create a single credit card account (e.g. “Capital on Tap – Consolidated”).
When you then connect each card feed from the Capital on Tap portal, select that same Xero account. This keeps all spending in one place and makes reconciliation much easier.
This ensures your expenses flow automatically into Xero, making bookkeeping and tax prep much easier.
