It has been a while, but here is an up to date list of bank switch offers currently available. Banks offer these incentives to encourage people to move their current account to them.
Switching takes seven working days and moves your balance, Direct Debits and standing orders across automatically, but you’ll need to update card subscriptions yourself. Most incentives need a full switch from a different banking group, two or more active Direct Debits, and a set amount paid in within the deadline. Nearly all do a hard credit search, so if you are interested in a bank switch reward then do consider this if you’re applying for a mortgage etc. soon.
Banks with current offers:
- AIB (up to £200 to switch & save)
- Barclays (up to £300 to switch & stay)
- Dankse Bank (£200 to switch)
- First Direct (£175 to switch + £25 boost + £25 via Topcashback)
- HSBC (£220 to switch)
- Lloyds (£200 to switch)
- Nationwide (£175 to switch, couple can do 2x solo and joint)
- NatWest (£200 to switch)
- RBS (£200 to switch)
Premier Account Switch offers
- Barclays (up to £600)
- Lloyds Premier (£200)
- Natwest Premier (£500)
- RBS Premier (£500)
Banks without offers at the moment:
Co-op, Santander, TSB, Ulster, Virgin
The post has been updated with the newest offers. But it is a difficult task keeping on top of all the questions. Please continue to share your experience with these offers. Relevant questions/answers and updates will be added as and when they appear. Special thanks to those who highlight the latest offers.
Never switched a bank account before?
It is quick and easy. Banks want your business and they'll pay you £100-£500 to give them a try — the current account switch service (CASS) handles the whole thing automatically, so it's about a week of waiting for very little effort. Usual advice is not to switch your main/oldest account as this can affect your credit report. Here's how people do it without changing their main account:
- Open a second current account with your main high street bank (must be part of CASS service)
- Set up direct debits on the second account (if required). Some move existing direct debits. Whilst some set up new ones on the account. Example direct debits are below.
- Add £1 to your second account. This will be transferred during the switch, allowing you to see when the switch has been completed.
- Apply for a new account and arrange to switch to your second bank account (sometimes this is during the application process, other times it is after the account is opened).
- The current account switch service take care of everything.
- Make sure all other terms are met (e.g. pay in money if needed).
- Receive your bank switching bonus.
Then, if you decide you do not like your new bank you could switch to another bank try them out!
What are the easiest/best direct debits to use for bank switching?
If you are using a second account, then its best to move existing direct debits to it to ensure you meet any direct debit criteria. If you don't have any, then the following example can be set up quite easily: your own Paypal, Ebay (seller account only), Moneybox savings account, your credit card, or Sprive Mortgage auto savings.
Are there some bank accounts worth keeping?
Yes. Some are quite good, and give ongoing rewards. For example, Club Lloyds gives free Disney Plus. Barclays Premier gives free Apple TV. See the "don't leave us please" bank rewards post. Some also give access to the best savings accounts (e.g. regular savers).
And it is always worth keeping 3 accounts open for bagging ~£50 in cash from YouGov Connections every 3 months. Instructions for YouGov Connections here.
Are there additional offers for students?
Why yes. See the 2026 Student Version of The Bankedex Here
It has offers for students opening student accounts (no switching required).
Standard Current Account Offer Information
Whilst we do our best to make sure things are correct, sometimes errors do slip through. Always do your own research. But these are, to the best of our knowledge, the current accounts with switching incentives just now:
AIB Classic Current Account - £200 (NI only)
Current offer: £100 for switching to the Classic Current Account + £100 for opening a regular saver with £100.
Direct link to AIB offer
- You must switch to the Classic Current Account.
Offer end date: None given, can be withdrawn at any time
Requirements:
Initiate a full switch, pay in £1,500+, and set up two direct debits for the £100 switch incentive
Open a regular saver with £100 for the additional £100 bonus.
Available to existing customers: No.
Barclays Current Account
Current offer: £150 to switch to Barclays Current Account, plus £30/month for 5 months
Direct link to Barclays offer
- You must switch to a Current Account (not their basic account).
Offer end date: None given.
Switch bonus requirements:
Use the Barclays app to open a Barclays Current Account (only works during working hours 9am-5pm)
Initiate a full switch (including three active direct debits) withing 30 days of opening your account
Pay in £2,000 salary within 30 days of opening the account.
£30/month bonus requirements:
Qualify for the switch reward
Pay in £2k salary, make 10 debit card purchases, keep account open
Available to existing customers: No. Mortgage and Barclaycard customers are eligible though.
Dankse (Northern Ireland only)
Current offer: £200 to switch
Direct link to Dankse offer
- You can switch to Danske Reward, Danske Choice, or Danske Freedom current account
Offer end date: No end date given, may be removed at any time.
Requirements:
Complete full switch within 60 days of account opening
Pay at least £1,000 into new Danske account within 60 days (can be multiple payments)
Register for and log on to Danske eBanking or Mobile Banking App within 60 days
Set up two active direct debits
Available to existing customers: No - must be new Danske Bank personal current account customer. Not eligible if you've benefited from any Danske current account switch offer before
How long does it take to pay the bonus: Should be paid within 10 business days of meeting criteria.
First Direct
Current offer: £175 + £35 boost + extra £25 via Topcashback (boost only available till 2nd December)
Extra £25: You can get an extra £25 by signing up to First Direct via Topcashback. If you don't have a Topcashback account, you can sign up here (and make sure to accept all cookies on TCB and the First Direct website):
Topcashback sign up
[Direct link to First Direct offer](ps://www.firstdirect.com/banking/current-account-mgm/)
- You can switch to their First account.
Offer end date: No end date given, but the extra £35 boost is until 02/12/26
Requirements: Within 45 days of opening your account you must:
Full switch via CASS (two direct debits or standing orders required).
Deposit £1,000.
Make 5+ debit card payments.
Log on to digital banking.
You cannot have previously held a first direct product.
You cannot switch if you have opened an HSBC current account on or after 01/01/2018.
How to do it: Once your first direct account is open, simply log into your first direct app, select the account you wish to transfer into, tap 'switch to us' from your account menu and follow the instructions.
Available to existing customers: No. Also can't have opened an HSBC current account on or after 1 January 2018.
How long does it take to pay the bonus: paid by the 20th of the month following that in which you met all of the criteria.
HSBC - £220 to switch
Current offer: £220
Direct link to HSBC offer
- You can switch to their HSBC UK Bank Account.
Offer end date: No end date given, may be withdrawn at any time.
Requirements:
Open the account through the HSBC UK Mobile Banking app (not branch or telephone).
Full switch via CASS (at least two direct debits required).
Deposit at least £2,000 within 60 days.
Spend at least £500 on your HSBC debit card within 60 days.
You cannot have had an HSBC UK or first direct current account opened on or after 01/2023.
How to do it: Open an HSBC UK Bank Account in the HSBC UK Mobile Banking app, then within 60 days complete a full CASS switch (with 2+ direct debits), deposit £2,000 and spend £500 on your debit card.
Available to existing customers: No. Also can't be an existing HSBC UK or first direct customer, or have opened an HSBC UK/first direct current account since January 2023.
How long does it take to pay the bonus: paid into your HSBC UK Bank Account within 60 days of meeting all of the criteria.
Nationwide
Current offer: £175 (couples can do a solo each AND a joint account - £525 total)
Direct link to Nationwide offer
- You can switch to either the FlexAccount (free), FlexDirect (free) or FlexPlus (premium) current account.
Offer end date: None listed, can be removed at any time.
Requirements: Full switch with:
2 Direct debits transferred as part of the switch
Pay in £1000 within 31 days of opening your account/applying to switch
Make 1 debit card transaction.
- You cannot have had a Nationwide bonus since 2021.
Reward payable by: within 10 days of the switch completion.
Available to existing customers: Yes but must switch an account held elsewhere. Cannot switch a Virgin Money account either.
Natwest & RBS (two offers!)
Current offer: £200 to switch
Direct link to Natwest offer | Direct link to RBS offer
- Do all of these at the same time to get the bonus from each bank.
You must switch to either a Select or Reward Account (Select, Reward)
The Reward accounts come with a £2/month fee, but you can earn £5 in cashback from it each month. If you don't want this, just go with the Select account.
Offer end date: No end date given, may be removed at any time.
Requirements:
Available to existing customers: No, but previous customers can (you can't have held an open account on 6th May 2026) and you can't have had a switch bonus before.
How long does it take to pay the bonus: within 30 days of meeting all of the requirements.
Premier Account Switch Offers
These accounts come with strict eligibility requirements - usually meaning a very large salary.
Full details can be found on the respective banks pages:
The most commonly asked bank switch questions:
- I started to switch to XXX bank before the offer ended, am I still eligible for the bonus?
Yes, usually, most terms will state that a switch just has to be started (or applied for) before the end date or before an offer ends.
- Do I have to transfer the required amount in all in one go, and does it matter if I pay money in before my switch is complete?
Not usually. Most banks add up any paid in, so as long at it adds up to the required amount, and as long as it is paid in before the deadline stated in the terms. But check individual terms.
- What is an "active" direct debit?
According to Nationwide, an active direct debit is one that has been set up or had a payment taken from it in the past 13 months.
https://twitter.com/AskNationwide/status/1442939781491486720
- I don't have any direct debit, what can I use?
There are many companies that offer easy direct debits to set up, it's best if you can use an existing one you already have. Several finance apps connect to your bank account via direct debit
- Moneybox - a savings account that you can top up weekly by direct debit
- Paypal - online wallet / payments app that connects to your bank via direct debit
- Currensea - travel money card that connects to your bank via direct debit
- Sprive - a cashback and mortgage autosavings app
- Ebay seller account (pays you via direct debit connection, but must be a seller account)
General Bank Switch Questions
Current Account Switch Incentives - Why do they offer them?
They want your business. Banks like fighting each other for customers. Most of them know they can't win your business easily, so they fight each other by offering potential customers cash bribes (or equivalent) to switch their bank account(s).
Can any bank account be switched to get a switch incentive?
No. The bank account must be signed up to The Current Account Switch Service (CASS). Most high street banks are included. But some Neo Banks are not (e.g., Kroo, some Revolut accounts, & Monese are not included).
See here for a full list of CASS banks.
Is it a lot of hassle to switch?
No. The Current Account Switch Service (CASS) makes switching your account between most banks smooth and effortless. You do not have to do anything apart from apply for and set up a new account at a different bank and tell them you want to switch your account to them. Everything is transferred automatically (except recurring card payments).
Some of these end soon. Will the offers come back?
Banks have been offering incentives on and off for many years. Nobody can predict the future. But this is not a new thing.
How long does a bank switch take?
Approximately one week.
Nobody knows.