Best banks and bank accounts in the UK 2024
Discover the best banks and other account providers in the UK by customer service.
Our experts trawled through the features and fees of accounts from all the big providers and challengers worth considering, including digital-only banking apps. This guide shows our scores as well as scores from the people who matter most – customers. Find out the top accounts for spending abroad, earning interest on your balance, cashback and more, to help you choose the perfect account. You can also earn money when switching your bank account.
Earn £5 cashback a month
- Earn cashback as you spend
- Competitive Monthly Saver
- Save the Pennies feature
No overseas fees
- Easy to set up
- Good for budgeting and categorising spending
- Automatic saving feature
Our expert says: Banking expert Cathy Hudson explains how to pick the best account
"The bank that’s right for you depends on your priorities and your financial situation. If you’re simply looking for a bank with the best customer satisfaction, Starling Bank, Chase, and first direct received the highest scores for overall satisfaction, scoring an impressive 100% ‘would recommend’ score. Two of these are digital-only banks so you would need to make sure this would suit you before choosing one of them.
If it’s interest on your credit balance you’re looking for, Kroo – another digital bank – is currently offering an impressively high rate that is better than some savings accounts. Starling is best if you’re spending money abroad, as it doesn’t charge you fees when you’re paying by card or taking cash out overseas and uses Mastercard’s exchange rates.
For those looking to maximise the return on their savings, first direct is a winning option as by taking out its current account you get access to its top-paying Regular Saver account, which lets you save £25 to £300 a month for 12 months. The interest you’ve earned will be paid to you at the end of this period. If you save the maximum £300 a month, at 7% gross AER, you’ll earn around £136.50 at the end of the 12 months."
Best UK banks and banking providers by customer satisfaction
In 2024, we published our independent customer satisfaction survey on current accounts in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Here’s the full list of providers, including banks and e-money providers that we considered and how many of their customers said they’d recommend the brand to a friend. Learn more about the results and the winners.
Our results are similar to those of the government-backed Ipsos survey of Personal Banking Service Quality in Great Britain. Chase made its debut in that survey in August 2024, at third.
| Bank | Overall satisfaction | Customers who’d recommend | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | ★★★★★ | 100% | It’s the first year for this bank in our customer satisfaction awards and Chase is right at the top. Customers loved its cashback feature and customer service, securing it a score of 4.9 out of 5. |
| first direct | ★★★★★ | 100% | Known for providing great customer service on the phone 24/7, the UK’s first telephone bank and HSBC sibling first direct only offers one current account. But customers love it, scoring 4.9 out of 5 in our survey. |
| Starling Bank | ★★★★★ | 100% | Starling’s digital-only current account is quick to open and efficient to manage, and the app is packed with features. It also scored 4.9 out of 5. |
| Monzo | ★★★★★ | 98% | Popular digital challenger bank Monzo offers app-based current accounts that are packed with features, with customers in our survey highlighting the useful money management and savings tools. It scored 4.9 out of 5. |
| Bank of Scotland | ★★★★★ | 98% | Bank of Scotland is a subsidiary of the Lloyds banking group. Its bank branches are mainly in Scotland, although you can live elsewhere in the UK to open an account. It scored 4.8 out of 5 in our survey. |
| Nationwide | ★★★★★ | 96% | The last building society that does banking on a national level, Nationwide offers a good range of current accounts, some of which come with great incentives and perks, from interest paid on your balance to insurance options. It scored 4.8 out of 5. |
| Revolut | ★★★★★ | 95% | Revolut’s multi-currency digital account is good for travelling and for sending money abroad. It scored 4.6 out of 5. You can exchange and hold multiple currencies for free, and also use it as a standard UK current account – although you can’t deposit cash or cheques. |
| NatWest | ★★★★★ | 91% | With NatWest, you can choose between free current accounts and paid-for rewards accounts. Customers praised its dependable service and easy-to-use mobile banking app, securing it a score of 4.6 out of 5. |
| RBS | ★★★★★ | 91% | Royal Bank of Scotland is NatWest’s sister bank. Just like its peer, it offers a selection of current accounts that include cashback at selected retailers. It achieved a score of 4.6 out of 5. |
| Santander | ★★★★★ | 91% | High street bank Santander comes with all the advantages of a big bank and offers a wide range of current accounts. Among its top-selling points is the option of earning cashback on your bills. It scored 4.6 out of 5. |
| Lloyds Bank | ★★★★★ | 93% | Lloyds offers current accounts that suit a wide range of needs, has a large branch network and has been investing in its digital banking features too. It’s score in our survey was 4.4 out of 5. |
| Barclays | ★★★★★ | 90% | Current accounts by Barclays come recommended by 90% of its customers in our survey and scored 4.4 out of 5. Respondents praised the bank’s helpful customer service and trustworthiness. |
| Virgin Money | ★★★★★ | 88% | Virgin Money has been steadily growing its current account range since its launch in 2019. Customers that we polled were fairly happy with the customer service and banking app, securing it 4.3 out 5. |
| Halifax | ★★★★★ | 86% | Halifax has several current account options, ranging from basic accounts up to reward accounts. Customers in our survey highlighted its reliability and range of services on offer. It scored 4.3 out of 5. |
| The Co-operative Bank | ★★★★★ | 84% | The Co-operative Bank prides itself on its customer-led Ethical Policy, which was a main draw for a lot of customers in our survey. It has one standard current account, a packaged current account and a basic bank account. It scored 4.1 out of 5. |
| HSBC | ★★★★★ | 84% | HSBC has three everyday current accounts in its roster, depending on your personal circumstances and income. Many of its customers in our survey were long-standing account holders and were pleased with the customer service. It scored 4 out of 5. |
| TSB | ★★★★★ | 77% | The TSB banking brand returned to the UK high street in 2013. Some customers in our survey praised its good level of customer service. It scored 3.9 out of 5. |
How satisfied are customers of the UK's big 4 banking groups vs the rest?
| Response | Big 4 customers | All others in survey |
|---|---|---|
| Very satisfied | 52.89% | 59.30% |
| Reasonably satisfied | 33.06% | 28.30% |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 9.64% | 9.43% |
| Moderately dissatisfied | 1.93% | 2.70% |
| Highly dissatisfied | 2.48% | 0.27% |
Source: Finder survey by OnePoll of 750 Brits
Customer satisfaction scores methodology
In December 2023, we ran a customer satisfaction survey on current accounts. 750 people answered and told us how happy (or not) they were with their current account provider.
The survey asked respondents how satisfied they were with their current account on a scale from 1 to 5, and also whether they would recommend their banking provider to a friend or not. We turned the results into stars and shortlisted the top-performing brands for our awards. Where there was a draw in terms of satisfaction stars, we used the recommendation score (the percentage of customers who said they would recommend the brand to a friend) as a tie-breaker.
Full details of our star ratings for this sector are on the banking ratings methodology page.
Banking scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
The customer satisfaction score is based on a survey of 750 customers carried out in December 2023.
Finder’s best current accounts by expert score in the UK 2024
| Bank | Best for | Expert score |
|---|---|---|
| Starling Bank | Best all rounder and for overseas spending | 4.7/5 |
| Monzo | Best for extra features & green banking | 4.6/5 |
| Lloyds Bank | Best for payment features | 4.3/5 |
| Nationwide | Best for linked savings account | 4.3/5 |
| Chase | Best for cashback | 4.0/5 |
| Kroo | Best for in-credit interest | 4.0/5 |
Best all rounder and best bank account for overseas spending: Starling Bank
Finder Score 4.7★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 3.25% AER |
Overall, Starling’s current account is a strong choice and our pick for best all rounder. Our banking experts rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars, the highest score out of our rated accounts. As one of the largest digital-only banks, it has built a service which has a variety of payments and budgeting features for customers to use directly through their app. This includes savings spaces, virtual cards, round-up spare change options and all the regular banking payment services. It’s also a great option if you’re looking for fee-free spending when you can pay with your debit card or withdraw cash without being charged. Starling is continually adding to its service and now has savings account options as well as paying interest on current account balances.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 15% EAR variable.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 3.25% AER |
Best bank account for in-credit interest: Kroo
Finder Score 4.0★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 4.1% AER |
You might not have thought about earning interest on your current account balance, but there are some competitive rates out there. Kroo has one of the highest in-credit rates on the market. Its rate easily matches some of the top easy access savings accounts, but is available on your current account balance, up to £500,000. A fully licensed UK bank, Kroo offers a current account that’s free to open, comes with an overdraft subject to availability and has all the useful budgeting features you’d expect from a digital bank including a shared expenses tracker and real-time transaction information.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 4.1% AER |
Best for payment features: Lloyds
Finder Score 4.3★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Everyday Offers - Earn up to 15% cashback from selected retailers when shopping with a Lloyds Bank credit or debit card.
Making payments is an essential service for a current account but Lloyds’ does this and much more. It has a strong branch presence where you can make cash deposits and cheque deposits and allows you to make and receive international payments. Beyond these basic services, it also has its Everyday Offers cashback programme where you can earn up to 15% cashback. As Lloyds is also part of the Lloyds Banking Group, Halifax and Bank of Scotland have many of the same payment features.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable.
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Best for extra features & green banking: Monzo
Finder Score 4.6★★★★★
Monzo’s current account is designed to help you manage your money better through a range of budgeting tools. But the challenger bank hasn’t rested on its laurels. It’s also introduced extra features such as cashback alongside its existing services like automatic spending categories, spending notifications and Savings Pots. This is why our banking experts rate it 4.6/5. And if you’re looking for a bank that also has strong green credentials, then Monzo is definitely one to check out. It earned a Finder green banking rating of 4.5/5, after scoring well for its ambitious net zero targets and its policy not to invest in or lend to fossil fuel businesses. Meanwhile, as a digital bank, its operational emissions benefit from a lack of branches.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39% EAR variable.
Best bank account for linked savings account: Nationwide
Finder Score 4.3★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
£175 cashback for accounts switched using the Current Account Switch Service, including at least 2 direct debits.
As a Nationwide current account customer, you also get access to its Flex Regular Saver. At the time of writing, this has the top rate on the market but it’s worth knowing that you can deposit a maximum of £200 a month (other accounts may have a lower rate but a higher maximum). The account term is 12 months and you’ll be able to make up to 3 withdrawals during that period without impacting your interest rate. Just keep in mind that if you make 4 or more withdrawals, your interest rate will be reduced. Account management can all be done via the app or online banking, and you can set a monthly standing order from your Nationwide current account to the Flex Regular Saver. Nationwide’s current account stood out for the number of options for accessing its account and receiving support as well as its payment features and linked saver account.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Best bank account for cashback: Chase
Finder Score 4.0★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Receive 1% cashback on everyday purchases capped at £15.
While there are more cashback offers available today than there have been in recent years, Chase’s cashback offer is head and shoulders above the rest in how much you can earn each month. New customers can earn 1% cashback on their debit card spending for the first 12 months, but cashback is capped at £15 a month. This applies to a wide range of purchases including groceries, travel, meals out, entertainment, fashion and homewares. Chase comes with no monthly fees and free spending and cash withdrawals abroad.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
How we score banking accounts
We asked Brits what they care about when choosing a banking account and our scoring reflects what they told us. Our unique system covers 7 key categories that we believe are the most important features to consider when comparing bank accounts.
- App ratings
- Fees
- Customer service
- Green credentials
- Account access
- Payment features
- Extra features
There’s more about these in our full methodology.
Our scoring breakdown
We asked UK bank account holders what matters most to them when choosing or switching to a new banking account, and used this when deciding what weight to give different factors in our scoring.
Which bank account should I choose?
Before you answer this question, you should ask “what do I need from my banking account?”
- Are you looking to spend money regularly using a debit card, take out cash at an ATM machine or pay bills electronically? If so, you want a current account. There are joint bank accounts if you wish to open a current account with a friend, family member or a partner.
- If you’re looking for an Islamic or Sharia-compliant bank account then you can visit our guide on this type of account.
- Are you looking to save a bit of money each month but want to have access to it at any time? You may want an easy access savings account.
- Do you want to put some money away and restrict access to it? Try a fixed-rate savings account.
- Are you after rewards or hoping to maximise interest? You may want a current account with rewards, a packaged bank account or a premium bank account if you hold a large sum of money.
- Are you a student and you want to open up your first bank account and get access to rewards? If so you may want a dedicated student account.
- Are you running a business and want to handle transactions separately from your personal account? Try a business bank account.
- Do you want an account that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees? Check out the top debit cards for travel.
- Do you have a child and would like to open an account for them? Take a look at bank accounts for children.
- There are also prepaid cards available where you can control your spending and load money on to your card. Learn more about prepaid cards for adults and prepaid cards for kids.
Work out what you need before comparing the options.
If you’re unhappy with your bank, it makes sense to vote with your feet, especially when there are so many options to choose from.”
Bottom line
There are plenty of good deals available if you’re looking to switch account, whatever you want from your bank or banking provider. Just make sure you consider your needs before choosing one. Some of the newer digital-only banks are among the best for customer satisfaction so if you’re happy to only do your banking online or through an app, with no branches offering face-to-face help, these are definitely worth a look.
Frequently asked questions
Banking scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Finder's base rate panel 2024
We brought together an expert panel of academics, economists, mortgage experts and savings experts, asking them for a range of predictions and opinions on what will happen with the base rate and the impact this will have on the economy, savings rates and the housing market.
- Half of experts (50%) believe the base rate will sit at 4.75% by the end of 2024
- 80% of experts anticipate that there will be at least one more base rate cut (from the current rate of 5%) before the end of 2024
- 20% of experts do not expect the Bank of England to lower the base rate again this year
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