It’s not all about switching deals when it comes to banking offers. There are also sign-up bonuses, refer-a-friend deals, reward programmes and business banking offers. Find out which banks are offering what.
Sign-up bonus deals
From time to time, banks and e-money account providers offer cash just for opening an account. Below we’ve listed the latest we’ve found.
Santander Student – A student bank account with a 16-25 railcard included
From railcards to tastecards to upfront cash, there are multiple banks that offer incentives a student can choose. We’ve published a separate guide to comparing and finding the best student bank account deal for you.
Business offers
Tide – A business bank account with a bonus of £200 cashback and 3.55% AER bonus
Best high-interest rate offers
Some free current accounts come with a high interest rate or access to exclusive linked savings accounts. We’ve listed the best we’ve found below.
first direct – 1st account – Access to a 7.00% AER/gross interest Regular Saver Account
NatWest – Digital Regular Saver – Access to 6.17% AER/6.00% gross on balances up to £5,000 with a Digital Regular Saver account
HSBC – Advance Bank Account – Access to a 5.00% AER/gross HSBC regular saver account
Lloyds – Club Lloyds Monthly Saver – Access to a 6.25% AER/gross fixed interest monthly saver account
Nationwide – FlexDirect Account – Access to a 6.50% AER/gross regular savings account
Santander – Edge – Access to a 6.00% AER/5.84% gross (variable) interest savings account on balances up to £4,000. This includes a 1.50% AER/1.49% gross (variable)/ bonus rate for the first 12 months from opening.
Chase – Current Account – Access to a 3.85% AER/3.78% gross variable interest Chase saver account
Virgin Money – M Plus Account – Access to 2.5% AER/2.48% gross on balances up to £25,000 with a linked M Plus Saver account
Best cashback account offers
If you fancy earning a bit of extra cash every time you spend money, then a current account with cashback could be the answer. Below we have listed a number of accounts with attractive cashback offerings.
Santander – Edge – 1% cashback on household bills, 1% cashback at supermarkets and on travel costs (exclusions apply)
Chase – Current Account – 1% cashback on eligible spending up to £1,500 each month
Get an exclusive 2 months free and £20 pocket money offer when you sign up with CODE: AFFFDR220
GoHenry is designed for children aged 6 to 18 and is managed digitally through an app for a monthly fee. It consists of a parent and child account combination, which sees parents use their account to top up the child’s balance and set limits on their spending.
Requirements to have a Rooster account:
Children must be aged between 6 and 18 years old to be eligible
To qualify for GoHenry’s £20 bonus pocket money and 2 months free:
You must be a new user and sign up using a referral link or promotional code
You must complete the registration process, which includes setting up a parent or guardian account, linking a payment method and ordering a card for the child
Offer ends:
This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
Full parental control thanks to instant notifications and spending limits
One-month free trial
It can be used by children as young as six
Reward system for completed tasks
Children learn about personal finance in a controlled environment
Relatives can also send money to the children
You can manage up to four child accounts from the same parent account
No fees to spend or withdraw cash abroad - these were scrapped in 2020
Get £10 free pocket money plus your first month free when you sign up for an annual subscription.
nimbl offers a prepaid debit card for kids that is paired with a smartphone app. nimbl is made up of two parts: the card (specifically for children) and the app (designed for both parents and children to use).
Requirements to have a nimbl account:
Children must be aged between 6 and 18 years old to be eligible
Parents or guardians must be the primary account holders to set up and manage the child’s nimbl account
Both the parent or guardian and child must reside in the UK
To qualify for nimbl's £20 sign-up bonus:
Must be new to nimbl and not have a pre-existing nimbl account
Offer ends: This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
Full control on how children spend their money thanks to spending control settings and instant notifications.
Children as young as six years old can use it.
It helps you to educate your children to manage their finances.
You can turn off online payments or cash withdrawals.
Safe and secure. The card can be blocked online or via the app.
You can manage more than one Child Account from the same Parent Account.
No fees for topping up the Parent Account or child’s card, or for “Gifting”.
While most mainstream bank accounts for children are for free, nimbl charges a monthly fee.
You cannot top up the account using cash.
With nimbl, children earn no interest on any savings.
Monthly fee
£2.49
Card delivery fee
£0
Card transaction fee
£0
Cash withdrawal fee
£0
Loading fee
£0
Replacement card fee
£5
Network
Mastercard
How many child accounts
4
Fees abroad
£1.50 per ATM withdrawal, 2.95% of transaction value on purchases
Other fees
£0
Freeze/unfreeze card
Yes
Revolut Pro - £20 sign-up bonus for new freelancers
Get a £20 welcome bonus when you spend your first £20 (T&Cs apply).
Revolut Pro is a free account that caters to anyone who is self-employed, such as freelancers, sole traders and contractors. While you need to have a Revolut account to access Revolut Pro, it operates as a separate account with its own account number, transaction history and debit card.
Requirements to have a Revolut Pro account:
Be aged 18 or over
Must have an existing personal Revolut account to sign up for Revolut Pro
To qualify for Revolut Pro's £20 sign-up bonus:
Must be new to Revolut and not have an existing Revolut account
Sign up using a unique link to download the Revolut app
Make at least one outbound transaction
Offer ends:
This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
Low overseas fees
Quick application
Earn cashback on spending
Set budgets for financial goals
Virtual cards for online purchases
Easy to transfer money internationally
Linked 'Junior' account available for one child
1% currency conversion charge on weekend spending abroad
Free cash withdrawals in the UK and abroad both limited to £200 per month
On the starling app, tap profile picture and choose 'refer a friend' then 'share referral link' and message it to your friends
Once their account is approved, both will be sent a free National Trust individual day pass
Exclusions:
Each of the Referring Customers and Referees must acknowledge and agree that no direct financial reward will arise as a result of the scheme, and neither party shall in any circumstances attempt to derive a financial or other benefit from the scheme
Maximum of 50 daily referrals per referring customer
Passes cannot be used at paid-for events or certain properties
Offer ends:
There's no specified date when this offer ends, but it's subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time.
Representative example:If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged
interest at 15% EAR variable
.
No monthly-fees
No overseas fees
100% digital sign-up
24/7 UK customer support
'Settle up' feature to split joint bills
Pays interest on current account balance
Overdrafts available (only on personal accounts)
No branch network
Limited options for depositors
No competitive switch incentives if you switch your account
Limited product range compared to other banks
Lower ATM withdrawal limit than some other digital challengers
Both you and your friend must live in a country Monese operates in: UK, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden
Your friend needs to be at least 18
Signup and make a card transaction to both get your first £5
You get £5 more each once your invited friend has spent a total of £500 in card transactions on their Monese account or sent this much internationally (outside the EU/EEA)
Open a Monese account through the Monese app or website by clicking on the Referral Link or by using the Referral Code when signing up
Exclusions:
You can earn a maximum of 2 referral bonuses from each friend referred
Refer a maximum of 15 people
You can earn a maximum of £150 from this offer (£10 x 15)
The person you invite must be a different individual
This offer can't be used for any kind of commercial activity or in connection with any paid promotions
Offer ends:
This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
UK current account that does all you can expect, including direct debits and standing orders.
Fast and easy set-up (no credit check or proof of local address needed).
Colourful app that is easy to use, allows you to categorise your transactions and freeze the card if you lose it.
Free card payments and ATM withdrawals abroad.
You can load cash into the account for free.
Can open both a UK and European account and switch instantly.
With a free plan, fee-free ATM withdrawals and cash loads are limited to £200 per month.
You can’t put your savings in a separate account or earn interest on them.
It doesn’t offer anything more than a current account.
No physical branches.
Minimum opening balance
£0
Account fee
£0
Triodos - £60 voucher for the Ethical Superstore or Neal’s Yard Remedies for the recommended friend, plus a £25 charity donation for the recommender
Recommend a friend and £25 will be donated to the existing customers chosen charity for each successful recommendation.
Requirements to get the bonus:
The recommender:
You need to be over 18 and have one of the following Triodos products in your name: Personal Current Account, Savings Account, Cash ISA, Investment ISA, including joint accounts
You must register for the refer-a-friend scheme by using the link within the invitation email
The recommended friend:
You must use the same email to register for the scheme and your new Triodos account
You need to open a Personal Current Account within 60 days of registering for the scheme
You need to deposit £100 within 30 days of opening the account
You must be a new customer of Triodos Bank UK and not already hold any accounts with Triodos Bank UK
You need to register for the refer-a-friend scheme by using the unique link given to you from the recommender
Exclusions:
A maximum of 30 donations to a chosen charity within a 12-month period
You can't apply for this offer if you live with or are family members of someone who works for Triodos
Joint accounts get one £25 donation
Offer ends: This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
Chip is an automatic savings and investing app that uses AI to calculate an affordable amount that can be saved without impacting your day-to-day life.
Requirements to get a Chip account:
Be aged 18 and over
Be a UK resident with a UK bank account
Must have an account with a compatible bank - Chip supports most major UK banks, including Banks, Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, Natwest and others
Must have an account with a compatible bank - Chip supports most major UK banks, including Banks, Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC, Natwest and others
To qualify for Chip’s £50 deposit bonus:
You must be a new user and sign up using a referral link or promotional code
You must make a minimum deposit of £5 into your Chip account after signing up
The bonus is usually applied after your deposit is completed and verified, usually within 30 days
Your account must be fully verified, including linking your bank account
Offer ends:
This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
Win a share of £87.5k in prizes each month.
Access your money anytime.
FSCS protected.
Not compatible with all banks (e.g. Chase).
App only so no branches.
Recurring saves and autosaves come with a fee, even on the free-to-use account.
Only FSCS protection through the regulated banks Chip partners with.
Min. opening balance
£1
Interest paid
Monthly
Min. operating balance
£0
Debit card
No
Interest rate with bonus
4.74%
Student bank account offers
Santander Student Account - 16-25 railcard included
A free 4-year Santander 16-25 Railcard to save 1/3 on rail travel in Great Britain - worth £100 plus a total average saving of £768 (average saving of £192 per year).
The Santander Edge Student Account is a great all-around choice for students. It provides an interest-free overdraft up to £1,500 for the first three years of your degree which increases to £2,000 by your fifth year. You also get a four-year railcard which will get you a ⅓ off rail fares.
To qualify for the Santander Edge Student account & receive your railcard, you must:
Be aged 18 or over
Be permanently living in the UK
Close or switch from any existing Santander bank account
Exclusions:
Not available to international or postgraduate students
Offer ends:
There's no specified date when this offer ends, but it's subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time.
Interest-free overdraft;
Free 16-25 railcard when you sign up.
Not available to international or postgraduate students;
Account has a minimum funding requirement;
There are other student accounts with larger overdrafts.
Minimum opening balance
£0.01
Minimum operating balance
£0.01
Switch service guarantee
Yes
Account fee
£0
Maximum overdraft in year 1
£1,500
Maximum overdraft in year 2
£1,500
Maximum overdraft in year 3
£1,500
At end of term
Account transferred automatically to graduate account
Get £200 cashback and 3.55% AER when you open both a Tide current account and a Tide Instant Saver.
Tide offers business accounts to small businesses and freelancers, hoping to relieve them of some of the financial stress that comes with a growing company.
To qualify for Tide's £200 cashback and 3.55% AER:
Must open both a Tide current account and a Tide Instant Saver
Must apply offer code GET200 to be eligible for the promotion
Offer ends:
Offer ends on 8 Sptember 2024.
24/7 customer support
Categorised spending
FCA regulated
Quick set-up
No monthly fees
Easy to manage accounts and track payments within the app
Ability to set up direct debits and standing orders
Can receive online bank statements
No branches - all done via the web
Doesn't accept cheque deposits
No personal accounts
No international transfers or interest offered
Accounting integrations
Clear Books FreeAgent KashFlow QuickBooks Reckon One Sage Xero
High interest offers
TSB - Spend & Save - Access to a Monthly Saver Account
Switch for up to £190 & a treat. £100 to switch, log into the app and make 5 debit card payments. Then £15 cashback for 6 months by making 20 card payments a month. Stay and make 20 card payments in March 2025 for a treat in April. T&Cs apply.
This account from TSB allows users to earn up to £5 cashback for the first six months when they make 30 or more payments on their debit card each month. Alternatively, if you’re happy to pay a monthly fee, you could consider the Spend and Save Plus account instead, which offers cashback with no end date. The Spend and Save account also enables you to set up different Spending Pots and earn interest as you do so, plus set yourself goals and track how your money is growing. With the Save the Pennies feature, every debit card payment will be rounded up to the nearest pound and the pennies can be transferred to your Savings Pot or other eligible TSB savings account. In addition, you’ll have access to a competitive Monthly Saver account with a rate that’s fixed for a year, helping your savings to grow further. You can also apply for an arranged overdraft.
If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable/APR representative.
Earn cashback as you spend
Competitive Monthly Saver
Save the Pennies feature
Overdraft available
Cashback on Save and Spend account expires after six months
Interest charged on overdrafts
Minimum opening balance
£0
Minimum operating balance
£0
Switch service guarantee
Yes
Account fee
£0
Overseas cash withdrawals
2.99%
Lloyds - Club Lloyds Silver - Access to a Monthly Saver Account
Free travel accident insurance – covers account holder, partner and dependent children up to 18 years old.
This account from Lloyds Bank offers you additional benefits such as travel insurance, mobile phone insurance, breakdown cover and cashback. For a monthly fee of £10, you can get European and UK family travel insurance (up to age 65 and subject to eligibility), as well as AA family breakdown cover. In addition to this, you get worldwide cover for your mobile phone up to £2,000. As a Lloyds account, you’ll also benefit from its Everyday Offers programme, which gives you up to 15% cashback at selected retailers. If you are looking for a bit more, you can add Club Lloyds to your account. This will give you monthly credit interest (provided you pay 2 direct debits each month) and a Lifestyle Benefit each year such as an annual magazine subscription or cinema tickets. The cost of this is £3 a month, but Lloyds will refund this if you pay in £1,500 or more each month.
European and UK travel insurance
Family breakdown cover
Mobile phone insurance
Cashback with Everyday Offers
Arranged overdraft
£10 account management fee
High interest rate charged on overdraft
Insurance comes with individual T&Cs
Minimum opening balance
£1
Minimum operating balance
£1
Switch service guarantee
Yes
Account fee
£3 per month (Account fee waived if account credit with at least £2000 per month). £11.5 per month
Overseas cash withdrawals
2.99%
Cashback offers
Chase - Current Account - Receive 1% cashback on everyday purchases for 12 months
Receive 1% cashback on everyday debit card purchases capped at £15.
This account from digital bank Chase offers a range of rewards with no monthly fee. Whenever you spend on your Chase debit card, whether at home or abroad, you’ll earn 1% cashback (capped at £15 per month). You can transfer your cashback whenever you like. Plus, you can round up your spending to the nearest £1 and the difference will automatically be saved for you - your round-up balance will even earn 5% interest. You’ll also have access to the Chase Saver account which pays a competitive rate of interest, and you’ll be able to spend on your debit card fee-free across the globe.
Rewards when you spend
Award-winning account
No fees abroad from Chase
No branches if you prefer face-to-face banking
Can’t deposit cash or cheques into the account
Overdrafts not available yet
Minimum opening balance
£0
Minimum operating balance
£0
Switch service guarantee
Yes
Account fee
£0
Overseas cash withdrawals
0%
Santander Edge - 1% cashback on household bills and 1% cashback at supermarkets and on travel costs (exclusions apply)
Every time you spend abroad in the local currency using your Santander debit or credit card between 18 June to 15 September 2024, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 18 travel vouchers each worth £5,000 each. T&Cs apply.
Santander Edge is an everyday current account which allows you to earn cashback on selected household bills and essential spending. You can earn cashback on selected household bills when you pay by direct debit and cashback at supermarkets and on travel costs when you use your debit card. Plus, you’ll have access to the Santander Edge saver account which pays a competitive rate of interest. In return, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee to maintain the account and meet certain eligibility criteria.
Representative example:If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged
interest at 39.94% EAR variable
. Account fee of £3 per month.
1% cashback on essentials
1% cashback on selected bills
Linked savings account with 6% AER (variable) in year 1
Banks want you as a customer. In a competitive market, one way to stand out is to offer bonuses and rewards to encourage you to open an account.
These can include sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards, refer a friend incentives, high interest on your current account or a linked savings account.
The Current Account Switching Service has made it easier to switch your current accounts. So it’s worth keeping an eye on what’s available and what you can take advantage of.
Can an offer or a reward affect my credit score?
There’s typically no impact on your credit score just from accepting a sign-up bonus or earning rewards using your account.
However, if you’ve switched current accounts to secure the offer or reward, this can affect your credit score. But only temporarily.
When you open a new account, banks tend to do a “hard” credit search, which will show on your credit file. This will reduce your credit score very slightly, but the effect is short-lived.
Bottom line
If you’re looking to earn a little cash or are just interested in changing current accounts, it’s worthwhile to look at the best banking offers available. Whether it’s an initial influx of cash you are after or ongoing rewards, there’s something for everyone. But as well as considering what offer to take advantage of, make sure the current account you’re switching to has the right features, tools and banking options for you.
Frequently asked questions
You can switch a joint account to another joint account as long as the other person agrees. You can also switch from a single account to a joint account, but not the other way around.
Yes, lots! If you’re in the market for a student account, you’ll find lots of big names offering accounts packed with rewards, including free railcards, vouchers, generous overdraft terms and cash incentives.
Beyond cash switching incentives (£200 for making the switch), there are other rewards on offer. Some banks offer a welcome cash deal just for opening an account. Others have a high interest rate on credit balances or linked savings accounts. You’ll also find cashback deals available and ongoing monthly reward programmes.
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.
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.
Kate Steere is an editor at Finder, specialising in fintech, banking and cryptocurrency. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run. See full bio
Kate's expertise
Kate has written 179 Finder guides across topics including:
Is Monzo’s app-only current account the right option for you? Read our review to get the low-down on all of the features of the account, its card and the app.
Is Revolut’s app-only account the solution for you? Our review of this challenger banking brand explores the features and fees of its free Standard plan, and outlines the other Revolut accounts available.
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finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
