No matter which point of your life you are at, Barclays probably has a current account option that can fit nicely into your lifestyle.
If you’re a loyal customer and also have other financial products with Barclays, you can get extra rewards – so it’s a fitting choice if you like to manage all your finances with the same institution. Barclays has also been known to offer an incentive when switching to the bank.
Compare Barclays current accounts
Types of current accounts from Barclays
In order to be able to compare current accounts properly, first, you’ll have to clear your mind on which kind of account you’re after. Barclays offers the following:
Standard accounts
Barclays Bank Account is a straightforward bank account with a range of money management tools and doesn’t have a monthly fee.
Learn more about standard current accountsPremium accounts
Premium accounts have strict income criteria, so not everyone can get one, but they come with great perks and rewards. With Barclays you can enjoy exclusive financial products (mortgages, loans and savings accounts) in return for no monthly fee. If you meet the requirements, it’s really worth looking around and comparing premium accounts to get the perks that work best for you.
Learn more about premium current accountsStudent accounts
Barclays offers student accounts that often come with a range of perks.
Learn more about student accountsGraduate accounts
Barclays’ ‘higher education’ account is similar to its student account, allowing you to hang on to the benefits a bit longer while you’re getting used to your adult life.
Learn more about graduate accountsChildren’s accounts
Barclays is one of the few financial institutions that offer 2 different children’s accounts – one for 11 to 15 year-olds and another one for 16 to 17 year-olds.
Learn more about children’s accountsBusiness accounts
Barclays offers bank accounts for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Customers can choose from the start-up business account for small businesses, an account for businesses with a turnover of up to £400,000, an account for businesses with a turnover of between £400,000 and £6.5 million, and a community account for small not-for-profit organisations. Each account is tailored towards each particular business’ requirements.
Learn more about business accounts
Does Barclays offer any promotions, discounts or refer-a-friend offers?
No, Barclays doesn’t offer any of the above at the time of writing. It sometimes runs switching deals, with the most recent ending in August 2024. We also have a page for the best switching deals on the market, if you’re interested.
Does Barclays offer joint accounts?
Yes, you can open a joint account with Barclays. It can be opened by 2 people and have 4 additional cardholders, which could be useful if you want to give your kids a debit card. You can open online or in branch.
Does Barclays offer premium accounts?
Yes, Barclays offers a premier account. You can also compare other premier accounts from other banks in our guide.
What is Barclays Blue Rewards?
Barclays Blue Rewards is a paid-for-add-on which you can select to add to your Barclays current account. It costs £5 a month but in return, you’ll receive a monthly reward plus cashback if you have or open other products with the bank.
You’ll need to pay in at least £800 a month into your current account and register for the Barclays app or online banking. To receive the £5 monthly cash reward you’ll also need to pay 2 or more direct debits from your nominated account.
Learn more about what rewards and benefits you can get in our Barclays Blue Rewards guide.
Barclays customer reviews
In our independent 2024 customer satisfaction survey, 90% of Barclays’ users said they’d recommend the brand to a friend. Customers highlighted the bank’s reliable customer service and trustworthy brand. However, some cited that the app is often slow and many branches have closed. Here’s what some of those Barclays customers had to say:
“I’ve been a customer of Barclays for over 20 years, always had good customer service and easy to use mobile app”
“It provides a good service and is proactive with sharing offers with me”
On reviews site Trustpilot, Barclays has a score of 1.7 out of 5 from 11,200 reviews. On the Apple App Store, Barclays is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.8 million reviews. On the Google Play Store, Barclays is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 536,000 reviews (November 2024).
Pros and cons of banking with Barclays
- Cashback. You can get cashback at selected retailers with various Barclays accounts – you can choose among 150 retailers, so there should be something in it for all tastes.
- Multiple ways to bank. You can pop into a branch, or sort out your banking on the phone, online or using the mobile app.
- Mobile banking app. For a traditional bank, Barclays has a pretty decent banking app – nothing too fancy, but it does allow you to tag and categorise your spending and also see balances and transactions in accounts you have with other banks.
- Global acceptance. Barclays’ debit cards are on the Visa network, so card acceptance won’t really be an issue – you can use them to make purchases pretty much anywhere in the world.
- Round the clock assistance. If you’re dealing with an emergency, for example because your card has been stolen while travelling, you can call Barclays 24/7 and someone will be able to assist you.
- A wide range of related products. One of the advantages of banking with a major institution like Barclays is that you can have all your money in one place, from your everyday current account to your mortgage.
- No in-credit interest.None of Barclays main current accounts pay interest on in-credit balances.
Customer service information for Barclays
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Opening an account with Barclays
To open an account with Barclays, you’ll have to provide the following information:
- Your employment status and employer’s address
- Your salary details and any assets you have
- Your nationality/citizenship
- Your residency status/tax residence status
- Proof of identity (passport, driver’s licence, EEA or Swiss national identity card)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, tenancy agreement)
You can open a Barclays account online or by visiting a branch.
Our verdict: Is Barclays a good bank?
Barclays offers some great current accounts if you want to stay in credit and earn rewards for doing so. If Barclays’ current accounts are not for you, you can also compare other current accounts here.
Frequently asked questions
Banking scores
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.
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