Despite reports that we are moving towards a ‘cashless’ society, you might still find yourself with notes you need to pay into your bank account.
How much cash can you deposit at a UK bank?
In January 2024, Finder visited the websites of the biggest UK banks and created a table with information on how much you can deposit, including details on depositing banknotes and coins. We found the following information on deposit limits.
Bank
Annual deposit limit
Daily deposit limit
Banknotes & coins
Read Review
Barclays
£20,000 across all personal accounts, resetting each January.
No specific daily limit mentioned but annual limit applies.
Deposits can be made at self-service machines and branches.
There is no specific UK-wide limit on depositing cash at a bank branch, but if you deposit a large amount of cash, this is more likely to be flagged by your bank and reported. Your bank may ask for evidence of the source of your deposit if it’s flagged as suspicious.
These limits are put in place to flag any suspicious activity, ensure that anti-money laundering protocols are followed and protect customers from financial crime.
Most banks have a limit for depositing at cash machines or ATMs – this is likely to be around £2,000-£3,000 a day or around 30-50 notes, depending on the bank. There are also limits for depositing cash at the Post Office, but this will vary between banks.
Some UK banks have also started setting an overall limit on cash deposits. Barclays, for example, will only permit personal banking customers to deposit £20,000 in cash over a year from July 2024.
Natwest has a £24,000 annual cash deposit limit for any machine deposits, including those in branch. There is also a cap of £3,000 a day. These limits do not apply to in-person deposits in branch.
How to deposit cash in a UK bank
To deposit your hard-earned cash at your bank, you’ll first need to open a bank account if you don’t already have one.
Bank branch. For larger sums or if you prefer to speak to someone about your deposit, you can go into your local bank branch and request a deposit. You’ll need your debit card and PIN.
Cash machine. For smaller sums, you can use a cash machine to deposit the money and you’ll just need your bank card and PIN to pay the money.
Post office. It’s also possible to deposit cash, although there are typically limits in place. If you’d prefer to deposit cash at the Post Office, you can check out our guide to paying money in there.
Can you deposit money regularly?
Yes, you can deposit cash regularly, so long as this doesn’t go over any limits put in place by your bank. However, keep in mind that if you are regularly depositing large sums of money into your bank account, this may be flagged as suspicious activity and reported in line with the government’s Money Laundering Regulations.
Bottom line
There is no official cash deposit limit in the UK, but depositing large amounts or paying in a lot of cash regularly may raise suspicion and your bank could report it for investigation. There may also be specific limits in place by your bank – especially for ATM or post office deposits – so it’s worth checking the restrictions before paying in.
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 is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Sophie Barber is a senior content marketing manager for Finder in the UK. She has over 5 years experience in writing and publishing clear, concise and informative articles that help consumers make informed decisions. See full bio
Sophie's expertise
Sophie has written 98 Finder guides across topics including:
Discover more about the rules on holding multiple current accounts.
Advertiser disclosure
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 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 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.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
