Santander Edge Up review
Level up with Santander’s newest cashback current account.
Details
Account name | Santander Edge Up current account |
---|---|
Incentive | Cashback of 1% on communication, council tax, water bills, gas & electric bills paid via direct debit, capped at £15 per month. |
Provider | Santander |
Account fee | £5 per month |
Interest (AER) | 3.51% |
ATM withdrawal limit | £300 |
Debit network | Mastercard |
Card type | Cash / Debit |
Minimum eligibility age | 18 Years |
Minimum operating balance | £0 |
Minimum opening balance | £0 |
Direct debits | |
Current account switch guarantee | |
Cheque Book |
The Santander Edge Up account is a cashback-paying current account that is part of the Santander Edge product suite. A recognisable high street presence, Santander UK is known for its cashback and reward current accounts.
What is the Santander Edge Up current account?
The Santander Edge Up account is an everyday bank account that allows you to earn cashback on selected household bills and essential spending. It also has a monthly in-credit interest rate and fee-free spending abroad. In return, you’ll need to pay a £5 monthly fee to maintain the account, and you’ll need to meet certain eligibility criteria.
You can open the account individually or jointly, and you can access it online, through the mobile app, via telephone banking or in branch.
How does it work?
The Santander Edge Up account has the following key features:
- Cashback. Earn 1% cashback on selected household bills when you pay by direct debit (up to £15 a month) and earn 1% cashback at supermarkets and on travel costs when you use your debit card (up to £15 a month).
- Monthly interest. Interest of 3.50% AER on balances up to £25,000.
- Fee-free international payments. You can make international payments with no extra fees. Although, keep in mind the receiving bank may still apply charges.
- Zero foreign transaction fees. There are no fees for using your debit card to withdraw cash or make payments outside the UK in the local currency.
- Arranged overdraft. Overdraft option with a rate of 39.94% EAR.
- Santander Boosts. Personalised offers, vouchers, prize draws and cashback.
Who is it for?
To open the Santander Edge Up account, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old and permanently live in the UK. You can hold a maximum of 2 Santander Edge Up current accounts, 1 in your own name and 1 in joint names.
To qualify for cashback, you must also pay £1,500 into your account each month and have at least 2 active direct debits.
What are the benefits?
There are several benefits to opening a Santander Edge Up account. As well as offering cashback on selected household bills, you can earn cashback on essential spending at supermarkets and on travel. The cashback threshold is also higher than the Santander Edge account, so you can earn up to £30 in total a month. There’s also monthly interest at 3.50% AER and fee-free spending when abroad.
How to apply
You can apply for a Santander Edge Up account online in just 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can call the UK customer service centre or visit your nearest branch.
Santander customer reviews
Customers who participated in Finder’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey were overwhelmingly positive about Santander, with many highlighting its “excellent” customer service and “easy to use” app.
One customer said: “Santander offer a very good service and communicate well”.
Santander finished top in our 2023 customer satisfaction awards, with a score of 5 out of 5. 91% of customers are very happy to recommend the brand to a friend.
Pros and cons of Santander Edge Up
Pros
- Earn 1% cashback on selected household bills and essential spend
- Monthly interest
- Fee-free spending abroad
- Arranged overdraft
- Santander Boost rewards programme
Cons
- £5 account management fee
- Strict eligibility criteria
- Interest on overdraft is 39.94% EAR
Our verdict: Is Santander Edge Up worth it?
Santander Edge Up takes things to the next level. With a higher cashback threshold, you can potentially earn £30 a month, and the monthly interest rate applies to your current account balance and saves you from having to open a separate savings account.
However, Edge Up carries a £5 monthly fee, so you would need to maximise all the benefits to make it worthwhile. With cashback only available on selected bills and debit card spend, you would need to make sure your payments qualify for the cashback to make the higher monthly fee worth it. Otherwise, the Edge account is probably the better option.
Visit Santander’s website to apply or compare other Santander accounts here. You can also compare other compare other current accounts with cashback offers here.