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The best bank switching offers (October 2026)

The best cash incentives available when you switch banks right now Banks compete for new customers, so the best bank switch offers change regularly – sometimes week to week – as they try to outbid each other with cash bonuses, cashback and top savings rates. We’ll update this page as new offers appear, but you

The best cash incentives available when you switch banks right now

Banks compete for new customers, so the best bank switch offers change regularly – sometimes week to week – as they try to outbid each other with cash bonuses, cashback and top savings rates. We’ll update this page as new offers appear, but you should check the terms and conditions at each bank before you begin to ensure they haven’t changed.

Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.

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Bank Switches
Sponsored
Customer rating 3.9/5
  • Switch bonus
    £180
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Perks
    8% regular saver
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions Can't have received a switching bonus from Santander already, offer limited to once per person
  • Switch bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account within 60 days of starting the switch
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements Deposit £1,500 in the first 60 days from opening the account
  • Direct debits transferred over Set up two Direct Debits before or after the switch from a selected list of household bills
  • Existing customers? Can't have held any Santander current account on 1 January 2025
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts Open a new or hold an existing Everyday, Edge, Edge Up or Edge Explorer current account
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

HSBC £220 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5
  • Switch bonus
    £220
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions —
  • Bonus requirements Switch bank accounts within 60 days of opening the account using the Current Account Switching Service, closing the old account
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit and spend requirements Deposit at least £2,000 into the account and spend at least £500 with your debit card within 60 days of opening the account
  • Direct debits transferred over Transfer over at least 2 direct debits
  • Existing customers? You can't get the offer if you already have a HSBC or first direct bank accountor have opened one since 1 January 2023
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts —
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

NatWest £200 switch offer

Customer rating 4.7/5
  • Switch bonus
    £200
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Extra perks
    Up to £36 rewards a year
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions Offer is limited to once per person, cannot have ever received a switching bonus from RBS, Ulster or Natwest and cannot have had a current account on 6 May 2026
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
  • Direct debits transferred over —
  • Existing customers? No
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts Reward, Select or Premier Reward, Premier Select
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Bonus paid Within 30 days of meeting criteria
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

RBS £200 switch offer

Customer rating 4/5
  • Switch bonus
    £200
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Extra perks
    Up to £36 rewards a year
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions Offer is limited to once per person, cannot have ever received a switching bonus from RBS, Ulster or Natwest and cannot have had a current account on 6 May 2026
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, close your old account and log on to online or app banking within 60 days of switching
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
  • Direct debits transferred over —
  • Existing customers? No
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts Reward, Select or Premier Reward
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Bonus paid Within 30 days of meeting criteria
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

Barclays £200 switch offer

Customer rating 4.2/5
  • Switch bonus
    £200
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Extra perks
    Free Apple TV (with Blue Rewards)
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions —
  • Bonus paid Barclays will text you when you’ve met the conditions, then you’ll get the switch reward within 45 working days
  • Eligibility —
  • Eligibility Pay at least £2,000 into your new Barclays Current Account within 30 days of opening
  • Direct debits transferred over Must be completed through the Current Account Switching Service, which moves all payments to a new account within seven working days and closes their old account on the switch day they choose, transferring any money to their new account
  • Existing customers? Only available to new current account customers who download the Barclays app who are also UK residents - if you had a Barclays current account on 9 June 2026, you can't get this offer
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts Current account with Blue Rewards
  • Blue Rewards You can opt to add Blue Rewards to your account — it's not necessary for the switch offer, but can get you the extra perks like Apple TV and cashback at select retailers. Blue Rewards costs £5 per month.
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

Nationwide £175 switch offer

Customer rating 4.5/5
  • Switch bonus
    £175
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions You can't have received a bonus from a switching offer for a sole account already. Offer is limited to once per person per account type, but you can get it on both personal and joint.
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account within 28 days of starting the switch and make one debit card transaction within 31 days. The old account must be from a different bank.
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements Deposit £1,000 within 31 days
  • Direct debits transferred over Transfer two direct debits
  • Existing customers? Yes
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts FlexPlus, FlexDirect or FlexAccount
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Bonus paid Within 10 days of the switch completing
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

first direct £175 switch offer

Customer rating 4.7/5
  • Switch bonus
    £175
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions You can't have or have ever had a First Direct account or have opened an HSBC account since 1 January 2018. Offer limited to once per person
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service, close the old account and use your debit card five times and log into online banking in the first 45 days
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements Pay in £1,000 within 30 days of opening the account (and leave it there for 24 hours)
  • Direct debits transferred over Move two direct debits or standing orders from your old bank
  • Existing customers? No
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts —
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Cashback requirements Extra £35 if you apply via cashback site Quidco or TopCashback (rates vary)
  • Extra bonus —

Bank of Scotland £175 switch offer

Customer rating 3.5/5
  • Switch bonus
    £175
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Perks
    up to 15% cashback at select retailers
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions You can't switch from a Lloyds of Halifax account, and you won't get the offer if you've received a switch offer from Halifax, Bank of Scotland or Lloyds since 1 January 2023
  • Bonus requirements Switch to a new Classic, Silver or Platinum account, including those with Vantage. You must open the account and start the switch by 29 June 2026
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements No deposit requirements
  • Direct debits transferred over You need to transfer over 3 active direct debits
  • Existing customers? —
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts Classic, Silver or Platinum accounts
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

Premier Bank Account switch offers

Barclays Premier Account

Customer rating 4.2/5
  • Switch bonus
    Signature experience worth up to £600
  • Offer
    27 August 2026
  • Extra perk
    £500 0% overdraft
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Signature experiences to choose between You can choose an experience, including Michelin-starred dining, premium overnight stays, live experiences and family experiences.
  • Requirements You must either pay in a gross annual income of at least £75,000, or have a total balance of at least £100,000 in savings with Barclays
  • Switch restrictions Offer is limited to once per person; you can't have opened a Barclays account before 9 June 2026 or previously received a switching bonus from Barclays
  • Bonus requirements —
  • Eligibility —
  • Deposit requirements —
  • Fees None
  • Direct debits transferred over —
  • Existing customers? —
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts —
  • Blue Rewards You can opt to add Blue Rewards to your account — it's not necessary for the switch offer, but can get you the extra perks like Apple TV and cashback at select retailers. Blue Rewards is free with the Premier account.
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Switch requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account, switch over two active direct debits, pay in £4,000 within 30 days
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —
  • Overdraft requirements None

HSBC Premier £500 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5
  • Switch bonus
    £500
  • Offer
    Unknown
  • Extra perk
    Worldwide travel insurance and private GP for the family
  • Requirements
    Income or savings of £100k
This is a Premier Bank account, so not everyone will qualify for it
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions —
  • Bonus requirements —
  • Eligibility Meet one of the following criteria: Have an individual annual income of at least £100,000, and pay it into your HSBC Premier Bank Account, have savings or investments of at least £100,000 with HSBC in the UK, or already qualify for HSBC Premier in another country.
  • Deposit requirements —
  • Direct debits transferred over —
  • Existing customers? —
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts —
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Offer details Open a Premier account after 23 March 2026 and switch using the Current Account Switch Service with a salary of £100k+; and/or transfer £100k+ of savings/investments, and maintain your balance for 3 months
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —
  • Healthcare benefits Includes digital GP access, a second medical opinion, specialist advice, remote physiotherapy, mental health support and a health check kit to test over 20 key markers. This is for the whole family, including you, your partner and any dependents under 23. It’s also got Cancer Bereavement Cover, which pays out £2,000 if you pass away from a cancer related cause.
  • Mortgage benefit Preferential mortgage rates, and some higher-net-worth customers can get additional international support.
  • Travel insurance HSBC Premier gets you Worldwide Travel Insurance for your whole family.

NatWest £250 switch offer

Customer rating 4.7/5
  • Switch bonus
    £250
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Extra perk
    £500 interest free overdraft
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Restrictions —
  • Bonus requirements Apply for a Premier account and request to switch an account with another bank to us using the Current Account Switch Service
  • Eligibility To be eligible for the account you need to have a minimum of £100k sole income or £120k joint income paid into your NatWest account, minimum of £100k savings or investments held with NatWest or a minimum £500k mortgage with NatWest
  • Deposit requirements You need to deposit £5,000 within 60 days of opening the account and log into the mobile app
  • Direct debits transferred over —
  • Existing customers? You can't have received a switch offer before and can't have held a NatWest current account or savings account as of 10 March 2026
  • Income requirements —
  • Eligible accounts —
  • Account features —
  • Account fees —
  • Customer service —
  • Exclusive savings —
  • Extra cashback —
  • Cashback requirements —
  • Extra bonus —
  • Extra bonus requirements —

Other new customer offers
Customer rating 4.9/5
  • Savings rate
    4.5% AER variable for 12 months
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Cashback
    2% cashback on select spending
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Cashback requirements Make 15+ card (debit or credit) or bill payments (direct debits) a month and hold £1,000+ in a savings account. New customers will get 2% cashback from 1 June and it will continue into July — going forward, you'll need to meet these requirements in the previous month to get the next month's cashback.
  • Important details 18+, UK residents. Eligibility applies. Chase current and saver accounts required. Exceptions, qualification criteria, and T&Cs apply (https://www.chase.co.uk/gb/en/legal/cashback-terms-and-conditions/). See important cashback information here (https://www.chase.co.uk/en/gb/product/2-percent-cashback).
  • Fees Fee-free current account. Zero fees from Chase when spending at home or abroad
  • Existing customers? Existing customers will be able to access the 2% cashback from 1 July
  • Account features Essential money management features
  • Customer service Provides 24/7 customer support
  • Boosted Saver Linked savings account for new Chase current account customers, available for your first 31 days. 4.5% AER (4.41% gross) variable for 12 months, including 2.25% AER 12-month bonus on top of the standard saver rate. Available to new current account customers for your first 31 days. May be withdrawn. Interest paid monthly. T&Cs: chase.co.uk

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More on bank switch offers

How to compare bank switch offers

Bank switching doesn’t need to be scary, and once you get the hang of it you can make some decent cash!

When you compare bank switch offers, look beyond the headline cash bonus to three things: how long you need to keep the account open to keep the money, whether there’s a minimum monthly deposit or number of direct debits required, and whether the switch uses the Current Account Switch Guarantee. The highest cash bonus isn’t always the best deal once you factor in ongoing fees or eligibility hoops.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

How to switch bank

You can switch bank for a number of reasons, but the main benefit is an effective cash bribe that banks offer to get you to choose them. Bank account switch offers are protected by the Current Account Switch Guarantee, which moves your balance, payments and direct debits over automatically within seven working days.

Here are the basics to get you started.

Switch bank like a pro

Once you’ve switched for free cash, you can keep going!

Repeat switchers typically rotate through two or three accounts a year, timing each switch around when a new bank switch offer appears rather than sticking to one particular bank.

We’ve shared the things you need to know first, and what you can do to make it even easier.

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The best extra ‘dummy’ accounts

You don’t actually need to switch your main current account. Instead, many serial switchers set up a separate account purely to collect bank account switch offers, keeping their main day-to-day banking completely untouched. Here’s how.

Cheap extra direct debits

Some switch offers require you to have a handful of active direct debits to transfer over.

If you don’t have enough, then we’ve some hacks to help you set up new ones quickly that won’t require you to pay for anything.

Does bank switching affect your credit score?

We love bank switching, but there are some situations when switching could hurt your credit report.

Here’s what you need to consider before switching if you’re worried about your score.

Debit card ‘spend’ hack

You might find a switching deal or current account reward requires you to spend regularly with your new debit card.

That’s not hard – but we’ve a way you can do this and still earn cashback on your spending from a different card.

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The best rated current accounts

Thousands of customers have left current account reviews over on our sister site Smart Money People.

Find out which current accounts they rate – and the ones they don’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best bank switch offer right now?

The best bank switching offer right now is the Santander offer, which is £240 if you switch using the Current Account Switching Service.

Do I need to switch my main account to get a bank switch offer?

No, many people set up a dedicated ‘dummy’ account purely for switching, so their main banking setup isn’t disrupted.

However, this is only if you want to make the most of all of the offers — if you’re simply looking to change bank accounts and want to be rewarded for switching, you can move your main bank account over to get the offer.

Does switching bank accounts affect my credit score?

It can cause a small, temporary dip due to the credit check involved, but switching sensibly and spacing out applications keeps any impact minimal.

How much can you make from bank switching?

It varies by offer and by how many accounts you’re willing to open, but switching bonuses typically range from around £100 to £200 per bank, on top of any ongoing cashback or interest the new account pays. If you’re happy to switch two or three times a year using a dedicated dummy account, it’s realistic to make several hundred pounds annually without changing how you actually bank day to day.

Be aware that often, if you’ve received a switch incentive already, you can’t get one again (or at least for several years).

Expert thoughts on bank switch offers from Be Clever With Your Cash

Switch offers are worth chasing, but the bonus alone shouldn’t dictate which you end up using day-to-day. Plenty of £100–£200 bonuses get claimed on accounts that are then barely used again, and that’s exactly the point. The bonus rewards opening the account; it isn’t a reason to make it a main bank if it doesn’t otherwise suit.

The most effective approach is keeping one or two accounts suited to everyday banking, and treating everything else as a rotating “switching pot” – a dummy account opened purely to collect the bonus, then either closed down, switched away again, or repurposed for something like bill cashback. This avoids accumulating dozens of half-used accounts that all need tracking.

It’s worth being realistic about the numbers too. Switching two or three times a year is achievable without disrupting day-to-day banking, and can realistically net several hundred pounds annually. But any offer where the qualifying criteria – minimum deposits, active direct debits, app logins – start to outweigh the value of the bonus itself deserves real scepticism, since not every offer is as free as it first looks.

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