You don’t get cash for switching to Barclays Premier, but you do get an “experience”
Barclays has launched a £200 switch offer for its current account customers, and a Premier switch offer for higher-paid customers, that gets you a free experience that it claims to be worth up to £600. I’ve taken a look at what’s on offer, who can get it and what you need to do.
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What is the Barclays Premier Account?
The Barclays Premier Account is a bank account for higher earners. It has more benefits than a typical bank account, but you have to earn a lot more to get access to it.
You’re eligible for a Barclays Premier account if you pay in a gross annual income of £75,000, or have at least £100,000 in savings with Barclays, in eligible investments or a mix of both.
The Barclays Premier account comes with a £500 interest-free overdraft, higher withdrawal limits and larger transfer allowances. You can also buy euros or US dollars from the app and can get early access to some UK venues, like The O2 and Co-op Live. You also get free access to Barclays Blue Rewards. There aren’t any fees for the account.
What do you get with the Barclays Premier switch offer?
Instead of a cash payout, as you get with the Barclays Current Account, you can choose between the experiences below.
Dining experience
You can choose a premium restaurant experience at venues across the UK, including Gordon Ramsay Restaurant venues (Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Grill, Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay, Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay) and many others. There are specially curated menus for Barclays customers, wine pairings, welcome drinks and a £50 Uber credit to get you home afterwards.
UK stays
You can choose to get a luxury UK hotel break with partners including De Vere, Dakota Hotels and Harbour Hotels. You’ll get an overnight stay for two, plus champagne on arrival, a three-course meal, spa access and breakfast the next morning
Live events
You can choose to get premium tickets to stadium concerts at Wembley, top sporting fixtures like England cricket at Headingley, with hospitality, great seats and exclusive matchday perks included.
Family days out
You can opt for annual passes to Merlin Entertainments’ attractions, alongside movie experiences with Cineworld and Picturehouse Cinemas including tickets, drinks and popcorn on every visit.
What are the requirements for the Barclays Premier switch offer?
To get the Barclays Premier switch offer, you first need to be eligible for the account, as detailed above. You also need to do the following by 27 August 2026.
- Open a Premier Current Account using the Barclays app
- Complete a full switch from another bank account, including moving over two or more active direct debits and closing the old account
- Pay in at least £4,000 within 30 days of opening the account
You don’t need to make the deposit in one go — you just need a total of £4,000 to be deposited into the account in the first 30 days. For example, this can be done with the same £1,000 transferred in and out four times.
Featured switching deal
Customer rating
4/5
- Switch bonus£180
- Offer endsUnknown
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Switch bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account within 60 days of starting the switch
- 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
- Restrictions Can't have received a switching bonus from Santander already, offer limited to once per person
- Eligible accounts Open a new or hold an existing Everyday, Edge, Edge Up or Edge Explorer current account
When can you claim the experience?
Barclays will text you when you’ve qualified for the experience. The Marketing Lounge Partnership (MLP) will then email you within 35 working days and tell you how to claim your experience.
Can existing or previous customers get the Premier switch offer?
You need to be a new Barclays Current Account customer — so existing customers, even those with a standard current account, can’t get this offer.
If you have a Barclaycard, mortgage or savings account with Barclays, you can get the offer.
When does the offer end?
This offer ends on 27 August 2026.
Barclays Premier switch offer summary
Barclays Premier Account
Customer rating
4.2/5
- Switch bonusSignature experience worth up to £600
- Offer27 August 2026
- Extra perk£500 0% overdraft
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Fees None
- 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
- Overdraft requirements None
- Signature experiences to choose between You can choose an experience, including Michelin-starred dining, premium overnight stays, live experiences and family experiences.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
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What customers think of Barclays Premier
Customers of the Barclays Premier account rate the account 4.18/5. Positive reviews say that the customer service is excellent, and there are great perks to the account.
Most of the negative reviews appear to be individual one-off experiences. Several don’t feel like the perks are as good as with other Premier accounts.
Read reviews of Barclays Premier
