The latest news to help you get the most from your bank account.
Here’s my monthly update sharing changes for leading UK current accounts, as well as some of the relevant articles you might have missed on the site.
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May’s bank switch offers
New bank switching deals
Santander’s switch offer has improved with the addition of a £30 Amazon voucher. That’s on top of the £180 switch bonus. You must go via our link to qualify for the extra gift card, which also requires you to use the debit card fives times in addition to the switching terms and conditions.
Elsewhere, Natwest has revamped it’s switch deal, pushing it from £150 to £200, though the offer no longer includes a boost to their digital regular saver. The same offer is available from RBS.
HSBC has also increased the bonus when switching into the Premier account. It’s now doubled at £500. You’ll need to pay in around £5,100 a month to qualify, which is the rough equivalent of a £100,000 a year salary. First Direct and HSBC customers are excluded.
Ending bank switching deals
You’ve got until 28 May to claim £200 from Barclays for standard Current Account switches.
Continuing bank switching deals
First Direct’s switching offer is also still available for £175. Don’t forget you can access a 7% regular saver with this bank. There’s also £40 available if you go via Quidco.
FYI, I’d expect Nationwide to return in late May, alongside their Fairer Share bonus.
May’s current account offers
Barclays customers can save 5% on petrol
Between 1 May and 31 July 2026 you’ll get 5% cashback on petrol and diesel from Tesco petrol stations if you pay with a Barclays debit card. Eligible accounts are:
- Barclays Basic Current Account
- Barclays Bank Account
- Premier Current Account
- Student Additions/Higher Education Account
- Wealth Current Account
It’s capped at £10 cashback per month per customer, meaning you’ll get the money back on up to £200 of fuel each month.
There’s no need to activate the offer, just fill up and pay.
It won’t work at Esso stations with a linked Tesco store – it has to be a Tesco petrol station. Here are more ways to save on petrol.
PayPay+ £5 with 3x spend
If you’ve got our top cashback debit card pick PayPal+, there’s an offer worth triggering right now. You’ll get 500 points, worth £5, if you then spend three lots of £75 within 15 days.
You’ve got until 22 June to activate the offer, though there are 47,000 redemptions available, so it could go sooner
Existing bank referral offers
Don’t forget, Chase is still running a £50 referral scheme, Starling one for £25 and there’s £10 available via Zopa’s Biscuit account
Featured investing offer
Customer rating
3.8/5
- Offerfree £50 in fractional shares*
- Annual fee£0
- Investment stylesShares, funds or ready-made portfolios
- Minimum deposit$50
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest on uninvested cash 3% on balances up to $50,000, 3.8% on balances over this
- Fractional shares Yes
- Foreign exchange fee 0.7%
- Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees, which cost on average ~0.16% per year, with additional market-spread effects up to 0.05%
- Offer You need to sign up, verify your account and deposit at least £200 to get the free assets. ISA deposits aren't included in the £200 requirement to get the offer.
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes, FRN 583263
- Risk warning The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. ISA powered by Moneyfarm. ISA rules apply. UK residents only.
- Accounts available General investment account, stocks and shares ISA (additional fees apply)
May’s current account news
Nationwide is set to reveal the member benefits for 2026 during their annual results announcement on Thursday 21 May.
In previous years this has been a £100 bonus for qualifying customers, a boosted bank switch deal and a high paying 18 month savings bond.
We’ll share with you exactly what happens in an article and video on our YouTube channel.
With the completion of the Virgin Money takeover by Nationwide earlier this year, customers of both banks will be eligible for the Fairer Share programme.
However, it seems that the £100 bonus part if this won’t kick in until 2027 for Virgin Money only customers. That’s because the usual qualifying period is January to March, just before the takeover took place. That could change, and we’ll share if there’s anything for when details are available.
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Plus, new Quidco customers get a high paying £18 welcome offer
Santander takes over TSB
Sticking with takeovers, TSB is now part of Santander. Right now that won’t mean anything different for either bank’s customers.
However, the FT reported that in time the TSB brand will be axed, though that won’t be for at least a year. As part of this, if not before, it wouldn’t be a surprise for branches to go.
Our top current accounts for April 2026
I always think it’s worth having more than one current account (find out why here) and here’s my run-down of the top accounts to have this month.
