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April 1, 2025   |   ArticlesReview

Nationwide FlexDirect current account review: 5% interest & 1% cashback

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Top paying interest, ethics and a decent switching bonus make the account worth considering again.

There’s been a revamp of the account. Not only does it offer one the highest interest rates (for some), newbies can also now get 1% cashback on spending. Plus you can nab a decent switching bonus. It also ranks well as an ethical bank and scores highly for customer service. However, the building society has ditched the large 0% overdraft.

So are these extras enough to make it your main account? Here’s what you get with the FlexDirect, and whether you should open up an account.

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.

Nationwide logo and Be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

What is the Nationwide FlexDirect account?

The FlexDirect account is a current account from the Nationwide Building Society. It’s free to open and use, though you do have to pay in at least £1,000 a month to get the interest. That doesn’t need to be in one go, or stay in the account.

You cannot get the account if you already have four or more Nationwide current accounts.

Unlike many competitors, Nationwide has a decent network of branches you can access across the UK, and there’s also a phone support line.

In account interest of 5%

Nationwide’s FlexDirect account is one of the few current accounts that pay interest on balances held in the main account. And it’s usually a much better rate than you’ll get in normal easy-access accounts.

You can get 5% interest on savings – which is hard to beat right now. The rate is also fixed, at 5% for the entire year.

And you can boost your earnings if you’re in a couple. You can each have an account, and then open up a joint account too, meaning you’ll earn the 5% on £4,500.

You have to pay in £1,000 every month to qualify for the interest. This can’t be from another Nationwide account.

Sounds good? Well it has its limits.

First, there is a very important rule that could be an issue – this rate is for first-time account holders only. So if you’ve had the FlexDirect account before, you won’t get the new rate, even if you open up a new account.

You also only earn money on the first £1,500. Above this you get 0%. This means if you have the full amount possible in the account for 12 months you’ll make £75.

Also the rate also only lasts for one year (after that it drops to 1%), so you will want to move your money in 12 months.

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

1% cashback on spending

A new feature is cashback on spending with the debit card. It’s only for new customers who’ve not had a FlexDirect in the past. You also need to be paying in the same £1,000 each month to trigger this as you do the interest, though that’s a single payment for both perks, not each.

As with the 5% interest, this cashback is only for the first 12 months. It’s also capped at £5 cashback each month, so it’ll only apply to the first £500 you spend each month.

Cashback won’t be paid on gambling, crypto transactions or cash withdrawals.

FlexDirect 0% overdraft

Sadly with the addition of the 1% cashback, Nationwide has ditched the sizeable 0% overdraft that was available for the first year.

In its place there will be a £50 interest free buffer across all Nationwide accounts. Our guide to the cheapest overdrafts will help you find a larger alternative – though there aren’t many options left now.

Nationwide switching bonus

We’ve written about Nationwide’s bank switching deal in detail in a separate guide, but here are the essential need-to-knows:

Nationwide had an ongoing £175 incentive for bank switchers which ended 31 March 2025. It could return at any time.

The previous offer was open to new and existing customers, so if you open or upgrade to a FlexDirect account you’ll be eligible.

You can only claim the cash once on a personal account, but unlike other banks, you can get an extra bonus if you switch a joint account (there’s just one payment for both of you on this). So as a couple you could have three switching bonuses in total.

Read more on Nationwide’s switching offer

Other Nationwide perks

Regular saver 6.5%

There’s also a 6.5% paying regular saver only for all Nationwide current account customers. This can be beaten by a handful of other providers, but isn’t a bad bet.

Annual member bonus

Though there’s no guarantee it’ll still be on offer in 2025, for the last two years Nationwide has offered members with an active current account and savings or mortgage product on top, a £100 ‘Fairer Share’ bonus. Here’s everything you need to know about when Nationwide last offered this free cash.

Nationwide’s app

So far so good. Now the bad. The app is one of the main reasons I moved my main banking from Nationwide to Starling a few years ago.

There have been some massive improvements, but it still falls short of the features you get from challenger banks like Monzo, Starling and Chase.

So what does it do? You can activate a couple of features to help you save. One, Impulse Saver lets you add money to your savings account from the homescreen of the app.

The other is a round-up feature, as you see with many other banks. If you turn this on a small amount of money will be transferred each time you spend. So say you spend £1.20 on your debit card, 80p will go to savings.

You’re also able to lower your contactless limit, freeze your card and block gambling transactions.

My big frustration is that you still need a card reader. Though a recent update has reduced how often this is required, including for app payments, you can’t throw it away. And it’s not clear when you will and when you won’t need it – it just says “for some other things”, which looks like could still include setting up new payees. Of course, that might not be a bad thing as it does add an extra layer of security, but it’s not something most of the other banks I use require.

You also can’t access card details, and it’s a few clicks to find and copy or share account numbers. There are also no tracking or budgeting features.

Account ethics

Something I’ve been thinking about more over the last few years has been how the money I keep in a bank is being used. It’s not sitting in a vault, it’s being invested and loaned by the bank. And that could mean it’s used for things I really don’t agree with – from supporting arms manufacturers through to funding new oil pipelines.

If this bothers you too then Nationwide is regarded as one of the best options. A big part of this is that it’s a building society rather than a bank, which means it has to use 75% of its holdings to lend to home buyers.

That prevents it lending large amounts to unethical sources – but it also has a positive investment policies. For example your money will not be invested in fossil fuels.

Nationwide is also a mutual – meaning it’s owned by and run for the benefits of its customers (or members) rather than shareholders.

Ethical Consumer rates Nationwide ahead of all the other major banks, so it’s a good bet if you want to put your money somewhere other than low-scoring banks such as HSBC, Natwest, Barclays, Lloyds, Santander and co.

And while the top-rated current account for ethics is from Triodos, that comes with a £3 monthly fee and a more limited app, so Nationwide represent a good alternative.

Should you open a Nationwide FlexDirect account?

Andy’s Analysis

With savings rates dropping on easy access accounts, Nationwide’s FlexDirect has sprung back into contention. That 5% can be beaten, but not with a fixed rate.

The £1,500 limit for this rate will be a frustration for some (especially since the balance used to be £2,500 a few years ago), but if that’s not a worry and you want to lock in a rate it’s worth a look – for one year only though.

And the switching offer is a fantastic extra too, especially if you’re a couple who can also switch a joint account.

The app has also improved massively, though it’s not as good as the offering from digital banks Monzo, Starling or Chase.

The cashback might sounds good, but it is limited by the £5 monthly cap – and it’s only for one year. You can beat this with a credit card like the American Express Nectar.

But, vitally in my opinion, it’s a great account to go for if you’re concerned about how your money will be invested.

What do customers say?

Customer reviews on our sister site Smart Money People rate the FlexDirect account at 4.24 out of 5, liking the customer service and the availability of high street branches. The app is where people think it could do better.

Nationwide Flex Direct summary

Cashback1% cashback on spending for the first year (capped at £500)
Interest5% AER (fixed) interest on the first £1,500 saved for 12 months (drop to 0.25% after a year)
Access to 6.5% AER (variable) Flex regular saver (max £200 a month)
Overdraft£50 0% buffer
FeeNone
RequirementsPay in £1,000 a month
Multiple accounts?Two – one personal and one joint
NotesTransfers in from other Nationwide accounts don’t count towards the £1,000
More on the account on the Nationwide website

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March 25, 2025   |   Deals

Cheap and free Kindle book offers

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How to get Kindle ebooks for less.

Kindles can be great ways to read on the move. While you may prefer to hold a proper book, the Kindle can be an essential item for holidays and travelling.

It’s also possible to save a lot of money on the books you buy with hundreds of Kindle titles on sale at just 99p, and many more available for free.

And these aren’t just books you’ve never heard of. — selections change all the time, but you can get bestsellers and Booker and Pulitzer Prize-nominated titles.

Here are the best ways to get free or cheap ebooks for your Kindle.

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.

Free Kindle books for all

Kindle Unlimited free trials

For £9.49 a month you can get access to Kindle Unlimited – a library of over 1 million Kindle books (as well as magazines and audiobooks). This is a subscription so you’ll keep paying every month unless you cancel it. 

However, there’s also a 30-day trial to give it a go. After that, it’s £9.49 a month. You should be able to take a free trial every 13 months (so 12 months after a 30-day trial ends).

Amazon Prime members can sometimes get a longer trial though the offer you’ll get can vary. Click the link below to see what you can get.

Sign up for a Kindle Unlimited free trial

Free “Amazon Classics”

It’s possible to pick up free Kindle copies of older books that are no longer under copyright. 

For example, a quick look has found titles like Homer’s The Odyssey, Tolstoy’s War and Peace and HG Wells’ The Time Machine all part of a series called Amazon Classics. And the vast majority of the titles in this group are free with only a handful coming in at £1.99.

Check out the latest Amazon Classics titles

Free Kindle book lists

You can also see all the free Kindle books via the EReaderIQ website. However, there are so many books listed that it could take you hours to go through them all and find anything decent.

You can filter by rating to help weed out the trash, and you may want to select “also available in paperback” (not that there won’t be some decent self-published books). 

Search for free books at EReaderIQ

Free Kindle books for Amazon Prime members

You’ll need to be signed up to Amazon Prime to get these freebies. 

Not got Prime? Try a 30-day free trial

Prime Reading selection

If you have Amazon Prime then you’ve got access to Prime Reading, a selection of titles you can read for free, including the Harry Potter series. It’s a smaller version of Kindle Unlimited.

There are some decent books in this selection, so it’s worth taking a look if you haven’t already, or if you’ve been disappointed in the offering before.

Check out Prime Reading’s latest selection

Free First Reads every month

Another offer for Prime members, First Reads gets you a copy of a new title that hasn’t been released yet. A new selection is released on the 1st of each month.

Check out the latest First Reads selection

Cheap Kindle books

You can also pick up very cheap books every day on Amazon. Prices can go up and down all the time, but there are a couple of regular offers to keep an eye on.

99p daily deals

Every day Amazon sells five or six titles for just 99p (or just over). These deals last just 24 hours before new offers replace them. I’ve picked up quite a few titles from this deal and have signed up for a daily email so I get a nudge to check what is on offer.

Check out the Kindle Daily deals

£1 monthly offers

On the 15th of every month, a new selection of 80 different Kindle books is made available at just £1 each. These titles are usually also available via Kindle Unlimited.

Shop the 80 monthly £1 Kindle books

Kindle book price tracker

Prices of Kindle books can jump up and down all the time and it’s easy to miss a book your after at a lower price. 

However you can actively track specific books and set up alerts so you’ll know if it drops to a price you are happy to pay. You can also track by author.

It’s back on that EreaderIQ website. You do need to enter your email address to access this feature and though a donation is welcome you don’t have to pay.

Kindle device deals

You don’t actually need a Kindle to read Kindle books – you can download the free Kindle app to your computer, phone or tablet.

However it’s a better reading experience if you do get one, and there are often deals to bring down the cost.

Cheap Kindle device trade-in deal stack

If you’ve an older Kindle you can trade it in for 20% off a new one, but if you time this for when the Kindle is on offer (such as on Prime Day or Black Friday), that 20% should come off the original price (make sure you check!).

So a £94.99 Kindle, reduced to £79.99, would be discounted by £19 to £60.99.

And even better, there could be gift card on top of this, depending on the age and condition of your existing Kindle. For me, I was offered a £30 gift card for my two year old Kindle Paperwhite, and £20 for my wife’s seven-year old version.

Using the £20 voucher brings the total we’d pay down to £40.90 – more than 55% off.

You could supersize this stack and opt for the Kindle Kids edition. This is the ad-free Kindle, comes with a two year warranty, and a case (though the cases are now very kiddy). You’ll need to set it up with a kid’s account, but you can then log out and log in with your own – and it’ll work as normal.

It retails are £114.99, but can be reduced to around £94.99. With the trade-in 20% discount, you’d pay £71.99. A gift card of £20 would bring it down further to £51.99.

Get a reduced Kindle
March 18, 2025   |   Articles

Can you pay less on your Council Tax?

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Most of us have no choice when paying Council Tax – but there are ways to make sure you aren’t paying too much.

Along with everything else, my Council Tax bill has gone up. For my council, it’s up by 6.4%, which works out as an extra £15 a month. This is the biggest annual hike I’ve experienced, and it adds up to £175 extra over the year.

Though I’ll be able to afford it, I know not everyone will – and some might have seen larger increases. Many councils have voted to increase by the maximum 4.99% that’s allowed, and few others have been forced by financial issues to trigger referendums for even larger hikes.

So I thought it was a good opportunity to share with you ways you might be able to pay less, or at least make how you pay work better for you.

Save money on Council Tax

What is Council Tax?

Your Council Tax largely pays for local services, so the amount you pay is set each year by your local council. It varies all over the country. 

Some of the money will also go towards funding social care as well as police and fire services in your area.

There are eight ‘bands’ of council tax, all based upon the approximate value of the property in 1991. A is the lowest, H the highest.

You can get cashback from Santander 

There are two current accounts you can open which help you save on your Council Tax bill. Though these current accounts have fees, you generally make the money back on cashback from bills, including Council Tax as long as it’s paid by Direct Debit.

The Santander Edge and Edge Up current account will give you 1% cashback on your Council Tax. The money is returned to your account along with cashback on other bills, such as energy, broadband and water. However you will pay a monthly fee.

If you already have the Santander 123 or 123 Lite accounts (now closed to new customers), then that has a lower monthly fee. You can read my comparison of the four accounts to see which I think is best.

Santander Edge vs Edge Up vs 123

Find which out which account is better to earn cashback on your bills.

There are discounts… if you’re eligible

To be fair,  most of you won’t be able to cut the monthly rate unless you fit one of these exceptions:

  • Living alone? In which case you’re able to get a 25% discount on the rate. If you’re the only adult but have children under 18 or not in education, then you qualify for the discount too as a sole adult
  • Students pay nothing if they’re in full-time education
  • If you are unemployed or meet other conditions, it’s possible to claim Council Tax Reduction payments, which could be as much as 100%
  • Got a second home? You might be able to get a discount too. It’s up to the local council, but if it’s furnished it’s possible to get up to 50%. If it’s empty for two years or more, they can charge more
  • If someone has passed away, there is no charge for six months
  • Disabled people who need a bigger house to accommodate space for wheelchairs or extra bathrooms can get their band reduced down a level for example they’d pay C rates on a D property
  • Adults who are medically classed as having a severe mental impairment will get 100% discounted if they live alone or with others who don’t pay, 50% if you live with a carer only, and 25% if you live with just another adult
  • Live in carers can get a 25% to 50% discount if they meet the conditions

You can read the full criteria for all of these on the government’s Council Tax website.

You can check to see if you’re paying too much

Use this government site (or this one in Scotland) to see what band houses around you are in. If it looks like houses around you are less, it might be worth appealing. The StreetCheck website is good to find out neighbouring postcodes.

You can also see what neighbouring houses are valued at, to help get a sense of whether yours is worth more or less. Zoopla is good for this. You’ll ideally want to see valuations from 1991 as changes could have taken place since then.

If both look good, you can try to appeal. If successful you’ll not only get a discount going forward, but also backdated payments.

Be aware though that the council could also choose to raise your band – and how much you pay (and for any neighbours who are also then found to be underpaying).

I’ve taken a look and most of the nearby houses are all on the same band, so it’s unlikely I’d be able to get it changed to a lower band.

You can pay Council Tax over 12 months if you’d prefer

Most Council Tax bills are set to be repaid over 10 months, meaning you don’t pay anything in February and March. For some this break gives a little breather after Christmas to pay off extra expenses.

I choose to spread the cost over 12 months instead of 10, so I know exactly what I’m paying each month. You need to ask your council to change this if you want to do the same.

More of our articles to help you cut your bills

Featured switching deal
Our top pick

Santander £200 switch offer

Customer rating 3.8/5
  • Switch bonus
    £200
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • 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
View Deal
March 2, 2025   |   Deals

Times Plus trial offers – get 2-4-1 Everyman cinema tickets & free e-books

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Get 2-4-1 cinema tickets, free e-books and more from The Times’s digital membership, Times+.

When you subscribe to The Times you not only get to read the digital version of the newspaper (which is usually behind a paywall), but also access to its reward programme Times+.

At full price I think it’s too much, but if you can take advantage of the special trial offers that run throughout the year you’ll be able to get access to some great savings.

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.

Times+ and be clever with your cash logo on an orange background

Times subscription deals and trials

The standard trial is one month free, but throughout the year there’s often a three months for £3 deal which is far better waiting for. Occasionally you can also get a month free trial. I’ll share the best deal below.

Times+: one month free trial

The usual offer is a one month free trial. Start the offer in the middle of a month and you’ll be able to claim the monthly freebies twice! Just remember to cancel (more on this below).

Sign up to Times+

Times+: three months for £3

This deal appeared via a pop up, so I’m not sure how long it’ll last! You’ll pay just £1 a month for the first thee months. Make sure you check the offer is showing when you click the link, in case it has changed.

Sign up to Times+

Times Plus offers

Two for one Everyman tickets each week

It’s rare to see discounts for Everyman cinemas, so this offer is a winner. You’ll be able to claim a code each week that’s valid for Wednesday only.

> More cinema deals

Free ebook every month

Every month a select title is available to download, sometimes two. This used to be Kindle books via Amazon but has now moved to a different service called Glose. You can read the titles via apps for iOS and Android.

Fee audio book every month

You also get a selected audio book for free from Glose.

Cancelling Times Plus

This can be a bit of a pain as you have to phone up to cancel your trial and they will try very hard to persuade you to stay. The last time I did this it took 15 minutes! But if you have your phone on speakerphone you can do this while you’re doing something else! 

Also, it’s important to do this early. I call up at least two weeks before the trial ends to make sure no early charges are made.

February 26, 2025   |   Deals

Apple discounts & deals

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Save when you buy tech, apps, music or anything else from Apple

Apple gift cards can be used in the Apple Store (online or on the high street), on Apple Music, the App Store for iCloud or anything else paid for via your Apple account.

This article might contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund the blog. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or the blog’s independence. Read more here.

Image of Apple logo and the Be Clever with your cash logo on a blue background

Apple gift card sales and deals

Apple: 10% back on gift cards at Asda (ended)

Until 5 March 2025, Asda Rewards customers (it’s free to sign up) will get 10% back to their Asda Rewards Cashpot on Apple gift cards over £50.

You can buy in store at Asda or online. If it’s the latter, make sure you use the same email address that’s used for your Asda Reward account.

Get Apple Gift cards at Asda

Apple: £10 bonus with £100 gift card (ended)

If you buy a £100 Apple gift card at Amazon, you get a £10 Amazon bonus. Use the discount code APPLELSPRI24 at checkout.

This will end on 25 March 2024.

Get a boosted Apple gift card at Amazon

February 17, 2025   |   Articles

Will you miss out on the full State Pension?

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Here’s how the State Pension works and how to get the full amount

Your State Pension is a regular payment paid out by the Government once you’ve hit your State Pension age (which is currently 66 but is slowly increasing). It could allow you to stop working earlier or wind down the amount you work in later years.

You might think that it’s pointless to care about it until you’re approaching retirement, but there are important questions you should ask, such as how much you’ll get, what age you’d be getting it, and whether you’re even eligible.

a screenshot from the State Pension website

When can you get the State Pension?

To start, let’s go back to basics. The State Pension is a guaranteed weekly income paid to you when you reach the State Pension age. You can, of course, retire earlier if you have other income sources or other pensions, but you don’t get this cash until you hit the State Pension age.

The State Pension age is 66 and it’ll keep rising — first to 67 between 2026 and 2028, impacting those born after 1960 and then to 68 years old. This latter change is meant to happen around 2044 (adding a year for those born around 1977) but could occur up to 10 years earlier between 2035 and 2039 (meaning those born after 1968).

Though of course, these ages could – and probably will – change again. I imagine I’ll be 69 when my time comes. And, it’s anticipated that anyone currently under 30 will have to wait until 70 years old to get the payments. Indeed, in 30 years there might not even be a State Pension at all anymore!

How to find out your State Pension age

The way to find out what the date will be (as things stand now) is for you is to use the State Pension age tool on the Gov.UK website.

You simply enter your date of birth and whether you’re male or female (gender only makes a difference to people already in their mid-60s) and ta-da, you’ll see your State Pension age.

Quick note – as the earlier increase to 68 is just a proposal it’s not been factored into the calculator, so add a year if you were born after 1968 to be on the safe side.

Why you should care about your State Pension now

So you now know when you’ll get it, and it could well be a long time until you reach State Pension age. Hey, for me it’s at least another 25 years! So we can forget about it until then, right?

No – there are important reasons I care now, and you should too.

It reduces how much you’ll need in your other pensions

The full amount from the State Pension might not seem much – currently just £221.20* a week and going up to £230.30 per week in April 2025.

That’s £11,502.40 per year until you die (or £11,975.60 after April 2025). If you live for 20 years after your State Pension age then it’s worth more than £230,000.

Say you’ve worked out you need £30,000 a year to live when you retire, the full State Pension means you’ll only actually need to save enough to cover £18,000 a year from your State Pension Age. That’s a much easier (and less scary) total to target.

* How much you get can get a little complicated so this is the most. I won’t go into detail here but you’ll get less if you ever “contracted out”. Or if you would have been better off under the older system, it’s possible you might get small top-ups when you retire. 

You’re not automatically entitled to it

But, you don’t automatically qualify for the State Pension. You might think it just starts when you hit the State Pension age, but you’re wrong. You need to make at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions to qualify. Less than this and you won’t get anything.

You generally make National Insurance contributions through your pay, or you might get National Insurance credits through things like child benefit, jobseekers allowance, carers allowance and maternity leave.

You might not get the full amount

That 10-year figure is the minimum. You’ll need as many as 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount. But, depending on your age, it could be a little less – more on this later. It’s well worth making sure you have made or will make enough contributions to reach this number.

If you only qualify for two-thirds of the full amount (roughly what you’d get if you only made 24 out of 35 years of full contributions) then you’d be around £3,900 worse off a year. That will make a difference.

I’ve detailed further down the article how you can check your current status and how much you’d get (at current figures).

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You might have missed some years

If you’ve been working or on certain benefits each year since school or University (or even before) then it’s likely you’ll have each year so far marked on your record as full. But if for any reason you took time out – a gap year perhaps – you’ll have a missing year.

And the closer you get to retirement, the bigger the impact any missed year will have on how much you get. But if the missed year is within the last six years you can voluntarily pay to top it up.

Of course, if you’ve got plenty of years to catch up you might not need to do this, but it’s worth thinking about if you’re approaching the time you’d like to stop working.

You won’t want to be making future contributions if you retire early

Do you want to keep working until you actually reach the State Pension age? If you can afford to retire earlier it makes sense to ensure you don’t have to keep making (voluntary) contributions when your income is low, in order to get the max State Pension available to you.

Say you’re aiming to quit in 10 years at 55 years old but have 23 years of contributions so far. You’ll either need to change your goal to 57 years old, or you’ll need to make voluntary contributions for another 2 years to reach the magic number of 35 years of contributions.

How many qualifying years do you need?

Under the new system (introduced in April 2016), you qualify for the State Pension after 10 years of contributions and will get the full rate after 35 years of contributions (this is for men born after 1951 and women born after 1953).

But as I mentioned above, it’s not going to be 35 years for everyone – it could actually be less. This is despite pretty much every major newspaper and personal finance website stating it’s now 35 years for everyone. It’s not! And I’m proof of this.

If you started making contributions before April 2016, which is going to be most people in their late 20s and some younger – the total number of years is based on a mix of the new and old systems.

For me, I only need to make a total of 30 years of full National Insurance contributions. For my wife, it’s 32 years. This is despite the fact we’ve both already contributed the same number of years so far.

A few years ago I called up the HMRC helpline to find out why this was and why so many sources reported a blanket 35 years. The answer wasn’t massively clear, but it might be down to me being a little older than her, or me earning more in some of those years. Whatever the reason, we’re both examples of people who need to pay less than 35 years – so it could well be the same for you.

How to check your State Pension record

There’s a way to check how much State Pension you’ll get when you retire, based on your current record and also if you continue paying in. You’ll also be able to see if there are any gaps.

It’s a five-minute job well worth doing so you know if you’re on track, or whether you need to take action now – and if you’re over 40 you may well need to fill in any missing gaps.

You need to request a State Pension forecast. It’s easy and doesn’t take long. You need a Government Gateway ID, and it might take five to 10 minutes to set this up. You need to validate your identity using your passport or a recent payslip, but once sorted you can find out how many years you still need to contribute to get the full amount.

In the same system, you can check your National Insurance record. You’ll see how many years you’ve already made full contributions. Add those figures and you’ll get the total number of years that you need to pay.

This page will also tell you how many more years you have left to make contributions – i.e. before you reach the State Pension age.

See if you can top-up your State Pension

Though you’ll keep gaining qualifying years when you work or claim certain benefits, you can also pay money now to fill in some gaps. This is meant to be limited to the past six years, but an increased time frame has been extended a few times.

You’ve got until 05 April 2025 (extended from the original 5 April 2023 deadline) to make back payments. This extension is for men born since April 1951 and women after April 1953. If that’s you, you can top up as far back as April 2006.

There’s a cost to any top-up – roughly £824 per full year if you do it in 2025. This is a sizeable amount, but for each year you add now, you’ll break even if you claim the State Pension for at least three years. So claim it for four years and you’ll be better off.

If you’re self-employed, then you’ll need to pay less per missing year to make it a qualifying credit. There are different rates for this.

Broadly, this isn’t going to be worth it for those under the age of 45, and probably a good few years after that. But the closer you get to state retirement age, the more likely it is you could benefit from a top-up rather than missing out on the full amount or having to keep working for longer.

Of course, those who are able to get free credits from things like missing child benefit or other benefits, should make sure they claim those to help fill any gaps.

You’ll probably want to contact the Future Pension Service on 0800 731 0175 before making any overpayments as they can advise on whether you need to. There have been huge backlogs and delays getting through (hence the extensions), so keep trying.

Alternatively, if you’re sure you want to go ahead, some might be able to make the payments via their government gateway account – it’ll show as an option when you check your current NI record.

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February 12, 2025   |   ArticlesReview

Barclays Blue Rewards review: is it worth it?

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Is it worth adding the fee-paying extra to your Barclays current account?

Barclays customers generally get a poor deal for bonuses and freebies, and the Blue Rewards scheme has been pretty poor compared to other banks.

You get a 4.87% AER rate on savings and free Apple TV+. I’ve taken a look at whether it’s worth signing up.

What are Barclays Blue Rewards?

Barclays Blue Rewards is an add-on you can choose to put on your Barclays current account. You’ll need to pay a monthly fee, which is currently £5 a month. This makes it one of the most expensive add-ons for current accounts.

For the monthly amount, you get an exclusive 4.87% savings account and free Apple TV+ streaming, and other benefits come along every now and then.

Barclays Blue Rewards requirements

First, you have to have a Barclays current account. You can’t get Blue Rewards if you already have Barclays Avios Rewards, though you can change over.

Barclays Premier current account holders can no longer add this to their account, though they’ll get the Rainy Day Saver and Apple TV+.

To get the rewards you need to:

  • Deposit £800 into the current account every month
  • Pay £5 a month fee
  • Register for online banking or app banking (app only for new customers from 4 September 2024)
  • Be over 18 years old

It’s worth noting that the £800 doesn’t need to stay in the account, so you can withdraw it to a different current or savings account (or spend it), straight away.

What you get with Barclays Blue Rewards

Rainy Day Saver: 4.87% on up to £5,000

This Rainy Day Saver offers an exclusive rate of 4.76% gross / 4.87% AER for Blue Rewards members. Though you can hold up to £10 million there, you’ll only earn the rate on the first £5,000.

At the time of writing, it’s a decent rate but it can be beaten with other savings accounts. Here are some examples of what you’d make over a year:

  • Save £500 for 12 months to earn £24.35
  • Save £1,000 for 12 months to earn £48.70
  • Save £2,500 for 12 months to earn £121.75
  • Save £5,000 for 12 months to earn £243.50

It’s fully easy access, so you can take out and deposit the money as and when you want. There’s only one account per person, whether that’s in sole or joint names.

To find and open the account in the app, go to the Products tab at the bottom of the screen, click savings, then “see all accounts”. You’ll then see the Rainy Day Saver account to open. You can also open it online, over the phone or in branch.

Interest from savings is paid straight into the savings account, so if you have the full £5,000 saved you’ll want to withdraw the extra on top each month and move it to a better paying account.

Note this is different from the Blue Rewards Saver which pays far less.

Apple TV+ & MLS season pass

A new offer since June 2024 is free Apple TV+, worth £8.99 a month. This alone is worth £107.88 a year, so even with the £60 annual fee, you’re in profit.

However, there are regular free passes for Apple TV+, even for previous customers. I’ve had 25 months free in the last 41 months, and have never paid a penny! And even if you’re happy to pay full price for it, there’s really not enough content on there to justify a whole year.

You can also add on Apple’s Major League Soccer (MLS) season pass for free, which if you would pay for normally could represent a decent saving as it costs £99 for a year.

1% cashback

From September to November 2024 there was 1% cashback on spending with your Barclays debit card. This may return again this year. It was a decent offering but since it was only temporary and can be matched or beaten elsewhere it’s not a reason to sign up for or stick with Blue Rewards.

Exclusive offers

From time to time there are other offers and competitions. The main one to check is up to 15% cashback at selected brands via the Barclays Cashback Rewards feature – though you can also get this for free via a Barclaycard.

Are Barclays Blue Rewards worth it?

Andy’s Analysis

Blue Rewards have always been the poor cousin to better schemes from Halifax and Lloyds, and even NatWest/RBS.

The changes in 2024 and the rate drop in 2025 put not just Blue Rewards, but also Barclays, right at the bottom of the pile. When you look at everything you get, you need to decide if £60 a year is worth it.

I think not.

Yes, the savings account could be worth up to £243.50 per year, but you can get similar or better rates elsewhere, especially when you factor in that monthly fee, which brings the effective interest rate down to 3.56% if you save the full £5,000.

I also don’t think signing up for the Apple TV+ perk is worth it. You’ll save money versus full price, but could pay less by deal hunting and only signing up for the streamer in the months there’s something you want to watch.

How to sign up for Barclays Blue Rewards

First, you need to have a Barclays current account. Once you’ve got this, you need to sign up for Blue Rewards from your online banking or the app.

How to cancel Barclays Blue Rewards

If you decide you don’t want to continue with Blue Rewards you can easily cancel it in your online or app banking. I did in on the app in just a few seconds.

  • Open up your app and choose Blue Rewards from the home screen
  • Scroll down to the bottom of the screen
  • Select “Leave Barclays Blue Rewards”
  • Tick the box at the bottom of the screen
  • Press the “Confirm” button

Any money you have left or pending in the Blue Rewards wallet will be moved to your current account. If you want to re-join, you’ll have to wait at least two days.

Alternatives to Blue Rewards

Barclays isn’t the only bank to offer extras, and many have benefits without having to save any money. You could choose to switch your account to a different bank (and maybe nab a switching bonus) or you can simply open up extra current accounts.

I’ve gone into detail on the best reward current accounts here, though here are my picks and links to reviews with further details:

Read next

January 1, 2025   |   Articles

The best reward current accounts

Written by

How to earn rewards & freebies from your bank

There are a number of reasons to change your bank, with switching bonuses, cashback and interest often a big draw. However, the easiest ones are often ‘reward’ accounts as they usually require very little effort to make something extra every month – and you don’t even need to switch to get them.

From free cinema tickets to a fiver paid to your account each month, they’re certainly better than the accounts we’re all used to which give nothing in return.

But they aren’t without some drawbacks, including fees and requirements that you set up direct debits or deposit money each month.

So whether you’re just after one account or are happy to game the system for a handful, here’s how they work and my picks of the ones to go for.

** Update – the Halifax Reward Extra perks will end for new customers in June 2025, and for all in September. Here’s what we know so far**

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.

Rather watch than read? Here’s my video review of reward current accounts

What is a reward bank account?

Here’s how reward accounts work:

You can earn monthly cash or freebies

Some accounts offer cash, some offer a freebies and others give you the choice between cash and freebies.

Reward accounts come with a fee

These benefits aren’t actually free! All the accounts charge a monthly fee. Some you can avoid by paying in a certain amount of money each month. Others you’ll need to take into account when working out how much you’ll make.

You might have to ‘claim’ the reward

Though some will pay the reward into your account, others (NatWest or RBS) put the money in a separate rewards wallet which you have to manually withdraw. It’s a bit pointless really.

And if you’re claiming a non-cash reward then you will have to select it, though you shouldn’t have to do anything else each month.

There will be additional requirements

Some reward account require you to either set up direct debits or pay in a minimum amount each month.

Here are the typical ones. You’re unlikely to be required to do all of them, probably just one or two.

Set up direct debits

Often banks require one or two direct debits, sometimes with a minimum value. Though ‘active’ usually means the money has to have been paid in the last year, the banks that use this only pay you the months a direct debit is paid.

It’s not such a huge issue as if you pay bills you’ve all got direct debits you could use – though they might be better suited to a cashback current account.

If that’s the case direct debits can easily be set up for other things too, such as credit card bills, memberships, subscriptions and charity donations. Here’s our guide to where to find additional and cheap direct debits.

Pay money in each month

Reward accounts often require a minimum deposit each month. This is to encourage you to pay your salary there. You can do that easily if you want – just tell your HR department of the new details.

But you don’t have to. It’s easy to transfer money in from a different current account via a standing order. You can do this as one lump sum or break it into smaller amounts over the month if that’s better for you.

And it doesn’t have to stay there either. You can transfer it back out straight away.

Spend on your debit card

A couple of accounts require you to spend on the debit card too. You can do this as part of your regular spending but it does mean you’ll miss out on cashback from a different card. Once again there are ways to get around this, as explained in this Halifax Reward hack article.

Use your internet banking or the app

You might also need to log in to your banking app or online account once a month to qualify for the reward. It’s worth setting a reminder in your calendar to do this if it’s not an account you’re using regularly.

My top reward bank accounts

Here’s my opinion on the different reward accounts.

Club Lloyds account

  • What you get: six free cinema tickets (Vue or Odeon), a year of Disney+ with Ads, a magazine subscription OR a dining membership
  • Exclusive savings: 6.25% regular saver
  • Monthly fee: £3, though refunded if you pay in £2,000 a month
  • What it’s really worth each year: between £40 (magazine subscription) to £60 (equivalent value of six £10 cinema tickets)
  • Requirements: none
  • Maximum number of accounts: one individual and one joint

The Club Lloyd account is my top pick as it’s the easiest one to get. There’s no reason why you can’t just open this up (ideally via a switching bonus), set up a standing order to pay the £2,000 in (and out) each month, and keep claiming your reward.

You can have one personal and one joint account and claim the rewards on both, so that’s potentially three between a couple.

Here’s my full review of the account, where I break down which freebie “Lifestyle Benefit” I feel gives the best value.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

The best bank switch bonuses

Check out our list of all the bank switch offers you can get when opening a new current account

the best bank switch offers on a blue background

Halifax Reward account

  • What you get: £5 a month, one Vue ticket a month, OR 3 digital magazines a month subscription
  • Monthly fee: £3, though refunded if you pay in £1,500 a month
  • What it’s really worth each year: £60 (if you go for the cash option) to up to £120 (if a cinema ticket costs £10)
  • Requirements: £500 spend on your debit card or £5,000 held in the account
  • Maximum number of accounts: three per person

You get more from the Halifax Reward account so it was a close call between the two accounts for my top spot – you just need to jump through an extra hoop to get this one.

To get your choice of reward (more on how the account works and what you can get in my review here) you need to spend £500 a month on your debit card or save £5,000 every month.

To start I wasn’t a fan of this as it meant missing out on interest elsewhere or on cashback from my cashback debit and credit cards.

But I’ve since found a workaround where you use your Halifax debit card for other payments, such as paying off your credit card or adding money into an NS&I or Chip saving account.

So with this in mind it should be an easy reward to claim and well worth having it alongside the Club Lloyds account.

In fact, you can have three individual accounts and earn three lots of rewards, meaning you can earn £180 a year in total. I’ve explained all – and how to get around the requirements – in this Halifax Rewards hack article.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Monzo Perks account

  • What you get: an annual railcard, one free Vue ticket a month, a free Greggs treat a week
  • Monthly fee: £7 (£84 a year)
  • What it’s really worth each year:
  • Requirements: £500 spend on your debit card or £5,000 held in the account
  • Maximum number of accounts: three per person

If you need a railcard (worth £35), go to a Vue each month (let’s say 12 times £6, so £72) and pick up a £2 Greggs treat twice a month (£52 a year), you’d be well in profit versus the £7 monthly fee. Of course, that’s only good if you actually need those things!

We’ve written up a full review of the Monzo Perks account so you can decide if it’s for you or not.

Other reward accounts

For completion, here are the other main reward current accounts. It might be worth looking at these if you already bank with them, or if there’s a switching offer on top.

NatWest or RBS Reward account

  • What you get: £5 a month reward
  • Exclusive savings: 6.17% Digital Regular Saver (available to all current account holders)
  • Monthly fee: £2
  • What it’s really worth each after the fee: £36
  • Requirements: two direct debits of at least £2 each and log into your account once a month, deposit £1,250 a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: one personal and one joint from NatWest and one personal and one joint from RBS

This account used to be a favourite of mine, but since its revamp a few years ago it’s not really worth it unless you have direct debits to spare or open it up when a switching offer is running.

The Rewards account is one where you have to log in to a separate ‘MyRewards’ account to claim your bonus. You can send it as cash to your account, donate it to charity, or top it up as an e-gift card payment.

Here’s more on how the account works. It’s the same for the Reward account offered by RBS.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Barclays Blue Rewards

  • What you get: free Apple TV+
  • Exclusive savings: 4.87% Rainy Day Saver on up to £5,000
  • Monthly fee: £5 (£60 a year)
  • What it’s really worth each year after the fee: £57.88
  • Requirements: pay in £800 each month
  • Maximum number of accounts: one

This one is no longer worth it in my opinion, though if you are committed to paying for Apple TV+ every month (which costs £8.99) then this will save you close to £58 over the year. However I think most people are better off just paying full price for Apple one or two months a year and binging the content.

If you decide you want to do that, then you’ll also get access to a 4.87% paying savings account on balances worth up to £5,000.

Here’s my Blue Rewards review.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

The best savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular, easy-access, fixed and ethical savings accounts

TSB Spend and Save Account

  • What you get: £5 cashback for the first six months
  • Exclusive savings: 6 Monthly Saver (available to all current account holders)
  • Monthly fee: £0
  • What you’ll really get each year: £30
  • Requirements: make 20 payments a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: at least one personal and one joint

TSB Spend and Save Plus Account

  • What you get: £5 cashback
  • Monthly fee: £3
  • What you’ll really get each year after the fee: £24
  • Requirements: make 20 payments a month
  • Maximum number of accounts: at least one personal and one joint

I’m not a fan of these accounts either as you’ve got to make 20 debit card payments each month to get a fiver. And the reward only lasts for the first six months. Once for completists only. You can however get an extra £30 cashback from Quidco for switching.

Like the free TSB Spend and Save account you’ll earn £5 a month, but you won’t be limited to the first six months. After the £3 monthly fee you’ll make £24 a year. However, you still have to make 3-20 card payments which I think is a stretch when there are better paying cashback cards out there.

Read customer reviews at Smart Money People

Should you get a reward current account?

Andy’s Analysis

If you’re comfortable with multiple current accounts then I’d definitely look at getting the Lloyds and Halifax accounts.

After this I’d only bother with the NatWest and RBS accounts if I already had one, or get one via a switching bonus.

Even I can’t be bothered with the TSB rewards due to the faff, while the fee for Barclays just doesn’t add up for most.

Having multiple reward accounts

As I’ve said many times, there’s no reason why you only have to have one current account – and that means you can have multiple reward accounts too.

You’ll usually only be allowed one personal reward account with each bank, though it does vary, and most let you can have an extra one as a joint account too. That means you could potentially have three accounts in a household, and three times the rewards.

But the more you have, the more you have to do to be eligible. Some are easy to overcome, others might make it less worthwhile.

Recirculating your inbound payments

Most people should be able to cover the minimum deposit payments for one reward current account. And if you have more than one then it’s easy to repeat for the others by moving the same money between each account.

I actually do this via a standing order where the money automatically goes from bank to bank to hit the eligibility threshold, with it eventually coming full circle back to my original account.

Covering the fees

This is a bit of faff, but manageable. Since some of the accounts charge a fee but don’t pay the reward directly into your account, you’ll have to make sure there’s enough in there each month to cover this charge. You’ll also need to remember to transfer the reward over each month too.

Running out of direct debits

If you have multiple reward accounts then you might quickly run out of direct debits. It used to be you could set up a couple of £1 ones for charities, but the banks have cottoned on to this and made it pretty pointless.

For example, NatWest give you £2 back for each direct debit, but the DD needs to be at least £2. So if you’re setting up a new payment just to get the reward, you won’t actually be any better off.

Of course you could see it as free cash for charity – which is great – but it does require a bit of effort.

Alternatives to reward accounts

Of course, there could be a better bank out there which should be your priority. Things like overdraft fees or savings account rates might be more important to you. Digital banks like Starling and Monzo have great features to help you budget, or perhaps you want to make sure you have access to a branch.

And of course it might work out more profitable to go for switching bonuses or cashback on your bills via Santander or on spending via Chase.

Read next

January 1, 2025   |   Articles

Refer-a-friend: get paid when your friends use your financial referral

Written by

Some banks and other financial companies offer you a cash payout for referring a friend

Word of mouth is a pretty good way of finding great financial companies, and some companies will even give you a freebie for referring a friend. From bank accounts to investment platforms, here are some of the financial companies that pay for your referral.

Latest bank switch offers (A-Z)

As of 27/02/2026

Click links for further details and analysis

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.

investengine refer a friend on a yellow background

Bank refer-a-friend schemes

Very simply, the banks are asking you to recommend them to your friends and family. In return they’ll give you a sweetener that is paid into your account. In the past, both TSB and Nationwide have offered £100 for referring friends, however sadly neither bank offers it anymore. 

To be able to get the referral money, you need to have an account with the bank in order to play matchmaker, but once you do it’s a nice way to earn a little extra. And often your friends will get something in return too. Here’s what you need to know for each scheme.

Monzo refer-a-friend offer

Monzo offers a referral offer that changes from time to time. At the moment, this is £10 for you and a friend. Your friend needs to accept your invite and make their first card payment within 30 days.

Revolut refer-a-friend offer

Revolut routinely offers referral offers that change fairly often. These can range between getting £10 per referred friend to £60, so it’s worth trying to time it when there’s the best offer available.

Monese refer-a-friend bonus

Monese offers £10 via its invite and earn program. You’ll get £5 when you use the card for the first time and the rest after you’ve spent £500 with the card.

Bank switch offers 

If you don’t have any friends to refer you, then you can try a bank switch offer. For these, you’ll need to close your old account completely. However, as part of the Current Account Switch Guarantee, all your Direct Debits and standing orders will be transferred, and any payments in (such as your salary) and out will be forwarded. We have a separate guide with all of the current best bank switch offers if you’re up for one of these, but here are the top ones.

Bank Switches
Our top pick

Lloyds Bank up to £500 switch offer

Customer rating 3.8/5
  • Club Lloyds switch offer
    £200
  • Offer ends
    30 April 2026
  • Extra perk
    Free Disney+ or cinema tickets
  • Lloyds Premier switch offer
    £500
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account. The old account must be from a different bank
  • Direct debits transferred over Switch three active direct debits from the old account
  • Restrictions Offer is limited to once per person and you can't have received a switching bonus from Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland since 1 January 2023.
  • Eligible accounts Switch into a new Club Lloyds, Club Lloyds Silver, Club Lloyds Platinum (for £200) or Lloyds Premier account (for £500)
  • Existing customers? Yes
  • Bonus paid Within 45 days of completing the switch
  • Debit card use For the Club Lloyds switch, you need to spend £100 with your Lloyds debit card within 35 days of opening your account. For the Premier switch, you need to spend £200 in the first 35 days.
  • Income requirements For the Premier account, you need to pay in £5,000 in the first full calendar month or have £100,000 of qualifying savings or investments with Lloyds throughout the first full calendar month
Our top pick

Barclays £400 switch offer

Customer rating 4.3/5
Editor's comment
“
This switch offer is for those eligible for the Premier Account, which requires a £75,000 salary or £100,000 in Barclays savings or investments
  • Switch bonus
    £400
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Extra perk
    Plus free Apple TV+
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Bonus paid Within 28 working days of completing the switch
  • Eligibility Need to have a £75,000 annual salary or £100,000 in Barclays savings or investments
  • Eligible accounts Premier Current account
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account
  • Direct Debits Switch over two active direct debits
  • Deposit requirements Pay in £4,000 within 30 days
  • Restrictions Offer limited to once per person, can't have opened a Barclays account before or on 17 February 2026 or previously received a switching bonus from Barclays
  • Existing customers? Not open to existing customers
Our top pick

Santander £200 switch offer

Customer rating 3.8/5
  • Switch bonus
    £200
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • 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
View Deal
Our top pick

Nationwide £175 switch offer

Customer rating 4.3/5
  • Switch bonus
    £175
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • 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.
  • Deposit requirements Deposit £1,000 within 31 days
  • Direct debits transferred over Transfer two direct debits
  • Existing customers? Yes
  • Restrictions You can't have received a bonus from a switching offer since 18 August 2021. Offer limited to once per person per account type, but you can get it on both personal and joint.
  • Eligible accounts FlexPlus, FlexDirect or FlexAccount
  • Bonus paid Within 10 days of the switch completing
Our top pick

first direct £175 switch offer

Customer rating 4.7/5
  • Switch bonus
    £175
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Cashback requirements Extra £35 if you apply via cashback site Quidco or TopCashback (rates vary)
Our top pick

The Co-operative Bank up to £175 switch offer

Customer rating 3.4/5
  • Switch bonus
    £100
  • Offer ends
    Unknown
  • Additional bonus
    £75
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • Bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close old account within 8 weeks of requesting. Plus, make at least 10 debit card payments and register for online banking or mobile banking within 30 days of the switch.
  • Deposit requirements Deposit £1,000 in the first 30 days of completing the switch
  • Direct debits transferred over Have two active direct debits within 30 days of completing the switch
  • Restrictions Can't have already have a bonus from Co-operative Bank since 1 November 2022. Offer limited to one welcome offer per person and account
  • Eligible accounts New or existing Standard or Everyday Extra current account
  • Extra bonus £75
  • Extra bonus requirements Make 10 debit card transactions a month for three months. Payout 2 direct debits every month for three months. Deposit £1,000 every month for three months. Extra bonus paid within 7 days of each "month" ending.
  • Bonus paid Within 7 days of meeting the criteria

NatWest £150 switch offer

Customer rating 4.9/5
  • Switch bonus
    £150
  • Extra perks
    Up to £36 rewards a year
  • FSCS Protected? Yes
  • 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
  • Deposit requirements Pay in £1,250 within 60 days of switching
  • Bonus paid Within 30 days of meeting criteria
  • Existing customers? No
  • 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 17 February 2026
  • Eligible accounts Reward, Select or Premier Reward, Premier Select

Credit card referral schemes

While there are quite a number of credit card referral schemes out there, you need to think carefully before recommending a credit card to someone as you’d want to be confident that they can manage the payments. 

American Express refer-a-friend offer

If you refer a friend for the  American Express Cashback Credit Card and they successfully apply then you’ll get £30 (up to £150 per calendar year) and they get £25, which makes it fee-free. 

They’ll also get the normal introductory offer, currently 5% cashback for three months up to £125. Other Amex cards have similar schemes though the rate might vary. It’s also possible for your friend to get a similar bonus via cashback sites but you’ll miss out. We have a full guide on the best American Express cards. 

Vanquis credit card refer-a-friend offer

Vanquis also offers £25 to you and your friend if you recommend someone to their credit card, but this isn’t a cashback credit card so there’s probably a better reward out there for your friend – even if it means you don’t get your referral bonus.

Savings account refer-a-friend offers

Plum refer a friend offer

Savings app Plum sometimes has referral schemes that let you refer a friend for a savings account. Your referred friend usually needs to deposit a certain amount to get the payout, but this’ll depend on the T&Cs at the time. 

Investing refer-a-friend offers

Investment accounts also tend to have refer-a-friend offers. If you don’t already have an account with some of them, you can sign up with our link to get free shares or cashback. Here are some of the offers.

Here at Be Clever With Your Cash, we’re not regulated to give you financial advice. We aim to give you the facts about a provider or investment but it’s up to you to decide if it’s suitable for you. If you’re looking for more personalised guidance, find a financial adviser who can give you specific advice. Remember that your capital is at risk when investing — don’t invest more than you are prepared to lose. 

Trading 212 refer-a-friend offer

Trading 212 routinely offers a refer-a-fried promotion that can get both you and your friend free fractional shares when they sign up using your link. You can check if this is running by going into the Menu – if there’s an option called ‘Get free shares’, then it’s currently running. You then choose ‘invite friends’.

Hit ‘share link’ to share your referral link, which you can then send to your friends. They need to sign up and deposit £1 within 10 days.  Within three working days of your friend signing up and depositing at least £1. 

If you’re not already a Trading 212 customer, you can get a free fractional share using our referral. 

InvestEngine refer-a-friend offer

InvestEngine’s refer-a-friend offer can get you and your friend a bonus between £20 & £100 when your friend invests at least £100.

To get it, you need to send your friend your referral link. They then need to sign up, choose investments and fund the account with at least £100. You’ll both then get a notification to generate your welcome bonus. 

It’ll land in your accounts within five business days. 

You can refer up to 25 friends but you have to keep your bonus invested for at least 12 months before you can withdraw it.

If you don’t have InvestEngine yet, you can still get a welcome bonus via our link.

Expired refer-a-friend deals

Nationwide referral bonus

This was one of the best refer-a-fiend offers when it ran, but it’s sadly ended. Both you and your friend could get £100 when you referred them. However, higher paying bank switch offers regularly run.

TSB refer a friend bonus

This was another refer-a-friend offer that ended on 28 February 2020. You and your friend could get £100 each as long as they completed a full switch that included two active direct debits and paid £500 into the account. 

First Direct referral bonus

First Direct used to offer a  referral scheme, but this was put on hold and never returned. When it ran, you could get between £50 and £100.

Santander refer a friend bonus

The Santander referral offer ended in June 2019. It got you and your friend a £50 Amazon voucher for a full switch. 

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