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Updated July 28, 2026 | Articles

Best ways to collect and spend Nectar points

If you have a Nectar card, are you making the most of your points?

If you shop at Sainsbury’s, you’ve probably got a Nectar card, and may even collect the points every time you visit without thinking much about it. And if you’ve been collecting points, you’ll need to spend them to get the most out of your rewards. But do you know how to use your Nectar points?

Like the Clubcard scheme and other loyalty schemes, you can rack up points at other retailers, including Argos. When it comes to redeeming points, you can spend them when shopping, exchange them at face value, or even swap them for Avios points.

Here’s how Nectar works and how you can sign up. Plus, I’ve shared tips for both collecting and spending Nectar points.

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.

What is the Nectar loyalty scheme?

Nectar is the loyalty scheme for Sainsbury’s and Argos, where you can earn points on your purchases. It’s actually owned by Sainsbury’s, but points can be collected and redeemed with other brands. As a member of Nectar, you can also access discounts on specific items when shopping, similar to Tesco’s Clubcard Prices.

How Nectar points work

One Nectar point is worth 0.5p, meaning if you earn 1 point from a purchase it’s the equivalent of 0.5% cashback. 100 points are therefore 50p, 200 points equal £1 and so on.

The value of loyalty card points offered by different schemes varies quite a bit, with Nectar points equating to half the value of Tesco Clubcard points. However, when redeeming Nectar points at other participating retailers, you could get more value out of them, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for the latest deals.

Nectar points value conversion

1 Nectar point = 0.5p (or half a penny)
2 Nectar points = 1p
100 Nectar points = 50p
200 Nectar points = £1
500 Nectar points = £2.50
1,000 Nectar points = £5
2,500 Nectar points = £12.50
5,000 Nectar points = £25

How to collect Nectar points

You earn points when you shop at participating retailers or fill up your car at participating petrol stations and scan your Nectar card. Bonus points can be earned at specific retailers or through special deals and promotions — we tend to share these promotions on our loyalty scheme deals page when there are good ones available.

To collect Nectar points when shopping in stores, you’ll need to either have a physical plastic Nectar card or a digital one stored on the Nectar app. When shopping online, you’ll need to either connect your Nectar card to the relevant account or shop via the Nectar website.

You can also earn when spending via Nectar credit cards, or by converting Avios points into Nectar points.

How to spend Nectar points

Your options for using Nectar points are more limited than with other reward schemes. You can use them in-store and online, such as at Sainsbury’s, to donate to charity, or spend them with a handful of partners.

To redeem your points, you’ll need to scan your card or the app in-store, while you can select to use them online. With some partners, you’ll need to convert your points into vouchers first. You can also choose to swap them for Avios points.

How to sign up to the Nectar scheme

The Nectar loyalty scheme is free to join. You can get a Nectar card online, via the app, or by picking up a form in a Sainsbury’s store.

Once you’ve got set up, a physical card will be posted out, though you’ll have a digital card to use via the app straight away.

8 places to collect Nectar points

1. Sainsbury’s

Earn points as you spend

You’ll get one point for every £1 spent at Sainsbury’s. 500 points are worth £2.50, so this works out at 0.5% cashback.

Scan your Nectar card at the till to get your points, and keep an eye on the app or digital account for special offers which boost the number of points you’ll get.

You might also get vouchers for extra points at the till, sometimes doubling or tripling points on your next transaction; it’s just a matter of remembering to bring them to your next shop. If you wanted to, you could even buy a single, cheap item at the start of your shop to use any vouchers printed out on the rest of your shopping.

Get bonus points via weekly offers

As well as generic offers, you’ll also get ones tailored to your shopping habits. These change every Friday.

You have to save the offers to your account, though there’s a handy “save all offers” button. And of course you still have to scan your card at the till.

Nectar Prices

Nectar Prices are discounts for Nectar holders, similar to Tesco Clubcard prices. To get these, you just shop as normal, looking out for the Nectar price on the shelves. At checkout, you need to make sure you remember to scan your Nectar card, and the discount will be applied.

Your Nectar Prices

This sounds like it could be the same as Nectar Prices above, but Your Nectar Prices are specific to you. These come through weekly and will be based on your shopping history, potentially saving you money on things you’ll actually buy. There are only a few offers each week, but it’s worth having a peek when you get the notification.

2. Argos

You can also earn points at Argos. It’s one point per £1 spent, although it’s occasionally doubled. You’ll need to link your Nectar and Argos accounts before you can earn points.

3. ESSO

Esso replaced BP on Nectar back in 2019. You can earn 1 point per litre of fuel, or swipe in-store to get two points per £1 spent on other things, so roughly 1% back in points. When you get to 300 points it gets you 5p off every litre of fuel.

4. Avios

You can convert 400 Avios points to 400 Nectar points, which is handy if you’ve got a surplus of Avios points that you won’t use. You can also swap them back the other way (you’ll only get 250 points though). This is also a way to boost the value of Amex Reward points. Find out everything you need to know in our step-by-step guide to convert Avios to Nectar points and vice versa.

5. Via Nectar credit cards

If you shop at stores that are part of the Nectar scheme often, it might be worth getting a Nectar credit card.

The American Express Nectar credit card is your best bet and will earn you up to two points for every £1 spent, worth 1%. There’s also a bonus worth £100 when you first sign up and spend £2,000.

If you’re thinking of getting a Nectar credit card, check out our best cashback and reward credit card promotions to see if there are better options for you.

6. Via Amex membership rewards

You can convert American Express Rewards points to Nectar points at a value of one to one, meaning one Amex point would be worth 0.5p. This could be a good use for large Amex welcome bonuses, which can be worth between £100 and £500, depending on the card.

7. Via utilities & insurance

You can earn bonus points for signing up for other Sainsbury’s Bank products such as home insurance, as well as Sainsbury’s Energy. Though they could be worth it, these offers shouldn’t be a reason to choose Sainsbury’s over other providers as they could work out more expensive than options you find via a full comparison.

8. At other retailers

You’ll see many other brands listed on the Nectar website, such as Expedia and Very. To earn points via these retailers you have to click through via the Nectar portal. Most of the time you’ll get two points per £1 spend, so the equivalent of 1% cashback, but they can be more or less. There are often points boosting offers to look out for.

Participating Nectar retailers include:

ASOS
Just Eat
Expedia
Groupon
Europcar
Very
Dominos
Wayfair

These extra places to earn points might sound appealing, but I would avoid using them since you can usually beat these rates by clicking through a cashback site instead for a better bonus.

Where to spend Nectar points

Sainsbury’s shops

To use your points in Sainsbury’s stores you must have used your Nectar card in that specific store in the last year. You can also use them online on the Sainsbury’s website.

They can also be used on petrol but you have to pay in the kiosk, not at the pump.

Argos

You can use multiples of 500 points at Argos, each worth £2.50. To spend them in an Argos store, simply scan your card. To spend online, you must have connected your card to your Argos account.

Converting to Avios points

We think that most people are better off using cashback credit cards and air mile reward credit cards. You’ve got the flexibility to use your earnings how you want, and not be restricted to certain flights.

However, if you are an Avios fan, then you can boost your points by converting 400 Nectar points to 250 Avios.

Donate to charity

Nectar Donate allows you to give your points to charities using Crowdfunder. The points are worth the same as usual, so 1,000 points will be a £5 donation. There’s a minimum of 200 points, and it must be in multiples of 200.

Other ways to redeem Nectar points

Nectar offers just a fraction of the partners you get with Tesco Clubcard, and fewer opportunities to boost the value. Some retailers let you swipe your card or link your card to use points. Others require you to exchange the points for a voucher or code via the Nectar website.

Spending your points isn’t particularly flexible or as straightforward as you might think. To recap, 500 points are usually worth £2.50. You also have to spend Nectar points in chunks (usually 500 points or 1,000 points) rather than choose how many you’d like to use.

For example, you can exchange 2,000 points for £10 off purchases at Eurostar. Other poor options include swapping for movie rentals at Sky Store since you can get far cheaper rentals elsewhere. There are much cheaper ways to rent movies out there, so don’t rely on Nectar to save you lots of cash.

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

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Nectar points special offers

Occasionally, there are offers that increase your points at Sainsbury’s and other Nectar partners, both to earn extra points and sometimes (though more rarely) to use them.

You can usually find any points offers in the Nectar app and website, so it pays to check every now and again, before your weekly shop, or when you’re looking to save a little extra.

When we spot any really good Nectar points deals, we’ll share them on our loyalty scheme offers page.

How to check your Nectar points balance

Not sure how many Nectar points you have? The Nectar app and website both contain your current points total, as well as a record of where and when you earned your points.

How to lock your Nectar points

One downside of Nectar in the past was that anyone who found or stole your card could use your points. This was particularly bad news for those who had earned tens of thousands of points using credit card welcome offers. Earlier this year, Nectar introduced a feature that lets you lock your points to ensure they can’t be used without your authorisation.

To lock your Nectar points, you’ll need the latest version of the app.

Log in and you’ll see your points total near the top of the app screen, and below that a line telling you whether the points are locked or unlocked
Tap this to bring up a locked/unlocked switch
Toggle between these for when you want to use your points
It should unlock immediately, but it’s worth doing it a little before you want to spend the points to be safe, rather than wait until you’re at the checkout

This feature will only work for the main account holder, not additional cardholders.

Updated July 28, 2026 | Deals

NOW TV free trial, offers & deals

BCWYC Team | Updated by Adil Sheikh

Get Sky Atlantic, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports without getting Sky – and pay less with these great NOW TV offers.

Sky’s NOW TV – or NOW as it’s been rebranded – can save you a lot of money compared to paying for TV via your broadband provider, whether that’s Sky, Virgin, BT or TalkTalk.

Despite recent price increases and fewer offers it’s still the cheapest way to get big channels such as Sky Atlantic, Sky One and more. You’ll also get HBO Max included.

What is NOW?

NOW is essentially an on-demand video streaming service, just like Netflix and iPlayer. The big difference is it lets you watch Sky channels. Why bother when you can do this direct? Well NOW is so much cheaper and more flexible. And you’ll see below there are always deals to bring the price down further.

Another great thing is that you can subscribe month by month, or even by the day for sports channels, rather than tie yourself into a year-long contract as you would if you had satellite or cable TV. Here’s Andy’s take on whether it’s worth the money.

It works best if you don’t watch ALL the different channels. That’s because films, TV and sport are all on different packages. Very cheap if you get one or two, but it can be pricey if you get more. And of course you need to consider if you’d be better off picking Netflix or Amazon Prime instead – there’s not enough time to watch all three!

How much is NOW?

Here are the full price costs for all the different NOW passes – but of course you don’t need to pay this. Check out all the deals on this page for ways to save.

Entertainment costs £7.99
Entertainment + HBO Max Pass costs £9.99 a month
Cinema Pass costs £9.99 a month
There are two Sky Sports NOW TV passes
- A Day Pass costs £14.99 for 24 hours
- A Month Pass is £34.99 a month
NOW TV Boost cost £6 a month or £9 a month

New NOW customer offers and deals

The best offers are pretty much always for new customers. If you’ve never used NOW or NOW TV as it was known before, always start with one of these. If there’s a free or very cheap pass featured further down you can always add that at a later date. We’ve ranked them in the order of how good we think they are.

These offers are only for new NOW subscribers. Make sure you cancel before the prepaid package is up or you’ll pay full price for the following months.

At the moment it seems most of these introductory offers are for a minimum of six months, so you might need to weigh up whether you’d be better off paying full price for a single month and using the cancellation trick (more on this further down the page) to hopefully bring prices down without being locked in.

NOW Entertainment: £2.99 for 6 months

This new user offer requires you to lock in for 6 months, after which you’ll pay full price but can cancel at any time.

You’ll get:

Sky originals and exclusive US Shows
The biggest returning hits from HBO – such as Euphoria series 3
One month ad-free

This offer also comes with a 30 day trial of Boost or Ultra Boost. Includes ads.

NOW Entertainment & HBO MAX: £6.99 for 6 months

This new user offer requires you to lock in for 6 months, after which you’ll pay full price but can cancel at any time.

You’ll get:

Sky originals and exclusive US Shows
Every series from HBO Max Basic, such as The Pitt
One month ad-free

This offer also comes with a 30 day trial of Boost or Ultra Boost. Includes ads.

NOW Cinema: £6.99 for 6 months

This new user offer requires you to lock in for 6 months, after which you’ll pay full price but can cancel at any time.

You’ll get:

The latest blockbusters on NOW
One month ad-free

This offer also comes with a 30 day trial of Boost or Ultra Boost. Includes ads.

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

Reduced passes with NOW Broadband

If you change your internet to NOW Broadband, you’ll can sometimes find discounted NOW passes. The cost varies depending on when you sign up; we’ve seen it as little as £4 a month.

However, you are tied into the broadband and the NOW membership for 12 months. And it’ll go up to full price once the year ends.

Get a discounted NOW passes and broadband at NOW

NOW TV free trials (ended)

Sadly there are no longer any free trials for the main passes, though they could return. Usually you can trial “Boost” for 7 days though that’s not currently showing.

If you do get a trial and don’t want to keep paying then remember to cancel before the seven days finish to avoid getting charged full price.

Choose a 7-day NOW free trial

Existing NOW customer offers and deals

Most of the special offers are only for new customers, but there are lots of ways existing customers can save each month. Usually this involved either buying a gift card pass.

With the passes you will get a code which you can enter into your account. Go to the view passes page and you’ll see where to add the code.

There used to be deals offering passes included with a NOW box or stick, but the company no longer sells these.

Here are the best deals:

NOW cancellation trick

If you go to cancel your NOW pass, you’ll be asked the reason you are cancelling. Select the option saying it’s too expensive for you and you might be offered a discount to stay.

If that’s as good or better than the existing customer deals we’ve listed above, then you can accept it and pay less. This will be for a limited time, often three or four months, so don’t forget to repeat this process.

Do keep an eye on your emails too. It’s not unheard of for NOW to offer a discounted price after you’ve cancelled. Here’s more on how this trick works and how to cancel.

NOW email offers

It’s also worth having your email preferences set to allow promotional emails from NOW. They will regularly send promotions with discounts – most recently Andy signed up to four months of Entertainment for £1 a month.

This will only be sent if you don’t have an active subscription, another reason to hit cancel at the start of each month.

Netflix, NOW TV and Freeview box for £5/mth for six months (expired)

If you have BT or EE broadband (or sign up for it), you can add on a EE TV package that includes Netflix and NOW at a reduced price. At the moment, you can get it for £5 a month for the first six months. You’ll need to commit to 24 months, and the price will go up after the six month period and every year. However, it includes:

Netflix Standard with adverts (rrp £5.99 a month)
NOW Entertainment (rrp £9.99 a month)
Discovery+ basic (rrp £3.99 a month)

With this deal, you’re locked in for at least 24 months. For the first six months you’ll pay £5 and this goes up to £20 a month from month seven. It then costs £22 a month from 31 March 2026 and £24 a month from 31 March 2027.

You’ll need to factor in if you can get broadband for less elsewhere, and that you’ll be tied in for two years.

If you want HD Netflix you’ll have to pay extra – and it’s not clear how much more this is.

Similarly if you want HD and no adverts on your NOW pass that’s another £6 a month. And it’s often possible to get cheaper NOW packages direct with NOW – that might not be the case if you pay via your BT bill.

A similar model box will likely cost you £250, so if you’re looking at ditching pay TV elsewhere, this would be a cheaper way to get hold of it, with the streaming services thrown in (though you won’t keep it if you leave BT in two years time).

Get Netflix via EE TV

Latest Sky Sports NOW TV deals

You need a separate pass for Sky Sports via NOW and there are often deals to bring the price down. We’ve listed them on our bespoke deals page for Sky Sports.

Save on Sky Sports at NOW

Here are my top deals for Sky Sports day and month passes on NOW.

Updated July 28, 2026 | Best Buy

The best children’s savings accounts

Zoe Roddy | Updated by Adil Sheikh

The highest paying easy-access and regular children’s savings accounts and Junior ISAs

Here’s our guide to the best children’s savings accounts. Check the date to see when this was last updated.

Easy access accounts

These can be current accounts for kids or specific children’s savings accounts and are open to anyone under the age of 18. Rates are usually variable, which means they can change, and are often only on a limited amount of money.

With these accounts, your children will be able to manage the money themselves once they reach a certain age.

Children's savings accounts

Nationwide FlexOne Saver

Customer rating 4.5/5

AER (variable)
5%
Ages
11-17 year olds
Maximum
£5,000

FSCS Protected? Yes
Current account required? Requires FlexOne current account
Card Can get a Visa debit or a cash card

Kent Reliance Demelza children's savings account

Customer rating 3.5/5

AER (variable)
4.18%
Ages
Under 18s
Minimum
£10
Maximum
£25,000

FSCS Protected? Yes
Card No debit card
Open via Open it in branch or via post
Account features 0.25% of the average balance of all Demelza accounts given to Demelza Children's Hospice each year

HSBC MySavings

Customer rating 3.9/5

AER (variable)
3.75%
Ages
7 - 11
Minimum
£10
Maximum
£3,000

FSCS Protected? Yes
Rate details 3.75% AER variable on up to £3,000 saved / 1.1% above this
Card Get a debit card from 11
Current account required? Can be opened online if parent/guardian has HSBC account, otherwise in branch only

Featured kids' bank account

gohenry Kids' Debit Card

Customer rating 4.7/5

Monthly fee
£3.99
Ages
6 - 17 year olds
Parent account required?
No
Offer
2 months free and £5 pocket money

FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest paid No - only paid for Plus and Max accounts
Fees £3.99 per month for one child
Parent account There's no bank account for parents; instead, the account is topped up using your existing bank account
Card Customisable debit card
Education Includes access to Money Missions to teach kids about money
Perks Parents can set chores with the app, and anyone can pay into the account with Giftlinks
Offer 2 months free and £5 free pocket money available for new gohenry customers who order a card and deposit £5. Sign up using the code AFUKBC26 to get it.

View Deal

Regular Savers

These children’s savings accounts pay higher rates but you’re limited on how much you can save each month. Usually, it’s a fixed rate for a year. When the time is up, the account will close and the money will be transferred to a linked savings account.

Children's regular savings accounts

Halifax Kids' Monthly Saver

Customer rating 4.1/5

AER (fixed)
5.5%
Ages
17 and under
Minimum
£0
Maximum
£100 per month

FSCS Protected? Yes
Open via Can be opened by an adult who wants to put money away for a child aged 15 or under
Fixed term Fixed for 12 months

Saffron Building Society Children's Regular Saver

Customer rating 4.8/5

AER (variable)
3.95%
Ages
17 and under
Minimum
£0
Maximum
£100 per month

FSCS Protected? Yes
Open via Can be opened by post or in branch and can be opened by a non-parent
Term Variable term of 12 months

Junior ISAs

You or your child can save £9,000 a year in a Junior ISA. These can be cash ones earning interest or stocks and shares ISAs which are invested (meaning the value can go up and down).

Though interest or gains earned in an ISA are tax-free, it’s unlikely it makes much difference as there are other allowances that will be more than enough for most kids.

Money in Junior ISAs is also locked away until the child turns 18. Then it’s their money to use as they want.

Parents or guardians have to open the account but anyone can add money – handy for grandparents and other family members who want to put money aside.

Best Cash Junior ISAs

Leek Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.9/5

AER (variable)
3.85%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Skipton Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.2/5

AER (variable)
3.8%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or post

The Stafford Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.6/5

AER (variable)
3.76%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Coventry Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.4/5

AER (variable)
3.75%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Danske Bank UK Junior ISA

Customer rating 3.9/5

AER (variable)
3.75%
Minimum
£25
Account opening
Branch or via phone

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

NS&I Junior ISA

Customer rating 3.7/5

AER (variable)
3.7%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Online

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

Tax and children’s savings

Our analysis

When choosing a children’s savings account, you probably won’t need to worry about tax on interest.

Children can earn a total of £18,500 from savings and other income each financial year. That’s the £12,500 personal tax allowance, the £5,000 starting savings allowance and the £1,000 personal savings allowance.

However, if parents (and parents only) are adding money to any of the non-tax free accounts then there’s a £100 interest limit each year per parent.

So say the child has £2,000 saved earning 3.75%, they’d make £75 in interest. That’s fine. If they amassed £3,000 in contributions from the same parent the amount earned would be £112.50.

That’s still ok if the money comes from both parents, as the allowances would be combined and the total interest that can be earned would be £200.

But if it’s from one parent, then the entire £112.50 would need to come out of that parent’s Personal Savings Allowance. That might not be a problem – but if it exceeds this, then the whole amount will be subject to tax at the rate the parent pays, which could be 20% or 40%.

To avoid this you might want to save into a Junior ISA.

Other ways to save for kids

Premium Bonds

You can also buy Premium Bonds for children. These cost £1 each, but there’s a minimum purchase of £25. Grandparents are able to buy Premium Bonds, as well as parents and guardians.

The current prize fund is 3.8%, which isn’t the same as 3.8% interest. It’s very likely that with small amounts of cash in Premium Bonds you won’t win anything, but there’s the chance of getting up to £1 million every month.

Pensions

Yep, you can start putting money into a person pension for a child at any age. They won’t be able to access the cash until they reach 57 years old (though that will likely increase when they’re older). However, they can manage where the money is invested from the age of 18.

As with adults adding to pensions, they’ll get 20% tax relief from the government, meaning for every £80 that’s added, £100 will be invested.

There is an annual limit though of £2,880 where you’ll get this extra top-up.

Piggy banks

It can be good to get young kids familiar with coins and money by giving them a piggy bank to save with. Obviously they won’t earn any interest (unless you want to work that out yourself).

Once they get a little older to understand branch and online banking it might make sense to replace the piggy bank with the accounts above.

Apps

Starling offers a free app to help kids learn about money and spending while also giving the parents extra control over purchases called Starling Kite. You can also pay a monthly fee for apps like Go Henry and HyperJar. However, you’re unlikely to get any decent rate of interest from any of these.

The best savings accounts

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

Updated July 28, 2026 | Deals

Best credit card offers and promotions (July 2026)

Zoe Roddy | Updated by Adil Sheikh

The best offers and promotions for credit cards from 0% interest through to introductory bonuses.

Used responsibly, credit cards can help you earn money on purchases, give you stronger consumer protections, make holidays cheaper, help you clear debts or spread the cost of a big purchase.

Everyone’s situation will be different, so these are just the best cards out there – you might have to settle for a shorter deal or lower rate of cashback.

Cashback card welcome bonuses

When you’re opening a card, especially a cashback or rewards based card, it’s worth seeing if there’s a welcome offer. And even better, checking to see if it’s boosted.

Santander: get £40 in Uber vouchers when you sign up for its cashback credit card

From 9 July 2026, new Santander customers who open a Rewards Credit Card can get up to £40 in Uber vouchers.

To get the first £20, you need to do the following within 30 days of opening your Rewards Credit Card:

Activate your card
Add it to your digital wallet – Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay or Garmin Pay
Make at least 10 purchases using either your digital wallet or physical card
Have your Rewards Credit Card open until Santander invites you to claim your voucher

For the second £20, your Rewards Credit Card must stay open for 30 days after you claim your first £20 Uber Voucher.

Santander will check your account 30 days after you open it. If you meet the offer criteria above, they’ll email you a unique voucher code within 30 days. You’ll have 3 months to use it.

Read our review of the Rewards Card

Find out more

Best American Express welcome offers:

We’ve more details on the latest offers in our dedicated guide to American Express offers, but here are the top picks for the bonus available for new cardholders.

Boosted Amex welcome offers

5% on the Amex Cashback Everyday card on up to £2,500 + £10
75,000 bonus points on the Amex Platinum + £250 travel credit
40,000 bonus points on the Amex Preferred Reward Gold

All the latest Amex welcome offers

Amazon: £50 welcome offer

You’ll get a £40 Amazon Gift Card if approved, plus activate your Amazon Barclaycard in the Barclays or Barclaycard app* for an extra £10 Amazon Gift Card.

You’ll also earn 1% at Amazon and 0.5% elsewhere, dropping to 0.25% after a year.

Existing Barclaycard customers can apply to switch from their current card to the Amazon version, but will lose any existing card benefits.

Read our review of the Amazon Barclaycard

Check your eligibility for the Amazon credit card

Barclaycard Rewards: Boosted 1% cashback for 12 months when you apply in-app (ended)

Barclaycard is boosting the cashback on purchases to 1% for 12 months if you apply in app and 6 months if you apply using Barclaycard.co.uk, Barclays.co.uk or a comparison site.

The cashback rate reverts to 0.25% after the promotional period ends. T&Cs and exclusions apply.

There are no fees for using this card abroad.

The offer ends 10am on 28th May 2026.

Find out more about the Barclaycard Rewards offer

Virgin Atlantic: Up to 36,000 bonus welcome points (ended)

Virgin Atlantic has two offers running. Up to 36,000 points on its Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card (which comes with a £160 annual fee) and up to 6,000 points for its Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card (with no annual fee).

The Reward+ card offers 18,000 welcome bonus points with your first card spend, made within 90 days of taking out the card. An extra 18,000 bonus points if you apply by 18 May 2026 and spend £3,000 or more within 90 days of taking out the card. You also get 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on everyday purchases and 3 Virgin Points for every £1 spent direct with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays. There’s also a flight upgrade or companion ticket if you spend £10,000 or more a year on purchases. Terms apply.

The Reward card offers 3,000 welcome bonus points with your first card spend, made within 90 days of taking out the card and an extra 3,000 bonus points if you apply by 18 May 2026 and spend £1,000 or more within 90 days of taking out the card. As an ongoing rate it offers 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on everyday purchases and 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spent direct with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays. You get a flight upgrade or a companion ticket if you spend £20,000 or more a year on purchases. Terms apply.

Offer ends 18 May 2026.

Check your eligibility for the Virgin Atlantic credit card

Santander: no fee for first year of Edge credit card (ended)

Those with a Santander current account can get the Edge credit card without its usual £4 monthly fee for the first year. The card lets you earn 1% back on your spending, up to £10 per month, giving you a cap of £6 oer month that you can make with the account, but with this offer, you can save £48 per year and make up to £120 in cashback. We have a full review of the Santander Edge credit card with all the info on cashback you can earn.

To get it, you need to open a Santander Edge credit card between 11 November and 13 January 2026, set up a Direct Debit and use your credit card 10 times or more over the first 3 months to qualify.

For this, you’ll get £48, which will cover the monthly fee for the first year.

Read our review of the Santander Edge credit card

Barclaycard Avios: boosted welcome offer (ended)

The usual 25,000 welcome Avios is boosted until 15 January 2026 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card.

In addition you can get 10,000 more points and a year of Apple TV.

To get all the points you need to spend £6,000 in the first six months. This spend will also earn you another 9,000 points, giving you a total of 44,000 points, which is worth £220 if converted into Nectar points.

However, the card does come with a £20 monthly fee. You could cancel the card once you’ve hit the threshold to reduce the impact on your profit.

Existing Barclaycard customers won’t be able to apply.

Read our review of the Barclaycard Avios

Check your eligibility for the Barclaycard Avios credit card

John Lewis: double points for 60 days

If you apply for a new John Lewis Partnership card you’ll get double points at John Lewis or Waitrose for the first 6 days, meaning you’ll get the equivalent of 2.5% back.

After this, you’ll earn 1.25% back (5 points per £4 spent) in Waitrose or John Lewis. You’ll get 0.25% back (1 point per £5 spent) at all other retailers.

There’s no end date for this deal.

Check if you’re eligible for the John Lewis Partnership credit card

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

M&S: 5x points for six months

If you apply for a new Marks & Spencer credit card, you can get five points on M&S spending instead of one, for six months. Every £100 spent gets 500 points which works out as £5 as a voucher.

There is no closing date for this offer but the terms and conditions state it can be withdrawn at any time.

Check your eligibility for an M&S credit card

Best 0% Purchase & Balance Transfer welcome deals

Before you get a 0% balance transfer card make sure you read my guide to how to properly use them to reduce the cost of debts.

Bonus cashback: Up to £25

Cashback sites Quidco and TopCashback offer between £20 and £30 to successful applicants for credit cards from Tesco, TSB, HSBC and Barclaycard. Rates can change, so check out both sites.

For balance transfer cards this could work out better than the no-fee option. So, for example, if the transfer fee is 0.9% and you transfer £2,222 or less then the cashback you earn will wipe out the fee.

These rates can change so it’s worth checking each site to see which pays the most.

New to cashback sites? Get an additional bonus of up to £20

Quidco new members can get £18 when they spend £10, while TopCashback new members can get £20 when they spend £10. Find out how to get these bonuses

Best fee-free travel welcome deals

Most credit cards are expensive to use overseas, but a few are fee-free on transactions and withdrawals.

Best credit building credit card welcome deals

If you’ve got a poor credit rating then spending on a credit card and then clearing the debt completely each month can help boost your score.

I’ve written in detail about this type of card, so make sure you check it out.

Barclaycard Forward: £15 cashback

If you’re eligible for the Barclaycard Forward card, then you can apply via Quidco to get £15 cashback.

Tesco Foundation: £25 cashback

You can get £25 cashback when applying for the Tesco Foundation card via TopCashback.

Get paid to switch bank

Check out the latest bank switching incentives, plus the current accounts with the best rewards, cheapest overdraft and highest interest.

Expired deals

Asda Money: up to £50 cashback (expired)

If you open a credit card with Asda Money by 6 January 2025 then you can get 5% back in your Asda Pounds in your first 60 days, up to £50.

You’ll also earn 0.75% on your Asda spend and 0.2% everywhere else.

This is only available for new customers, or those who’ve not had an Asda credit card in the last 12 months. You’ll need to stay within the terms of your credit agreement to get the Asda Pounds.

It’s worth noting that recent offers have paid more, with £50 or £100 available in cashback in 2024.

Read our review of the Asda Money credit card

Check your eligibility for the Asda Money credit card

Virgin Atlantic Reward+: Up to 36,000 bonus points boost (ended)

If you collect Virgin Points rather than Avios, this offer until 13 October 2025 will earn you double the usual welcome points when you spend £3,000 within the first three months.

Card	Fee	Requirement	Welcome bonus	Boosted points
Virgin Atlantic Reward+	£160 a year	Spend £3,000 within 90 days	18,000	18,000

You’ll get 18,000 points with your first purchase with this card, and then another 18,000 when you spend £3,000 in the first 90 days of having the card. You also need to link your Flying Club number to your credit card by 11 January 2026.

You’ll be eligible for the offer as long as you’ve not held this Virgin Atlantic card in the last six months. If you have the free version of the card you will be able to get this offer.

With the card, you earn 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spent on card purchases and 3 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend directly with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.

The offer ends on 13 October 2025.

Is it worth it?

This is a significant boost on the previous one last Spring.

Bear in mind there’s a £160 annual fee, and you won’t get a refund if you cancel it after getting the bonus.

You can use the points against flights, as well as on the Virgin Red site, including for train tickets or gift cards at Costa, Nike and Pizza Express. You’ll get half a penny (0.5p) per point, so those 36,000 points will be worth £180.

You can also swap for things like Virgin Wine and Greggs’ sausage rolls!

Check your eligibility for a Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card

HSBC: 0% purchase card plus £60 cashback offer stack (expired)

With the HSBC Purchase Plus card, you can get £35 cashback from Quidco when you apply and use the card within 90 days. If you’re not on the Premium level of Quidco (£1 a month – more here), that this drops to £25.

And on top of this HSBC will give £25 cashback if you spend £100 on the card once accepted. That part ends 16 December 2024.

The card itself offers up to 20 months of spending at 0%, and up to 17 months for a balance transfer, with a fee on the latter of 3.49%. If you use the card for purchases you must pay off at least the minimum each month, even though it’s at 0%.

Remember, even though you need to go via Quidco to get this offer, you should check your eligibility first on the HSBC site. If you decide to proceed with the application, close the HSBC website down, and start again via Quidco.

If you’re new to Quidco, you could get up to £20 as a welcome bonus as well, though you’ll need to you use this for other shopping as it requires a minimum spend.

Get a Quidco welcome bonus

Check your 0% HSBC card eligibility

Barclaycard: £20 bonus and £15 cashback (expired)

With the Barclaycard Platinum credit cards, you can get £15 cashback from Quidco when you apply and use the card within 90 days.

And on top of this Barclaycard will give £20 cashback if you spend £500 on the card once accepted. That part ends 6 February 2025.

The card itself offers up to 22 months of spending at 0%, and up to 19 months for a balance transfer, with a fee on the latter of 3.45%. If you use the card for purchases you must pay off at least the minimum each month, even though it’s at 0%.

Remember, even though you need to go via Quidco to get this offer, you should check your eligibility first on the Barclaycard site. If you decide to proceed with the application, close the Barclaycard website down, and start again via Quidco.

If you’re new to Quidco, you could get up to £20 as a welcome bonus as well, though you’ll need to you use this for other shopping as it requires a minimum spend.

Get a Quidco welcome bonus

Check your 0% Barclaycard card eligibility

Halifax Clarity: £20 cashback (expired)

Sign up for a new Halifax Clarity credit card and make a transaction within 90 days to get a £20 bonus added to your card.

The Halifax Clarity won’t charge you for spending or using an ATM, but it will charge interest on cash withdrawals.

Check your eligibility for a Halifax Clarity credit card

Yonder: 6 months free (expired)

If you sign up for Yonder, you can get yourself 6 months free (usually £15 per month).

Yonder is a reward credit card that lets you earn points to dine out (mainly in London). Travel insurance is included. A nice draw is that it doesn’t necessarily check your credit report as it prioritises open banking data when making a decision on accepting or rejecting your application.

You don’t have to stick around after the free trial and cancel before the 6 months are up.

Check your eligibility for a Yonder credit card

Updated July 28, 2026 | Deals

Book offers & deals

Zoe Roddy | Updated by Adil Sheikh

This is where we’ll share top deals to save money on books

You know the feeling when you get a great book. And it’s even better if you’ve managed to get that paperback or hardback on a special offer or deal.

If you want to read some of our general tips to help you save money on books, then check out this article. For specific offers or launches of big titles we’ll share details below.

eBook offers

Kindle deals

There are so many ways to save on Kindle books, We’ve written this separate guide.

Our Kindle deals page

Audiobook offers

Apple Books: free children’s audiobooks

Apple is offering more than 50 free children’s audiobooks until 21 July 2026 to celebrate the National Year of Reading. You don’t have to do anything to get them — just go into the Apple Books app, head to audiobooks and you’ll see a banner that will take you to the offer.

Once they’re in your library, they’re yours for good.

Go to Apple Books

BookBeat: 90 day free trial

You can 30 hours of free audiobooks via this offer for new BookBeat users.

After the trial it’ll cost £5.99 a month for 20 hours of listening with the basic plan, you’ll pay more for plans with further hours. You can cancel anytime.

Try BookBeat for 90 days

Audible deals

We’ve a separate page for Audible deals, and a guide to how to save money with the service too.

Our Audible deals page

Spotify deals

Premium Spotify users can get 15 hours of audiobooks every month. Here are the top Spotify deals.

Our Spotify deals page

Updated July 28, 2026 | Articles

Why you need more than one bank account and how many bank accounts you can have

Andy Webb | Updated by Adil Sheikh

Having one bank account isn’t just risky, it could be costing you cash.

Lots of people only have one current account. And if they’ve not yet switched it for some free cash, they’ve probably had it for a long time.

But limiting yourself to a single bank account — whether it’s through loyalty, indifference or simply not knowing you can have multiple current accounts — is a bad idea.

And opening up new accounts can bring benefits when managing and accessing your money – and even making some extra cash.

Keep reading or watch this video to see why I think you should have more than one account.

Can you have more than one current account?

Let’s get this cleared up first. Yes, even though many think they can only have one, there’s actually no limit to how many current account you can open from different banks. You might even be able to have more than one from the same institution.

Due to my job, I’ve got a number of current accounts, but most of you won’t need anything near that many. In fact even just having two can be enough.

And there’s very little risk in opening and running multiple accounts. I’ve shared a few things to consider further down the article.

10 reasons to have more than one current account

Here are the main reasons I think you should open up extra accounts.

If your bank has technical issues

We rely so much on online and app banking nowadays that not having access for even a few hours can be much more than an inconvenience.

This week Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland apps were all down thanks to the Amazon Web Services downtime, and that’s not the first time something like this has happened.

A debacle with TSB a few years ago, where systems were down for a couple of days saw people unable to access their wages or pay their rent. Though the length of time the TSB systems were down has been an isolated incident, occurrences of website crashes and app downtime for hours are increasingly frequent at a number of banks.

The risk of this happening to your bank is the number one reason why I think you should have at least two current accounts. In this second account, you should put enough money in that you can cover essentials for a few days. If you can put more, even better.

Make sure that this second account isn’t part of the same group as your other one, as these tend to share technical systems. So If you’ve got a Halifax account, make sure the second isn’t Lloyds, and vice versa. And the same goes for Natwest and RBS. First Direct and HSBC have different systems, but it can’t hurt to do the same.

To separate your savings

When I was younger ,I was guilty of just having all my money in one account — savings and spending. This meant that I didn’t ever really know how much I had in savings, and it was possible to “accidentally” dip into those funds with everyday spending.

The answer to avoid this is to open up a separate account and move all your savings over. Then set up a standing order to regularly move more money each month.

You could, of course, put this cash in a normal savings account, but the top rates right now are in a handful of current accounts.

The best savings accounts

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

To keep your overdraft debt separate

This trick also works if you have a huge overdraft. If you’re regularly in the red, it can be hard to track how much if you’re also spending out of the same account.

But if you open a separate account for your everyday spending, you can begin to treat and manage the overdraft debt as you would any other owed money, such as a loan or credit card. That’ll help you focus on clearing it (especially since you’re likely paying a huge 40% interest on that cash).

To protect your cash from scammers

Sadly, there are more and more scams aimed at your bank accounts. From fake phone calls through to phone thefts, you’re at risk if you have all your cash sitting on one place.

Of course, if a crook does get access to one account, they might also be able to access others at the same time, so make sure your accounts are protected in advance.

To manage your money with someone else

Every couple manages their money differently. Some only have their own accounts and that can work fine, but joint accounts are particularly good for joint expenses.

You need to have a chat with your partner about what works best for you, and it could be a joint account is a bad idea — especially since it will link you on things like your credit report.

For help with budgeting

I think it’s worth having a separate account too for your everyday spending. You only move over the cash you want to part with, whether on a weekly or monthly basis. Ultimately this will stop you overspending and also help you keep track of where your cash is going.

There are certain accounts that make this a lot easier. Monzo, Chase, HyperJar and Starling are all really good accounts for this as they also have additional pots or spaces to further break down your spending.

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

To make some money

If you only want a maximum of two bank accounts, a really good option is to make sure one of them is going to be making you money.

There are plenty of accounts offering freebies such as Disney+ and cinema tickets or even money each month. The more of these you have the more you’ll get.

The best is probably a cashback current account. One from Chase will pay you cashback on supermarket and transport spending via the debit card.

To keep switching

I’ve made a lot of cash by switching from bank to bank and nabbing incentive bonuses each time. Now some people struggle with the idea of switching once, let alone repeatedly, and in part that’s because they like the bank they are with.

Well you can get around this by having a separate account that you just use for switching. The offers come and go, but there’s no harm having an account ready for when offers appear.

The best bank rewards and switch bonuses

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

the best bank switch offers on a blue background

If you need to go into a branch

I’d also try to ensure one of your accounts — and again this can work if you only have two accounts — has a branch that you can physically walk into if you need to.

Though I rarely need to go into a branch these days, there are times I do. If you need to take out a large amount of cash, sign forms or pay in cheques, a branch might be necessary. However, some banks allow you scan cheques via the app.

Yes, you can cover a lot of this online or over the phone, but I like the option to go into a branch if I feel the need. And if you’ve multiple accounts, it’s easy enough to make sure one of those is local.

For fee-free overseas spending

A final one to add to your wallet is an account that offers fee-free spending abroad, such as Chase, Starling, HyperJar, First Direct or Monzo. We have a full guide to specialist travel cards to help choose one.

How many current accounts can you realistically have?

There’s no legal limit to how many current accounts you can have, but in practice a few things cap it:

Most banks will only let you hold one personal current account with them at a time (sometimes plus a joint account)
Each new application involves a credit check, and too many in a short space of time can affect your credit score
Banks can decline an application if they think you’re opening accounts purely to game switching offers

In practice, most people get the bulk of the benefit from two to four current accounts. Going beyond that, it’s really only worthwhile if testing and reviewing accounts is part of your job.

Do multiple current accounts affect your credit score?

Before applying for a new account, make sure your credit report is up to date and there aren’t any obvious warning signs. This is because you will be credit checked each time you open an account (except with Monzo, Chase or Starling).

It’s worth spacing the applications out rather than doing them all at once. And if you’re thinking of applying for a mortgage in the next six months, it’s wise to just hold off until that has gone through. But the risk is minimal.

I’ve written more about how bank switching impacts credit scores here.

Opening up additional current accounts

It’s very easy. You simply pick which account you want to open and go through the application process. You’ll enter details about your address history and income, and share ID such as your passport or driving licence.

Some accounts will let you do this completely online, and will absolutely be the case for digital only banks such as Monzo, Starling and Virgin Money. You’ll probably need to upload photos of ID.

Others might require you to visit a branch with ID to complete the process. I can’t say which ones will and won’t ask for this, but this happened for my Natwest and Barclays applications.

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How to manage multiple current accounts

Some benefits that come with additional accounts require things like additional direct debits or minimum payments in every month. But there are tricks to manage this.

You might also struggle to keep tabs of your many accounts, but some banks let you add on accounts from other banks. Password managers such as Bitwarden allow you to safely store all those different passwords and usernames.

And those only really become issues if you are having lots of accounts. If we’re talking about opening just two, three or maybe four accounts you shouldn’t have any problems.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have two current accounts?

Yes, there’s no limit on how many current accounts you can hold, even with the same bank, though most people only need two or three.

How many bank accounts can you have?

There’s no official cap on how many bank accounts you can have. Some people hold dozens for testing or reward purposes, but two to four accounts covers most people’s needs.

Is there a limit to how many current accounts you can open?

No official limit exists, though individual banks may decline extra applications and each new account triggers a credit check.

Does having multiple current accounts cost anything?

Most standard current accounts are free to hold, so having several doesn’t cost anything by default. Fees only apply if you choose a packaged or premium account.

What happens if you stop using a current account?

Dormant accounts are usually left open by the bank, though it’s worth formally closing any you no longer need to keep your finances tidy and reduce the number of accounts a fraudster could target.

Can you have a joint account as well as your own current account?

Yes, most people hold a personal current account alongside a joint account with a partner, and banks generally treat these as separate products.

Expert thoughts on having multiple bank accounts from Be Clever With Your Cash

Two accounts is a sensible starting point for most people — one for everyday spending and bills, and one that quietly earns something in the background, whether that’s interest, cashback or rewards. The biggest single benefit isn’t complexity for its own sake; it’s simply not having all of your money sitting with a single bank when its app or website goes down.

Technical failure risk is the one most commonly underestimated. There have been serious outages at major banks in recent years, some lasting days rather than hours, leaving customers unable to access wages or pay rent. Splitting money across two providers — ideally ones that don’t share the same underlying banking infrastructure, as is the case with Halifax and Lloyds — turns a single outage into an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

The other underrated benefit is psychological rather than practical. Separating spending money from savings, or an everyday balance from an overdraft being cleared, makes it much harder to accidentally dip into money earmarked for something else. It’s a simple structural trick, but remains one of the most effective ways to actually stick to a budget.

Updated July 7, 2026 | Articles

How do I open a bank account?

Rebecca Goodman | Updated by James Andrews

We explain exactly what you have to do and what documents you need to open a bank account in the UK – and what the different sorts of account can offer you

A bank account is an essential product to have, it’s a place where you can receive money – your wages, benefits, pension or money sent from friends and family members – and where you can pay your bills.

There are lots of bank accounts available, from basic accounts where you can send and receive money to premium accounts where you’ll also have access to extra services such as insurance – for a fee.

You can also earn money for opening a new current account, up to £500 in some cases, although it’s only worth doing this if the new account works for you, not just for the free cash.

Here we look at how to open a bank account, what you need to open one, the fees to watch out for, and where to complain if you’re not happy.

What bank account do I need?

There are lots of different bank accounts available, here are some of the most common you might come across.

Basic bank accounts: If you have a poor credit score or a low income, you may not be able to open a standard current account, but you should be able to open a basic bank account. This allows you to pay for services and receive money. You will get a debit card and can set up standing orders and direct debits, there shouldn’t be any fees to pay or minimum amounts to deposit, but you usually won’t get any overdraft facilities or extras either.
Standard current accounts: There’s a huge range of current accounts to choose from, and many of these have great switching offers for new customers (currently up to £500). They are a step up from the basic accounts and usually offer an overdraft but also require a basic credit check to be passed. There may be certain requirements to opening a current account – such as having to deposit a minimum amount each month or a specific number of direct debits to set up, and fees to pay if you go overdrawn.
Packaged current account: Lots of current accounts are free, but if you choose a paid-for account you may have access to things like interest paid on cash balances, linked savings accounts, and insurance products.
Student accounts: These work like standard current accounts, but include student-friendly perks. The most notable of these is an interest-free overdraft to help with bills, but free travel cards, streaming services and other benefits are included to tempt would-be customers.
Joint accounts: You can open a joint account with your partner, a friend or a family member and they can be a handy way of paying for joint expenses – such as household bills. Just be careful if you’re also getting an overdraft or any other borrowing as you will both be jointly responsible for paying this back.

What do I need when I open a bank account?

You will need to show some documents when you open a bank account, usually proof of your identification and address.

Banks have to check that the person opening the account is real, and that fraud isn’t taking place, and they do this by checking things like their ID.

This is the case no matter how you apply for the account – online, in a branch, by post or by phone.

Exactly what you need will depend on the account you’re opening but the following are normally required:

Your details: Name, date of birth, marital status, profession, contact details
Proof of ID: A passport or driving licence
Address: Your current address and proof of this, usually with a recent utility bill
Income: Depending on the account you may need to show how much you’re paid or how much you usually receive each month in income

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

What happens when you open a bank account?

Once you’ve chosen a bank account you’d like to open, and you’re confident you meet the requirements of the account, you will need to apply for it. You can do this online, via an app, in a branch, by post, or by telephone, depending on the account.

The process for opening a bank account usually goes like this…

You will need to give the details requested to the bank
It will carry checks out to make sure you meet its requirements (including a credit check in some situations)
If you’re accepted, your bank account will be opened and you’ll be sent a debit card and PIN
Once the account is open you’ll be given an account number and a sort code and can start sending and receiving money straight away.
If you’re waiting for a switching incentive, there may be an initial period before this is paid out.

You may need to pass a credit check to open a bank account

You may need to pass a basic credit check if you’re opening a current account with an overdraft. This is so the bank can assess how risky it is to them to give you this money to borrow. If you have a poor credit score you could choose an account without an overdraft or a basic bank account instead.

How much will it cost to open a bank account?

Basic bank accounts are free and so are lots of current accounts but you may have to pay for some packaged bank accounts or premier accounts.

Before you sign up to a paid-for account, it’s important to look at what’s included for the fee. You may be given access to insurance, for example, or fraud protection services. But it’s only worth switching to an account like this if you’ll use the extra things included and that you can’t get them cheaper elsewhere.

While you may be able to open an account for free, there are also fees to watch out for. These could be applied for:

Going into your overdraft
Making a late payment
Using your debit card abroad at an ATM or to make a purchase

How to switch your bank account

If you’re switching bank accounts, you can use the free Current Account Switch Service (CASS). It will automatically switch your bank account over, including any direct debits or standing orders that are in place. It also guarantees that if you are charged anything for a missed payment during the switch, this will be refunded to you.

Once you’ve initiated the switch, it will then take seven working days to complete.

The best bank switch bonuses

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

How to complain if you’re not happy

If you have a problem with your bank account or provider, such as you’re charged a fee you don’t think is fair, you can complain. In the first instance you’ll need to make a complaint with the bank itself.

If, after eight weeks, it hasn’t responded to you or you’re not happy with the response, you can go to the free Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). It is an independent organisation and it can look into your complaint. If it finds the bank to be in the wrong, it may ask it to put things right, and this could include paying you if you’ve lost out on interest or if you’ve incurred fees.

FAQs

Which bank account is easiest to open in the UK?
Basic bank accounts are open to almost everyone and can be opened quickly and easily. However, they are very simple accounts and won’t include things like an overdraft or any extra features such as cashback on purchases or interest paid on balances.
They are offered by Barclays , the Co-operative Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland), Nationwide Building Society, NatWest Group (including Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank), Santander , TSB and Virgin Money.
Do I need to go into a branch to open a bank account?
You may be able to open a current account via an app, an online website, by letter or by phone. It all depends on the bank account and provider you’ve chosen. It’s usually quicker to open an account online or via an app as it can be automatically set up if you pass all the requirements.
Can I open a bank account without a permanent address?
You can open a bank account without a permanent address in some cases. Some banks, including HSBC, offer ‘No Fixed Address’ accounts in connection with homelessness charities. Often with these accounts the address listed on the bank account will be a bank branch or a post office.
Can I open a bank account without photo ID?
You may be able to open a bank account without photo ID but you will usually need to show something else to prove who you are, such as a birth certificate or a recent utility bill.

Updated July 7, 2026 | Articles

The best ways to save and invest for grandchildren

Rebecca Goodman | Updated by Zoe Roddy

If you want to put money aside for your grandchildren, or your parents want to save some money for your kids, Rebecca Goodman explains what you need to know first to get the best deals.

Giving money to grandchildren, either as a lump sum or regular payments, might not be the most exciting present in the world, but it can be invaluable to them (and your children). The money can be used for just about anything – from paying for university, a first car, or even to put towards a house deposit.

There are lots of ways to save and invest for grandchildren, and how you do it will depend on when you want the child to access the money, how much you plan to give, and the tax implications. Here we discuss the options available.

We explain all you need to know.

What is the best way to save money for grandchildren?

How you choose to save money for grandchildren will depend on your circumstances and there are lots of options available. A good way to decide is by looking at when you would like the child to be able to access the money.

If you want them to be able to use the money before they turn 18, a children’s savings account is usually your best bet. These accounts can be opened by the child (at a certain age), by a parent or guardian, or sometimes by a grandparent (although they may need parent or guardian’s approval).
You may want to wait until the child is 18 to access the money, and in this case you could use a Junior ISA – either with cash or invested in stocks and shares.
If you’re looking at a longer timeframe, you could also put the money into a child’s pension – which they won’t be able to touch until they’re much older.
You could also save the money in your own account and then gift it to a grandchild. This could be in a savings account, an ISA or an investment product, for example. You can give away up to £3,000 a year without it counting towards your estate and if you’re giving a higher amount, inheritance tax may only be applied if you don’t live for at least seven years. You can also give smaller, regular, sums away which are exempt from inheritance tax.

The easy-access option: a children’s saving account

A children’s savings account allows you to put money away for a grandchild and they will be able to access this at a certain age. Most accounts allow children to withdraw money and may provide a debit card so they can pay for things. These easy-access accounts pay a variable rate of interest and money can usually be withdrawn at any point without a penalty.

There are also regular savings accounts for children which tend to pay a higher rate of interest. Much like adult accounts, you are often limited to how much you can put in each month, and withdrawals may not be allowed during the first year.

Specific children’s savings accounts can usually be set up with a parent or guardian’s approval, and grandparents can contribute to these as long as they have the account details.

Grandparents can also open accounts in some cases for children. You may need the parent or guardian’s approval to open an account for a child but this depends on the account and the provider. Some accounts can be opened without parental approval, but proof of the child’s ID, such as a photo of their passport, is usually required.

Featured kids' bank account

gohenry Kids' Debit Card

Customer rating 4.7/5

Monthly fee
£3.99
Ages
6 - 17 year olds
Parent account required?
No
Offer
2 months free and £5 pocket money

FSCS Protected? Yes
Interest paid No - only paid for Plus and Max accounts
Fees £3.99 per month for one child
Parent account There's no bank account for parents; instead, the account is topped up using your existing bank account
Card Customisable debit card
Education Includes access to Money Missions to teach kids about money
Perks Parents can set chores with the app, and anyone can pay into the account with Giftlinks
Offer 2 months free and £5 free pocket money available for new gohenry customers who order a card and deposit £5. Sign up using the code AFUKBC26 to get it.

View Deal

What is the best savings account for a grandchild?

The best savings account for a grandchild will be one that pays a decent amount of interest, allows you to put away the amount you want to, and one which suits yours (and the grandchild’s) needs when it comes to access.

Some of the best children’s savings accounts, based on the amount of interest paid, which can be opened by a grandparent include the following (you may need permission from the parent to do this):

Kent Reliance Demelza children’s savings account (4.18% AER variable)

Min £10 / max £25,000
Under 18 years old only
Open it in branch or via post

The Family BS Junior Saver (2) (3.35% AER variable on up to £3,000 saved, 3.6% on £3,000 to £25,000)

Min £1
Under 17 years old only
Open it in branch or via post

Yorkshire BS Children’s Saver (3.55% AER variable on up to £100,000 saved)

Min £1
Under 17 years old only
Open it in branch or via post

Halifax Kids’ Saver (2.25% AER variable on up to £5,000 saved, 0.75% on £5,000+)

Min £1
Under 15 years old only
Open in a branch or online

Some of the best easy-access children’s savings accounts (which grandparents can pay into but may need to be opened by a parent or guardian) include:

Nationwide FlexOne Saver (5% AER variable on up to £5,000 saved)

For 11-17-year-olds
Requires a FlexOne current account
Can get a Visa debit or a cash card

HSBC MySavings (4% AER variable on up to £3,000 saved / 1.2% above this)

Min £10
Ages 7 to 17
Debit card from 11
Can be opened online if parent/guardian has HSBC account, otherwise in branch only

And here are some of the best regular savings accounts for children:

Halifax Kids’ Monthly Saver (5.5% AER fixed for one year on up to £100 saved monthly)

Min £10
Under 15 year olds only
Withdrawals not allowed (but account can be closed early without a penalty)
Can be opened online or in a branch

Principality BS 3 Year Children’s Regular Saver (4% AER fixed for three years on up to £100 saved monthly)

Min £1
Under 15 year olds only
Withdrawals not allowed (but account can be closed early without a penalty)
Can be opened in a branch or by post

Saffron BS Children’s Regular Saver (Issue 2) (3.95% AER variable on up to £100 saved monthly)

Min £1
Under 17 year olds only
Withdrawals allowed
Can be opened in a branch or by post

What is the best ISA for grandchildren?

There are also a range of cash Junior ISAs for children, which come with additional tax benefits. Junior ISAs can only be opened by a parent or guardian, but a grandparent can pay money into one.

Up to £9,000 can be put into a Junior ISA every tax year and any interest you earn is tax free. The money can’t be accessed until the child turns 18, so they’re a nice way to build up a little nest egg.

Here are some of the best cash JISAs right now.

Best Cash Junior ISAs

Leek Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.9/5

AER (variable)
3.85%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Skipton Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.2/5

AER (variable)
3.8%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or post

The Stafford Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.6/5

AER (variable)
3.76%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Coventry Building Society Junior ISA

Customer rating 4.4/5

AER (variable)
3.75%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Branch or via post

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Danske Bank UK Junior ISA

Customer rating 3.9/5

AER (variable)
3.75%
Minimum
£25
Account opening
Branch or via phone

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

NS&I Junior ISA

Customer rating 3.7/5

AER (variable)
3.7%
Minimum
£1
Account opening
Online

FSCS Protected? Yes
Allows transfers in? Yes

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

The best investment options: Junior ISAs

You can also choose an investment ISA for a grandchild, with a stocks and shares Junior ISA. These work in the same way as a cash Junior ISA but as you’re investing your money, the returns are likely to be a lot higher but you also take on the risk of the stock market and returns are never guaranteed.

As investing is designed for the long term, a stocks and shares Junior ISA could be a good option, as you may have an 18-year period where the money could potentially rise. Here are some of the best accounts available right now.

Best Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs

interactive investor Junior Stocks & Shares ISA

Customer rating 4.2/5

Editor's comment

“

You need to have the Investor plan to open a Junior ISA, but this covers as many Junior ISAs as you need, so you can have as many open as you have children.

Annual fee
£11.99 per month (Investor plan)
Investment styles
DIY or ready-made
Minimum deposit
£25 per month

FSCS Protected? Yes
Transfer in existing ISA? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 1.51%
Trading fee £3.99
Foreign exchange fee 1.50%
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you'll have to pay fund fees between 0.03% and 1.5%
Note on fees You need to have the Investor plan to open a Junior ISA, but this covers as many Junior ISAs as you need, so you can have as many open as you have children.

View Deal

Our top pick

Hargreaves Lansdown Junior Stocks & Shares ISA

Customer rating 4.3/5

Annual fee
0%
Investment styles
DIY or ready-made
Minimum deposit
£100 or £25 per month

FSCS Protected? Yes
Transfer in existing ISAs? Yes
Fund fees If you invest in ready-made portfolios or funds, you'll still need to pay fund fees depending on which portfolio you choose.
Interest on uninvested cash 2.53%
Ready-made portfolios available 4 risk-based portfolios

View Deal

Vanguard Junior Stocks & Shares ISA

Customer rating 4.5/5

Annual fee
0.15% (max £375 per year)
Investment styles
DIY or ready-made
Minimum deposit
£100 per month or £500

Sells its own funds only

FSCS Protected? Yes
Transfer in existing ISA? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 2.35%
Fund fees When you invest in funds you'll also have to pay fund fees between 0.06% and 0.79%

AJ Bell Junior Stocks & Shares ISA

Customer rating 4.4/5

Annual fee
0.25%
Investment styles
DIY or managed funds
Minimum deposit
£25 per month or £250 lump sum

FSCS Protected? Yes
Transfer in existing ISA? Yes
Interest on uninvested cash 1.75% AER
Trading fee Shares - £5 (£3.50 if you had 10 or more share deals in the previous month), Funds - £1.50. No trading fees with regular investing and AJ Bell managed funds
Foreign exchange fee 0.75% on 0-£10,000, 0.5% on £10,000- £20,000 and 0.25% on values over £20,000
Fund fees If you invest in funds, you’ll have to pay fund fees depending on the funds you choose
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Yes: FRN 155593

View Deal

The long-term option: Junior pensions

If you’re looking for a very long-term savings plan for a grandchild, you could open a pension for them. While it may sound like a long way off, there is currently a big gap between the amount many people have saved, and the sums they require for a decent standard of living when they retire. So, if you would like to build up a little nest egg for a grandchild to supplement or replace their income when they stop working, a pension is one option.

A Junior Self-Invested Personal Pension (or Junior SIPP) can be opened by a parent or guardian for a child as soon as they are born and grandparents can contribute.

It is usually managed by the parent or guardian, until the child turns 18.

The annual allowance for the 2025/2026 tax year is £3,600. Thanks to the tax benefits of a pension, this means £2,800 can be put into the account this tax year and this will be topped up by the government by 20%.

The money can’t be accessed until the child reaches pension age – which is currently 55 but will rise to 57 in 2028.

Money within a pension is invested, so the longer the money is in the pot, the longer it has time to grow. This means putting money into a pension regularly, even a small amount, could potentially see the entire pot grow substantially.

However, as it is an investment, it’s worth remembering that the amount could rise or fall and there are no guarantees.

What are the advantages of a Junior SIPP

Paying into a grandchild’s pension allows you to build up a retirement pot for them which they can use when they retire, but there are other benefits too:

Tax breaks: Money paid into a Junior SIPP is free from both income tax and capital gains tax
Pensions tax relief: The government adds 20% onto anything that goes into a Junior SIPP
Lower Inheritance Tax (IHT) to pay: You could lower your IHT bill by paying money into a grandchild’s Junior SIPP (although the rules around this are set to change from 6 April 2027).

The lucky option: Premium Bonds

Premium Bonds are loved as not only are they a very safe place to save money because they’re government backed, there’s also the chance of winning the lottery each month.

While Premium Bonds don’t pay any interest, every £1 bond you buy is automatically entered in the monthly prize draw, where you could win between £25 and £1million.

The child’s parent or grandparent must open a Premium Bond account for them, and control this until they turn 16. They must also give you the details of the child’s account. You can then buy bonds for them and each child can hold up to £50,000 in their account.

The tax-efficient option: bare trusts

A bare trust can be set up so any money within an account legally belongs to the child. This can be set up by a grandparent although they will need to show the child’s ID.

The grandparent then acts as a trustee of the account and manages it until the child turns 18 (or 16 in Scotland).

A major benefit of using a bare trust is that any interest earned on the money within one is seen as the child’s income, so there could be no tax to pay. Gifts put into a bare trust are known as Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) and no inheritance tax is due on these as long as the person who gifted the money lives for at least seven years after it’s paid.

FAQs

How do I invest for my grandchildren?
One of the best ways of investing for a grandchild is to put money into a Junior ISA, where the child can take control of the account at the age of 16 and access the funds within it by the age of 18.

If you are looking to invest over the very long term, a children’s pension is another option that has significant tax benefits.

You could also invest in your own name, and gift the money to a grandchild at a later stage, although inheritance tax may apply in some situations.
Can I open a savings account for my grandchild without a birth certificate?
You may be able to open a savings account for your grandchild without a birth certificate, but you will usually need to show a different form of ID instead. This could be a passport, for example. You may also need permission from the child’s parent or guardian to open the account.
Do I need the parent’s permission to open an account for my grandchild?
Some savings accounts can be opened by grandparents without a parent or guardian’s permission. These are usually opened in trust but you will need to show some form of ID for the child to open the account.
What tax does a grandparent have to pay?
If a grandparent opens a savings account for a child, usually as a trustee, the money within the account is seen as the child’s and any interest earned will count towards the child’s income. But if the savings account is in the grandparent’s name, the interest earned will count as the adult’s and any tax due will be calculated based on their income.
Can I open an investment account for my grandchild?
You may be able to open an investment account for a grandchild but this depends on the account and the provider. A Junior ISA or a Junior SIPP, for example, can only be opened by a parent or guardian but a bare trust account can be opened by anyone.
Tax benefits of investing for your grandkids
Investing for your grandchildren comes with many tax benefits. If you’re investing through a Junior ISA, for example, there is no income tax or capital gains tax to pay on the interest. If it’s a Junior SIPP you can benefit from tax breaks and the government will top up contributions by 20%, up to the annual limit, and with a bare trust the account is usually taxed as if it is the child’s so may be tax free.

The best savings accounts

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

Updated July 6, 2026 | Articles

Regular savings accounts explained: Are they worth it?

Andy Webb | Updated by James Andrews

How you can save every month for a higher rate with a regular savings account

I’m a huge fan of monthly or regular savings accounts. They’re great for people putting money aside every month, and they also tend to have some of the highest interest rates! You can get up to 7.1% via these accounts – far above the best options elsewhere.

But these monthly savers are often misunderstood, especially when it comes to the amount of interest you’ll earn. So here’s an explainer to make sure you know how they work.

What is a regular savings account?

A regular savings account is designed for people saving some of their income every month rather than depositing a lump sum. Hence the name. Usually this transfer is made by a direct debit, set up when you open the account.

I’m a big fan as they encourage you to save a set amount every month, rather than ad hoc amounts as and when you have spare money.

How regular savings accounts work

Often there are limits and restrictions, though this can vary depending on the account.

You’re limited to how much you can save in them

You can typically only deposit between £50 to £500 every month, with most actually having a cap of around £200 to £300. The most I’ve ever seen was a monthly limit of £1,000 – though that’s pretty rare!

You might also have to pay in a minimum each month, though that might not be much – usually £25 or £50.

The account normally closes after 12 months

The vast majority of regular saver accounts last for just one year. Once the year is up you’ll be paid the interest and the account is closed with your money moved to a lower paying easy-access account.

Make a note of when your account is due to mature so you can immediately move your money to the best rate available rather than letting it sit in a lower-paying default account.

Watch out for high paying options that only last for six months. If you’re able to save for longer you’re better off opting for a 12 month regular saver as it’ll allow the interest to compound too.

Some will carry on after a year. Natwest/RBS’s option is the main exception where you are capped instead on the total balance you build up.

Rates can be fixed or variable

Unlike most other types of savings account, you’ll find some could change during the time you have them, while others are fixed.

A fixed rate account is a good option, and worth tying in while you can.

Withdrawals can be limited

Some regular savers don’t allow withdrawals until the year is up, or have extra limits on them such as just two a year. If you do take money out, you might not be able to add it back in for that month.

The best accounts require current accounts

The highest paying regular savers are usually restricted to existing customers of the bank. Though you should be able to easily open a new current account with those banks to be eligible, there might be better paying options at other banks, for example a monthly reward or cashback. There are also a handful of loyalty savers via building societies that require you to have been a member on a certain date.

How interest is calculated in a regular savings account

The main area people get confused about is the interest rate. For this example, let’s use an interest rate of 5%.

If you save £250 a month into the account, and therefore have £3,000 saved by the end of the year, you might expect to get 5% on that £3,000 – a total of £150.

However you don’t have £3,000 for the full year – you’re adding money incrementally. This means you’ll only earn interest on the cash held each month. So the first £250 will have been saved for 12 months and earn the full 5% – a figure of £12.50 over the year

In turn, the second £250 saved will only be in the account for 11 months. So you’ll earn 11 twelfths of 5% on £250 – which works out as roughly £11.45 of interest.

The next £250 will be 10 twelfths, the next one 9 twelfths and so on. If you miss a month or pay less in that month, then that’ll also affect your earnings. If you carried on you paying in the maximum every month, you’d earn £81 after a year.

If you calculated this £81 return on the total £3,000 balance it’s effectively 2.7% – just over half the advertised rate. This is why people get angry. But you are still earning that headline money on your monthly deposits.

And that “50% of the headline rate” is a handy shortcut if you want to find out how much you’ll make based on the annual balance saved. For a more accurate figure, you can use the calculator on Money Saving Expert.

High interest regular savings accounts: How much could you make?

Here are the top paying annual regular saver accounts at the time of writing, and the interest in the first year if you deposit the maximum amount allowed at the start of the month.

Bank	Rate	Monthly limit	Max interest in 12 months	Requirement?
Santander	8%	£200	£103	Current account
First Direct	7%	£300	£135	Current account
Co-operative Bank	7%	£250	£113	Current account
Nationwide	6.5%	£200	£84	Current account
Club Lloyds	6.25%	£400	£161	Current account

Regular savings hacks

These regular savings accounts aren’t just for people building up a new savings pot. You can funnel other, lower-paid savings, into these accounts.

Drip feeding your savings

Drip feeding means gradually moving money from an existing savings pot into a regular saver each month, rather than leaving it all in a lower-paying account.

If you’ve got a small lump sum you can gradually move money from one account into a regular savings account.

Say you have £3,000 already. The first thing to do is move it to the highest-paying account or accounts you can find.

For the example here let’s assume it’s all in an easy-access account earning 4.8%. In a year this would earn you £144 of interest.

But if you then move it month by month (at £250 a time) to a regular saver account paying 7% you would earn a combined total of £180 in interest (£113 from the regular saver and £67 from easy access account). That’s £36 more than if you’d left it in the easy-access account.

However, this might not be too different from putting the cash in a one year fix. For example, one paying 5% would earn £150. Here’s more on drip feeding vs fixes.

Featured deal

Santander £240 switch offer

Customer rating 3.9/5

Switch bonus
£240
Perks
8% regular saver
Monthly fee
0
Offer ends
Unknown

FSCS Protected? Yes
Bonus requirements To get the £240 switch offer, you need to complete a full switch with the Current Account Switching Service. Then, within 60 days of your initial switch request, you need to set up two active direct debits, deposit £1,500 into the current account, set up a Santander Regular Saver, and deposit £200 into it.
Regular saver 8% (variable) regular savings account. Includes 5% (variable) bonus for 12 months
Existing customers? You can't have held a Santander account on 1 January 2026.

View Deal

Using multiple regular savers for larger savings

You’re not limited to just one regular saver, so you can use the same trick as above to drip-feed deposits if you have a larger stash.

For example, at the time of writing, you could pay a total of £750 each month into three accounts that earn above 7%.

Are regular savers worth it?

If you want an account that pushes you to save every month, earns decent interest and sometimes make it harder for you to access the money for a year then they can’t be beaten.

And as they’re offering some of the best rates on any kind of account, you’ll also likely be earning the most money you can. The fact that some are fixed also means you’re locking in a decent rate when they’re likely to fall elsewhere.

But, many of these high-paying ones do require a current account. Though there’s no reason you can’t open up more accounts to get these offers, it’s worth considering if you’ll make more money by switching bank instead. Plus bear in mind you’ll be credit checked to open those current accounts.

The best regular savings accounts

Right now those with current accounts get up to 7.1%, and with no restrictions up to 6%. Check out our regularly updated list of what’s on offer.

It’s always worth trying your local building societies too as they may have higher rates that are only accessible if you live locally.

The best monthly savings accounts

Check out our list of the highest paying regular or monthly savings accounts.

However, it doesn’t make sense to have a regular saver paying less than the best easy-access accounts, while lump sums might be better off in a fixed-rate bond. We’ve listed the highest paying ones in our savings best buy tables.

The best savings accounts

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

Expert thoughts on regular savings accounts from Be Clever With Your Cash

Our editor James Andrews says:

Regular savings accounts might be one of the most underused tools in personal finance. The rates are often the highest available, and the discipline of saving a fixed amount every month is actually a benefit in disguise, not just a restriction.

The biggest misconception is about how much interest you’ll actually earn. When an account advertises 6%, people expect 6% on everything they’ve saved – but because you’re drip-feeding money in throughout the year, the effective return on your total balance is closer to 3%. That’s still fantastic, but it’s important to go in with the right expectations.

If you took the total amount you save over a year, and put it in a one year fixed-rate bond at half the rate (so 3.5% currently), you’ll earn more over a year – and there are plenty of one-year fixed-rate bonds that pay more than 3.5%.

The real power comes from using multiple regular savers for your monthly standing orders – and remember you’re not limited to one, just one per current account.