Bank accounts Which? Recommended Providers
Which? Recommended Providers are companies that are both rated highly by our members in our unique customer survey, and have products that meet the high standards of our researchers.
Which? Recommended Providers must:
- To feature as a Recommended Provider, a company must have achieved a top scores in our latest customer satisfaction survey and must offer a least one top 10 bank account for either credit interest, overdrafts, or current account mortgages.
- Providers must be fully covered by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme in order to be included as a Which? Recommended Provider.
- Which? Recommended Providers of bank accounts must offer a free debit card, free direct debits and free withdrawals from UK cash machines, and accounts must be available nationally.
Which? recommended bank account providers  | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Which? verdict | Customer score | Find out more |
| Average score of all current account providers rated by Which? Money | 62% | ||
First Direct
| Owned by HSBC. First Direct will pay £100 if you switch. Customers need to pay £1,500 into their account or will face a monthly £10 fee. | 93% |  |
Smile  | Owned by The Co-operative Group. This is an internet bank with a current account offering a 12-month £500 fee-free overdraft. | 88% | |
The One Account
| Owned by RBS. This bank specialises in accounts which combine your mortgage with your current account. | 85% |  |
Co-operative Bank
| An account with £200 fee-free overdraft. Its promise to invest money ethically is an attraction to many customers | 85% | |
Nationwide BS
| It offers full branch and internet banking facilities, but it recently started charging fees for all debit card transactions abroad. | 74% | |
Table notes
Wherever we display a “MAPPLY NOW” button in the above table, that company pays us a small fee each time someone clicks on the button. These payments do not influence whether a product is in the table, where it appears, or whether it continues to do so. Our Best Rates tables are compiled by our independent researchers. All revenue raised from these tables is reinvested in our research and campaigning work on behalf of all UK consumers.
Poor customer satisfaction
Santander scored particularly poorly in our customer satisfaction survey.
- Call the Which? Money Helpline for further guidance on the banking best options for you
- Looking for a bank account? Read our guide on finding the right bank account
- Thinking about switching you bank account? Read our helpful guide
