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Best bank account switching deals May 2026
We round up the best deals for getting a cash bonus or other perks, with up to £200 available for some customers
Grace is Money editor at Which?, on the hunt for ways to help people save with smart tips and deals. She was named personal finance journalist of the year 2025.
If you’re thinking about switching banks, there are three cash incentives on offer, with bonuses of up to £200 for opening a new current account.
Read on for a breakdown of the latest current account offers (ordered by newest first), how they compare and their key eligibility rules.
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Latest bank account switching incentives
You can use the links to jump to the offer you are interested in.
Please note that if you're thinking of switching to any of the accounts mentioned in this article, ensure you refer to the terms and conditions of the deal to make sure it's right for you.
Barclays is offering £200 when you switch to a Barclays current account with Blue Rewards using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
The account itself has no monthly fee, but to qualify for the switching bonus you must sign up to Blue Rewards, which costs £5 a month. It offers cashback on certain household bills and spending with partner retailers, access to linked savings accounts and a free Apple TV+ subscription.
How to get £200: You’ll need to open a Barclays current account through the Barclays app, sign up to Blue Rewards and request a full switch using CASS between 10 March and 28 May 2026.
Your switch must include at least two active direct debits, and you’ll need to pay in £2,000 within 30 days of opening the account.
Once you’ve met these conditions, Barclays will pay the £200 reward within 45 working days of you meeting the eligibility requirements.
What’s in the small print? Those who have another Barclays product, such as a credit card, mortgage or savings account, may still qualify if they open a new current account through the app and complete a switch.
You won’t qualify if you already had a Barclays current account open when the offer started on 10 March 2026 or if you’ve previously received a switching incentive from Barclays. Joint accounts aren’t eligible and the switch must be from another bank.
When the deal ends: You must open the account and start your switch by 28 May 2026.
key information
Is Barclays a good provider? It came 11th out of 22 banks in our latest customer satisfaction survey, with a score of 76%.
Find out more:best banks and bank accounts 2026, and see what our experts thought of Barclay's range of accounts in their product analysis and how many stars it scored for its customer services and telephone, mobile banking and in-branch service.
Santander is offering £180 to new and existing customers who switch their main bank account.
The £180 bonus is available when you switch to one of Santander’s eligible accounts – Everyday, Edge, Edge Up, Edge Explorer or Private – using the CASS.
The Everyday account has no monthly fee and offers standard banking features.
The Edge account costs £3 a month and pays 1% cashback (up to £10 a month) on selected household bills.
The Edge Up account costs £5 a month, offering up to £15 a month cashback on bills, plus 2.5% AER (variable) on balances up to £25,000.
The Edge Explorer account costs £10 a month, and includes travel and mobile phone insurance, 24/7 GP access and fee-free debit card spending abroad.
How to get £180: You’ll need to submit a full switch request through the CASS and complete the switch within 90 days.
To qualify, you must pay in at least £1,500 and set up two active direct debits, such as for bills or council tax. The £180 payment will be made within 90 days of meeting these conditions.
What's in the small print? The offer is open to both new customers and people who already hold another Santander product, such as a savings account, mortgage or credit card. However, you must be switching from a current account held with another bank into a new Santander current account.
You won’t qualify if you already hold a Santander, Cahoot or Cater Allen current account, or if you’ve previously received a Santander switch incentive.
When the deal ends: No closing date has been confirmed, but the offer can be withdrawn at any time.
key information
Is Santander a good provider? Santander ranked 19th out of 22 banks in our latest customer satisfaction survey, with a score of 71%.
Find out more:best banks and bank accounts 2026, and see what our experts thought of the Everyday, Edge and Edge Up accounts in their product analysis and how many stars it scored for its customer services and telephone, mobile banking and in-branch service.
First Direct is offering £175 to switch to its 1st Account.
The account comes with no monthly fee and offers a £250 interest-free overdraft buffer. However, if you borrow more than £250, you'll pay 39.9% EAR.
It also offers fee-free spending abroad. Before the bank scrapped its fees in 2023, customers used to pay 2.75% to withdraw cash or spend money abroad.
How to get £175: You’ll need to use the CASS to be eligible for the offer and switch at least two direct debits or standing orders.
Other requirements include depositing a minimum of £1,000 into the account within 30 days of opening, and registering and logging in to digital banking.
What’s in the small print? This deal is available only to new customers who haven’t previously held a First Direct product.
You also won’t be eligible for this deal if you held an HSBC current account on or after 1 January 2018.
When the deal ends: There’s no end date listed for this deal, but it can be withdrawn at any point.
key information
Is First Direct a good provider? First Direct consistently ranks among the top banks. It got an impressive 84% in our latest customer satisfaction survey, placing it joint-4th out of 22 providers. It’s also been named one of our Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs).
As a division of HSBC, First Direct is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), but it’s important to keep in mind that the £120,000 FSCS protection limit applies across both brands. If you have accounts with both First Direct and HSBC, ensure that your total deposits across the two accounts are below this threshold to remain fully protected.
Find out more:best banks and bank accounts 2026. See which other banks have been named WRPs this year. Plus find out what our experts thought of First Direct in their product analysis and how many stars it scored for its customer services and telephone and mobile banking service.
