How does the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) actually work?

CASS is the free, automatic UK bank-switching service run by Pay.UK. Almost every current account provider participates, including all the big banks. 1. You apply for the new account and choose Switch Service in the application. 2. Pick a switch date — usually 7 working days out. 3. The new bank moves your balance, all incoming and outgoing payments (direct debits, standing orders, salary), and automatically closes your old account on the switch date. 4. The Switch Guarantee covers any payment that goes wrong — missed direct debits, late wages, fees — refunded by the new bank. 5. Payments to your old account number are auto-redirected indefinitely (the original 3-year limit was removed in 2019). You don't need to tell anyone you've moved or update your salary details — CASS handles it.

Will switching hurt my credit score?

A small, temporary dip — usually nothing material. Most banks do a hard search when you open the account (Barclays, NatWest, RBS, HSBC, First Direct, Lloyds, Halifax, Nationwide, Santander, TSB, Monzo all hard-search). Soft-search only: Starling, Metro Bank, Chase. A hard search dips your score by ~5–20 points for a few months. Even with multiple hard searches, the impact fades within 6 months. Spacing matters. Stacking too many hard searches in a short window can flag you as credit-hungry to lenders. Aim to space switches 3–4 weeks apart at minimum, and try not to do more than 4 hard-search applications in 6 months. Our playbook deliberately spaces switches 4 weeks apart for this reason. Decline the overdraft during the application — that avoids a separate credit-line check. The real risk is if you're applying for a mortgage or major loan in the next 6 months — pause switching during that window entirely. Otherwise, normal switching is fine.

Is the bonus taxable?

No, in the vast majority of cases. HMRC's stated position is that switching bonuses are promotional incentives, not taxable income. The same applies to standard cashback. Exception: the £750 NatWest/RBS Premier saver portion *is* taxable as interest income — that's interest paid on a £100k deposit, not a switch bonus. Referral bonuses (where you refer someone else and get paid) are technically taxable as miscellaneous income — but pure switch bonuses received by you for switching your own account are not.

Do I have to switch my main account?

No — that's what the burner-account strategy is for. Full CASS automatically closes whatever account you switch *out of*. So if you switch your main account, you lose it. To avoid that: 1. Open a free secondary current account at a bank you don't mind losing — Chase is best for this (you can open up to 9 additional accounts, and they only do soft credit searches). 2. Set up 2 active direct debits on the burner. 3. Switch THAT account into the new bank — your main account is untouched. 4. Repeat with another burner once that one's gone. This is the standard approach used by serious switchers — it lets you claim multiple bonuses per year without disrupting your real banking.

What counts as an 'active direct debit' for the bonus requirements?

Most banks define active as a DD that's been set up or had a payment taken in the past 13 months (Nationwide's definition, broadly adopted). Cheap DDs that work: - A £1/month charity donation - Sprive (auto mortgage overpayment, £1/month, £5 sign-up bonus) - Wealthify or Plum savings, £1/month minimum - Moneybox round-ups - PayPal, eBay seller, credit card, council tax What does NOT count: - Card-on-file recurring payments (Spotify, Netflix) — these are not direct debits. - App-based subscriptions billed via your card — also not DDs. - Standing orders to your own savings — these aren't DDs and most banks reject them as qualifying. Safest play: set up the DDs and wait for at least one payment to be collected before triggering CASS.

Can I do NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) at the same time?

Yes, in practice. Despite both being in the NatWest Group, these are run as separate switch promotions — community reports confirm doing both back-to-back. Two rules to respect: 1. You can't switch *from* a NatWest-Group account to claim either bonus (i.e. don't switch from RBS to NatWest, or vice versa). Use a non-group burner. 2. You can't have held an open NatWest, RBS, or Ulster current/savings account on 6 May 2026, AND you must never have received a switch bonus from any of the three. Recommended approach: do them in sequence (RBS first, then NatWest a few weeks later) using two different burner accounts. This stages the credit-file impact.

Can I deposit the full pay-in (£1,000–£1,500) in one go?

Yes, but you don't have to. Most banks let you reach the required pay-in across several payments — it just has to total the threshold within the window. NatWest and RBS specifically ask that each deposit stays in the account for at least 24 hours. You can cycle money in and out, but be sparing — rapidly moving large sums in and out can trip a bank's anti-fraud checks and freeze the account mid-switch. Use a plain reference (your name), avoid words like "switch" or "bonus", and send from accounts in your own name where possible.

What if my switch bonus doesn't pay out?

Stay calm and document everything. 1. Check the timing — most banks pay 30–90 days after you meet the criteria. Don't chase before that window passes. 2. Verify you met every single requirement — re-read the T&Cs. Common misses: only 1 DD instead of 2, full pay-in not landing within window, missing the app-login step. 3. Check your account messages and transaction history — banks usually leave a note when the bonus pays. 4. Contact the bank with screenshots of your switch confirmation, DD setup, pay-in, and any other criteria. Live chat or phone is faster than email. 5. Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if the bank refuses without a clear reason — switch bonus disputes are common and they tend to find in favour of the customer when the criteria were genuinely met. Keep records of every switch for at least 12 months.

How long do I have to stay with the new bank?

As long as it takes for the bonus to land — usually 30–90 days from switch completion. Once you've been paid, you can switch straight away to the next bank. The previous bank won't claw the bonus back — none of them have ever included a clawback clause. The only exception: if you switch *before* the bonus is paid, you'll likely lose it. Wait for the £200 to hit, then start the next switch.

Updated June 2026 · 9 live offers

Get paid £1,550+ to switch banks.

UK banks pay you cash to give them a try. Here's the exact playbook — which bank, in what order, on what day, with the gotchas spelled out. No financial wizardry, just CASS.

Start the playbook Skip to live offers

Time per switch

~1 hour

CASS handles

Everything

Total run

~6 months

How this actually works

It's automated and free

CASS — the Current Account Switch Service — does the heavy lifting. Your direct debits, standing orders, and incoming payments move automatically. Takes ~7 working days.

Don't switch your main account

Open a free burner account (Chase is best) and switch that. Your salary, real DDs, and savings stay put. The burner is your sacrificial account.

Banks pay because they want you

It's normal customer-acquisition spend. Not a scam, not a catch — just promotional. HMRC has confirmed switch bonuses aren't taxable.

Step 1

Open your burner account

Before you switch anything, you need a burner — a free account you don't care about, that you'll repeatedly switch away from to claim bonuses. Here are the options, ranked.

Best pick

Chase UK

Soft credit search (no impact on score)
Open up to 9 additional accounts
Switches out cleanly via CASS
Free, no fees
Keep at least one Chase account open — closing all triggers a permanent ban

Monzo

Fast app-only setup (5 minutes)
Joint account doubles your switch capacity
30-day cooldown to reopen after closing
Hard credit search

Starling

Soft credit search
Slick app
12-month lockout for previous customers
One-shot tool — can't reopen after switching out

Quick start: open Chase

Download the Chase app, register with ID. Once your primary is live, open a second account from inside the app — that becomes your switch source. Plus you'll grab the free £50 Chase signup bonus on the way in.

Open Chase + claim £50

Step 2

Set up 2 direct debits

Most switch bonuses need 2 active DDs to come across with you. "Active" means a payment has actually been collected — don't just set them up and switch the same day.

Use these

Sprive · £1/mo mortgage overpayment + £5 sign-up bonus
Wealthify · £1/mo robo-savings
Moneybox · Round-ups via DD
Plum · £1/mo savings
A £1/month charity DD · Cancer Research, Mind, etc.

These don't count

Spotify, Netflix · card-on-file, not a DD
App-store subscriptions · billed via your card, not a DD
Standing orders to your savings · most banks reject these as qualifying

Important: wait until at least one DD has actually been collected before initiating CASS — banks may reject "active DD" checks if there's no payment history.

The Switch Playbook

8 switches. ~8 months. £1,550 + cashback

The optimal order — expiry-first, then group-restricted, then evergreen. Each switch starts from a fresh Chase burner, completes in ~7 working days, and pays out within 30–90 days.

Why a fresh burner each time?

Don't hop straight from Barclays into RBS into NatWest. Every switch starts from a new burner account (open another Chase secondary in the app — takes 5 minutes). Three reasons:

1You'd lose the bonus you just earned. Banks claw back the bonus if you switch away before it's paid (~45 working days). Hopping = forfeiting.
2Group rules disqualify you. NatWest + RBS won't pay if you switch from a group brand. First Direct rejects HSBC switchers. Burner = always safe.
3Direct debits need to be active. Your DDs collect monthly — if you switch out before they land in the new account, the next bank may not count them.

In practice: open a new Chase secondary before each switch step below. Chase lets you have up to 9 — they're free, soft credit search, and take 5 minutes to spin up.

1
Week 0
Open your burner account
Open a Chase UK current account. Chase is the best burner — soft credit search, lets you open up to 9 additional accounts, and switches out via CASS cleanly. Apply via the Chase app, takes ~10 minutes.
- Download Chase UK app, register with email + ID
- Once primary is open, open a SECOND Chase account from inside the app
- Move £20 in to the second account so you can verify when CASS runs
2
Week 1
Set up 2 direct debits
Add 2 cheap DDs to your secondary Chase account. They need to have collected at least once before you switch.
- Sprive (£1/mo + £5 sign-up bonus) — fastest to set up
- Wealthify (£1/mo) or Moneybox round-ups
- A £1/month charity donation works too
3
Week 2£175Expires 29 Jun 2026
Bank of Scotland
Free Classic account is the easy pick (Silver/Platinum charge monthly fees for travel perks). Standard CASS switch, no minimum pay-in required. Account must be opened between 19 May and 29 June 2026.
Burner needed: Open a fresh Chase secondary. Move 3 DDs to it and wait for them to be active before switching — BoS needs 3 active DDs (not 2), and only DDs already on the account at switch time count.
- Transfer 3+ active Direct Debits with the switch (DDs added after the switch starts don't count)
- Don't switch from a Lloyds or Halifax current account, and internal BoS-to-BoS upgrades don't qualify
- Skip entirely if you've had any Lloyds, Halifax or BoS switch bonus since 1 Jan 2023
- £175 lands within 14 working days of the switch starting
See offer details
4
Week 6£200
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
Choose Reward (£2/mo fee, £5/mo cashback) or free Select. Standard CASS switch.
Burner needed: Open a fresh Chase secondary inside the app (5 min). No direct debits required — RBS only needs the pay-in and an app login.
- Pay in £1,250 within 60 days (one or more payments — leave each deposit in for 24 hours), then log into the RBS app
- No direct debits required (DDs only earn the separate Reward-account perk, not the switch bonus)
- Don't switch from a NatWest, RBS, or Ulster account — your Chase burner is safe
- £200 typically lands within 30 days of qualifying
See offer details
5
Week 10£200
NatWest
Same offer structure as RBS — separate bonus from the same banking group. Reward or Select account.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. No direct debits required — NatWest only needs the pay-in and an app login.
- Same £1,250 pay-in (leave each deposit in for 24 hours) + app login
- No direct debits required (DDs only earn the separate Reward-account perk, not the switch bonus)
- You must not have held a NatWest/RBS/Ulster account on 6 May 2026, and must never have had a NatWest Group switch bonus
- They check for a previous Group bonus at the moment you apply — so apply for RBS and NatWest close together, before either pays out (switchers confirm both pay when done a week or two apart)
See offer details
6
Week 14£200
Ulster Bank
Third NatWest Group offer alongside NatWest and RBS — open a free Select account. Group rule officially limits you to one bonus across NatWest, RBS and Ulster.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. No DDs required — Ulster's £200 doesn't need any direct debits.
- Pay in £1,250 within 60 days (must remain in the account for 24 hours)
- Log into the Ulster Bank app within 60 days
- No direct debits required
- Must not have held an Ulster current account on 26 May 2026
- Apply online or in-app — branch and phone applications don't qualify
- The switch is a SEPARATE step, not part of the application — you won't be asked for your old account details when you sign up. Once the account is open and your debit card has arrived, log into the Ulster app and start the switch from there
- All Ulster branches are in NI — pick any Belfast postcode in the branch-picker step so it returns options (admin-only field; you'll bank digitally and your real address goes in the standard address field)
- £200 typically lands within 30 days of qualifying; account opening can take 1–3 weeks
See offer details
7
Week 18HSBC Group — pick ONE
HSBC and First Direct are the same banking group, so you can only ever claim a switch bonus from one of them — opening one account blocks you from the other's offer. Take the higher HSBC £220, or First Direct if you'd rather its simpler requirements.
£200 + £45Expires 15 Jul 2026
First Direct
Open a 1st Account. The £200 includes a £25 boost for accounts opened by 15 July 2026 — after that it drops back to £175. Stack £45 extra cashback by signing up via Quidco first, then clicking through when you apply.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs, wait for one to collect.
- Pay in £1,000 within 45 days and keep it there for 24 hours
- Move 2 DDs (or standing orders), make 5 debit-card payments, and log into the app or online banking
- Skip if you've held an HSBC current account on or after 1 Jan 2018
- Bonus paid by the 20th of the month after qualifying
See offer details
£220
HSBC
Switch to a fee-free HSBC Bank Account, opened in the HSBC UK app. £220 paid within 60 days of meeting the criteria — no Premier account or £100k income needed.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs and wait for one to collect — the switch must bring across 2+ active direct debits.
- Open the HSBC Bank Account in the HSBC UK app — online, branch and phone applications don't qualify
- Within 60 days: complete a full CASS switch bringing 2+ Direct Debits, pay in £2,000, and spend £500 on the debit card
- Skip if you hold or have held an HSBC UK or First Direct current account on or after 1 Jan 2023
- New customers only; £220 lands within 60 days of qualifying
See offer details
8
Week 22£180
Santander
Santander Edge or free Everyday account. Standard CASS switch. The old £30 Amazon voucher stack via Be Clever With Your Cash closed to new registrations in June 2026 — a £25 Amazon voucher is sometimes available via price-comparison sites instead. No firm end date but offers like this don't last forever.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs, wait for one to collect.
- 2 active household DDs from Santander's approved list + £1,500 pay-in within 60 days
- Pick 2 DIFFERENT household-bill types for the DDs — switchers report Santander rejecting two of the same type (e.g. two mobile contracts)
- Skip if you held a Santander, cahoot or Cater Allen current account on 1 Jan 2025
- £180 paid 60–90 days after switch
See offer details
9
Week 26£200Expires 27 Aug 2026
Barclays
Back for summer 2026 — open a Barclays Bank Account and switch entirely inside the Barclays app by 27 August 2026. No Blue Rewards membership needed.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs and wait for one to collect — the switch must bring across 2+ active direct debits.
- Open a sole Barclays Bank Account in the app and start the full CASS switch in-app by 27 Aug 2026 (joint accounts don't qualify)
- Move 2+ active Direct Debits with the switch and pay in £2,000 within 30 days of opening (instalments are fine)
- Skip if you held any Barclays current account on or before 9 June 2026, or have ever had a Barclays switch bonus
- If the £2,000 deposit trips fraud checks, trickle it in (£20 → £100 → £500 → rest) with a plain reference
- £200 lands within 28 working days of qualifying — Barclays texts you when you've met the criteria
See offer details
10
Week 30£175
Nationwide
Open a FlexDirect account (fee-free, pays in-credit interest for the first year). Standard CASS switch. Skip only if you've had a Nationwide switch bonus since 2021 — older bonuses don't block you.
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs, wait for one to collect.
- Move 2 active Direct Debits with the switch, pay in £1,000 within 31 days, make a debit card payment
- Switch from a current account at a different bank — internal Nationwide moves don't count, and you can't switch a Virgin Money account (same group)
- Couples can stack £525: each partner switches a sole account (£175 each) plus a joint account (£175)
- £175 typically lands within 10 days of qualifying
See offer details

Stack extra cashback

Earn extra via cashback sites

Click through Quidco or TopCashback before applying and you stack cashback on top of the switch bonus. Sign up to both — you'll use them constantly.

Quidco

+£45 First Direct

Click through Quidco before applying for First Direct and you'll get an extra £45 cashback on top of the switch bonus.

Banking-group rules

Banks share "switch bonus history" within their group. These rules dictate the order of the playbook.

NatWest Group

NatWestRoyal Bank of ScotlandUlster Bank

One bonus across the group, ever — but RBS and NatWest run as separate promotions and most users get both back-to-back.

HSBC Group

HSBCFirst DirectM&S Bank

First Direct blocks anyone with an HSBC current account opened on or after 1 January 2018.

Lloyds Banking Group

LloydsHalifaxBank of Scotland

No switch bonus from any group brand if you've had one since 1 January 2023.

All 9 live switch offers

Track any of these in your dashboard to monitor progress and get reminders. Updated continuously.

New

Barclays · Added 1w ago

Barclays - £200 Switch Bonus

£200estimated reward

Switch to Barclays via the app with 2+ active direct debits and pay in £2,000 within 30 days. £200 paid within 28 working days. Offer runs 9 June – 27 August 2026.

Medium1 hour

Ending Soon

Bank of Scotland · Added 1mo ago

Bank of Scotland - £175 Switch Bonus

£175estimated reward

Switch to a Bank of Scotland Classic, Silver or Platinum account via CASS with 3+ active direct debits transferred and £175 lands within 14 working days. No minimum pay-in. Account must be opened between 19 May and 29 June 2026.

Easy30 minutes

1 tracking

First Direct · Added 1mo ago

First Direct - £200 Switch Bonus (Boosted, Limited Time)

£200estimated reward

Limited-time boost: First Direct has increased the 1st Account switch reward from £175 to £200. Switch via full CASS with 2 DDs/SOs, pay in £1,000 and make 5 debit card payments within 45 days. £200 paid by the 20th of the following month.

Medium45 minutes

Santander · Added 1mo ago

Santander - £180 Switch Bonus

£180estimated reward

Switch to a Santander Everyday or Edge current account via CASS, pay in £1,500 and hold 2 household direct debits within 60 days to get £180 cash.

Medium45 minutes

RBS · Added 1mo ago

RBS - £200 Switch Bonus

£200estimated reward

Switch to RBS with a full CASS transfer, log into the app and pay in £1,250 within 60 days. £200 paid within 30 days of qualifying.

Easy30 minutes

NatWest · Added 1mo ago

NatWest - £200 Switch Bonus

£200estimated reward

Switch to NatWest with a full CASS transfer, log into the app and pay in £1,250 within 60 days. £200 paid within 30 days of qualifying.

Easy30 minutes

New

HSBC · Added 1w ago

HSBC – £220 Switch Bonus

£220estimated reward

HSBC pays new customers £220 to switch to a fee-free HSBC Bank Account via the app — full CASS switch with 2 DDs, £2,000 pay-in and £500 debit-card spend within 60 days.

Medium15–20 minutes

Ulster Bank · Added 3w ago

Ulster Bank - £200 Switch Bonus

£200estimated reward

Switch to Ulster Bank with a full CASS transfer, log into the app and pay in £1,250 within 60 days. £200 paid within 30 days of qualifying. No direct debits required.

Easy30 minutes

Free MoneyBank SwitchingNew Offer

Nationwide · Added 3w ago

Nationwide FlexDirect - £175 Switch Bonus

£175estimated reward

Switch to a Nationwide FlexDirect account via CASS, move 2+ active direct debits, pay in £1,000+ and make a debit card payment - £175 lands within 10 days. FlexDirect is fee-free.

Easy30 minutes

Earn £100k+? You qualify for these too

Premier switch offers

Premier accounts are gated on a £100k+ salary, savings, or mortgage with the bank. Same switch process — much bigger bonuses.

HSBC Premier

£500

£100k+ salary, OR £100k savings/investments with HSBC

See bank's page

NatWest Premier

£250 + £750 saver

£100k+ salary or £100k+ savings with NatWest. Saver bonus needs £100k held for 30 days (taxable as interest).

See bank's page

Royal Bank of Scotland Premier

£250 + £750 saver

Same as NatWest Premier — £100k income or savings with RBS, saver portion taxable.

See bank's page

Frequently asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Track your switches in your dashboard

Log every switch, mark when bonuses land, and see your running total across all offers.

Open dashboard Browse all offers