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, RBS and Ulster Bank — or is it one bonus for the whole group?

Ulster Bank's £200 offer ended on 25 August 2026, so the live group play is now NatWest + RBS. The T&Cs say one bonus across the group, ever. In practice, each brand has been paying once per person — while all three offers ran over summer 2026, switchers consistently reported getting every brand's bonus, at the same time or even weeks apart, including after an earlier group bonus had already landed. What *doesn't* work is claiming the same brand twice. Some commentators believe the group has cracked down or will — so treat the second bonus as likely rather than promised. Worst case, a bonus simply doesn't pay. Rules to respect: 1. You can't switch *from* a NatWest-Group account (NatWest, RBS or Ulster) to claim either offer. Use non-group burners. 2. You can't have held an open NatWest or RBS account on 6 May 2026 for that brand's offer. 3. Anyone who *received* a group switch bonus in a previous year's round is officially excluded — some switchers still got fresh-brand bonuses afterwards, but this is the riskiest version of the play. Recommended approach: run both close together using two different burner accounts, before any bonus pays out. Same email, phone and address across both is fine.

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 August 2026 · 5 live offers

Get paid £795+ 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

~4 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.

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

4 switches. ~4 months. £795 + 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 HSBC 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 4HSBC 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.
£210 + £45Expires 2 Dec 2026
First Direct
Open a 1st Account for a £210 switch bonus (£175 plus a £35 boost for accounts opened 14 Sep to 2 Dec 2026). 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
4
Week 8£200
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
Choose free Select (the easy pick) or Reward (£2/mo fee; its DD cashback drops to £4/mo from 1 October 2026 when the £1 app-login reward ends). 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 mobile app within 60 days of the switch completing
- 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
- Officially only one switch bonus across NatWest, RBS and Ulster ever — in practice each brand has been paying once per person (see the group rules below)
- £200 typically lands within 30 days of qualifying
See offer details
5
Week 12£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 within 60 days (leave each deposit in for 24 hours) + log into the NatWest mobile app within 60 days of the switch completing
- 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
- The T&Cs allow one NatWest Group bonus ever — but switchers throughout summer 2026 consistently reported each group brand paying once per person, even weeks apart (Ulster's own offer ended 25 August 2026). Some commentators believe a crackdown is coming, so treat the second bonus as likely rather than guaranteed, and do NatWest and RBS close together to be safest
See offer details
6
Week 16£175
Nationwide
Open a FlexDirect (fee-free, pays in-credit interest for the first year) — FlexAccount, FlexPlus and existing Nationwide accounts qualify too. Full CASS switch completed within 28 days. Must be your first Nationwide switch offer on that account type (sole or joint).
Burner needed: Open another fresh Chase secondary. Add 2 DDs, wait for one to collect.
- Move 2 active Direct Debits with the switch, then within 31 days pay in £1,000 (not from another Nationwide account) and make 1 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

The T&Cs say one bonus across the group, ever. In practice each brand pays once per person — switchers in summer 2026 reported getting all three while Ulster's offer ran (it ended 25 August 2026) — but anything past the first is at the bank's discretion.

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 5 live switch offers

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

First Direct · Added 5mo ago

First Direct - £210 Switch Bonus

£210estimated reward

First Direct pays £210 (£175 plus a £35 boost) to switch to the 1st Account if you open it between 14 September and 2 December 2026. Switch via full CASS with 2 DDs/SOs, pay in £1,000, make 5 debit card payments and log into digital banking within 45 days. Paid by the 20th of the following month.

Medium45 minutes

1 tracking

RBS · Added 5mo 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 5mo 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

1 tracking

HSBC · Added 4mo 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

Nationwide · Added 4mo ago

Nationwide FlexDirect - £175 Switch Bonus

£175estimated reward

Switch to a Nationwide FlexDirect (or FlexAccount/FlexPlus) via full CASS with 2+ active Direct Debits, then pay in £1,000 and make one debit card payment within 31 days — £175 lands within 10 days. Not available if you've had a Nationwide switch offer since 2021.

Easy30 minutes

1 tracking

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

Full switch with a £100k+ salary, OR transfer £100k+ in savings/investments to HSBC. Not for anyone who's held an HSBC or first direct account since 1 January 2025.

See bank's page

NatWest Premier

£500

Premier Select or Premier Reward (£100k+ income, or £100k+ savings/investments with NatWest). Full switch, pay in £15,000 within 90 days, log into the app. Not if you held a NatWest current account on 2 September 2026 or have ever had a NatWest Group switch bonus.

See bank's page

Royal Bank of Scotland Premier

£500

Premier Select or Premier Reward (£100k+ sole or £120k+ joint income paid into RBS, £100k+ savings/investments, or a £500k+ RBS mortgage). Full CASS switch. Same one-bonus-per-NatWest-Group rule.

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

Get paid £795+ to switch banks.

How this actually works

It's automated and free

Don't switch your main account

Banks pay because they want you

Open your burner account

Chase UK

Monzo

Starling

Quick start: open Chase

Set up 2 direct debits

Use these

These don't count

4 switches. ~4 months. £795 + cashback

Why a fresh burner each time?

Open your burner account

Set up 2 direct debits

First Direct

HSBC

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)

NatWest

Nationwide

Earn extra via cashback sites

Quidco

Banking-group rules

NatWest Group

HSBC Group

Lloyds Banking Group

All 5 live switch offers

First Direct - £210 Switch Bonus

RBS - £200 Switch Bonus

NatWest - £200 Switch Bonus

HSBC – £220 Switch Bonus

Nationwide FlexDirect - £175 Switch Bonus

Premier switch offers

HSBC Premier

NatWest Premier

Royal Bank of Scotland Premier

Frequently asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Track your switches in your dashboard