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 2025, 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.

I've heard Barclays freezes accounts after the £2,000 deposit. True?

Yes, it happens. Multiple users report being frozen mid-switch when the £2,000 lump deposit lands — Barclays' anti-fraud system flags large unusual incoming payments. How to avoid it: - Trickle the £2,000 in — send £20 first, then £100, then £500, then the rest over 4–7 days. - Use a plain reference like your name. Avoid "switch", "bonus", or anything that mentions another bank. - Send from accounts in your own name where possible. If you do get frozen, contact Barclays immediately, send ID by post if requested, and stay calm — most cases resolve within 7–10 days and the £200 still pays out.

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 May 2026 · 5 live offers

Get paid £955+ 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

~5 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.

Visit Chase

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

5 switches. ~5 months. £955 + 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£200Expires 28 May 2026
Barclays
Open via the Barclays app (only works 9am-5pm). Initiate the full switch from your Chase secondary. Do this first if it's still live — the offer typically has the tightest deadline.
Burner needed: Switch FROM your first Chase secondary (the one with 2 active DDs).
- Pay in £2,000 within 30 days — but trickle it (£20 → £100 → £500 → rest)
- Use a plain reference like your name to avoid anti-fraud flags
- £200 typically lands within 45 working days
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). Add 2 DDs, wait for one to land before switching.
- Pay in £1,250 within 60 days, log into the RBS app within 30 days of qualifying
- 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. Add 2 DDs, wait for one to collect.
- Same £1,250 pay-in + app login
- You must not have held a NatWest/RBS/Ulster account on 6 May 2025
- If you got the RBS bonus, NatWest may decline — community reports it works in sequence anyway
See offer details
6
Week 14£175 + £45
First Direct
Open a 1st Account. 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, set up 2 DDs, make 5 debit-card payments
- 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
7
Week 18£180 + £20
Santander
Santander Edge or free Everyday account. Stack £20 extra cashback via TopCashback. 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
- Pay in £1,500 within 60 days
- Bonus paid 60–90 days after switch
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.

TopCashback

+£20 Santander

Click through TopCashback before opening Santander and you'll get an extra £20 cashback alongside 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

Barclays

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 45 working days.

Medium1 hour

View Details

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