This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
Current Account Interest Rates
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER - Get £150 if you switch from another bank with Current Account Switcher Service until 5pm on 07/04/22. Terms & Conditions apply. Fee Free Account. An everyday current account. Great money management tools with our mobile banking app. ‘Criteria Apply’. Multiple ways to pay: Apple Pay, Google Pay™ and Contactless Visa Debit Card. Limits apply. Arranged overdraft available (subject to eligibility). No monthly fee. Defaqto 5* rated. Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200 you’ll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable. To apply you need to be 18+ and a UK resident. No monthly fee. For Switcher offer pay in at least £1250 and log into mobile banking by 12/05/22. Online only and account and app eligibility criteria apply
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER - Get £150 if you switch from another bank with Current Account Switcher Service until 5pm on 07/04/22. Terms & Conditions apply. Earn £4 a month back in Rewards by making a minimum of 2 direct debit payments of at least £2 each, or earn £1 a month in rewards with 1 mobile app login. Earn Rewards that you can redeem as cash back, gift cards or e-codes with our retail partners. Great money management tools with our mobile banking app. ‘Criteria Apply’. Arranged overdraft available (subject to eligibility). Multiple ways to pay: Apple Pay, Google Pay™ and Contactless Visa Debit. Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Customers need to pay at least £1,250 into any eligible personal current account every month (excludes transfers between your own accounts). Must not currently hold 2 Reward accounts. £2 monthly fee. Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200 you’ll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable. To apply you need to be 18+ and a UK resident. No monthly fee. For Switcher offer pay in at least £1250 and log into mobile banking by 12/05/22. Online only and account and app eligibility criteria apply
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER – £140 when you switch to Santander Everyday Current Account. T&Cs apply. No minimum monthly funding or monthly fee to maintain the account. Earn up to 15% cashback with Retailer Offers. Stress-free account switching in 7 days with the Current Account Switch Service. £300 ATM withdrawal per day, Arranged Overdraft facility (subject to status). Online and Mobile Banking with text and email alerts. Must be 18 or older and live in the UK permanently. 39.94% EAR overdraft charge. Bank is registered with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so any money you keep will be fully protected, up to £85,000. £140 cashback when you complete a full switch to a Santander Everyday Current Account within 60 days, set up 2 Direct Debits, pay in £1,000 and log into Online or Mobile Banking. T&Cs apply.
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER - £130 for SWITCHING to a First Direct 1st Account. Access to Regular Saver Account paying 1.00% AER/Gross fixed for 12 months if saving between £25 and £300 a month (up to £3,600 per year). £250 interest-free overdraft (subject to status). No minimum monthly funding and no monthly account fee. Mobile banking app. UK based contact centre. To qualify, switch using the Current Account Switch Service, deposit £1000 within 3 months of account opening. New customers only that have not opened a HSBC account on or after 1 Jan 2018
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER – £140 cashback when you switch to a Santander 1|2|3 Current Account. T&Cs apply. Earn 0.30% AER (variable) interest on balances up to a maximum of £20,000. Up to 3% cashback on household bills - 1% on council tax bills, Mobile and home phone bills, broadband and paid-for TV packages, and Santander monthly mortgage payments. 2% on Gas and electricity bills, Santander Home Insurance premiums and Santander Life Insurance premiums, and 3% on water bills. Monthly fee of £4. Cashback capped at £5 for each cashback tier each month. Must pay in £500 pm. Bank is registered with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so any money you keep will be fully protected, up to £85,000. £140 cashback when you complete a full switch to a Santander 1|2|3 Current Account within 60 days, set up 2 Direct Debits, pay in £1,000 and log into Online or Mobile Banking. T&Cs apply.
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER – £140 cashback when you switch to a Santander 1|2|3 Lite Current Account. T&Cs apply. Up to 3% cashback on selected household bills, capped at £5 for each cashback tier each month. Earn up to 15% cashback with Retailer Offers. Easy to manage online or on mobile app. Get access to a range of 123 offers. Arranged Overdraft facility (subject to status) - 39.94% APR / EAR (variable). Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Customers must pay a minimum of £500 into account each month, have 2 active Direct Debits, log onto Online or Mobile Banking at least once every 3 months. Must not currently hold 2 Reward accounts. £2 monthly fee. £140 cashback when you complete a full switch to a Santander 1|2|3 Lite Current Account within 60 days, set up 2 Direct Debits, pay in £1,000 and log into Online or Mobile Banking. T&Cs apply.
Why we like it: Free current account. Pays 0.05% AER interest on balances up to £85,000. Get set up in minutes. Send money abroad: Fast and secure money transfers to bank accounts in 38 countries worldwide. No fees when you pay with your card abroad or withdraw money. Get a spotlight on your spending: See what you’ve spent instantly with real-time payment notifications. 3 month interest holiday on the first £500 of an arranged overdraft. Voted best British Bank and Best Current Account 2018 - 2021 at the British Bank Awards. Awarded 5 stars by Defaqto. Bank is registered with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so any money you keep will be fully protected, up to £85,000
Why we like it: Open a GBP and EUR current account using your mobile in minutes, with no credit checks and no proof of address required. Track your account activity in real-time, get an overview of your monthly outgoings, set budgets and set your savings aside from your day-to-day spending. Get instant updates on your mobile whenever you receive or spend money. Add money to your account instantly by debit card or bank transfer. Spend on your Monese card and make ATM withdrawals worldwide with fee-free allowances and money-saving exchange rates. Send money to your contacts and request payments from them. You can also save when you transfer money abroad at the wholesale currency exchange rate. Transfers between Monese accounts are also free and instant. You can use your Monese app in any one of 12 languages
Why we like it: Can be opened by or on behalf of any child up to the age of 17. Debit or cash card available for those aged between 13 and 17. Monthly interest. No monthly fee. For children under age 13, the account must be opened in trust and managed by an adult (trustee). If you’re aged between 13 and 17 years old and live permanently in the UK you can apply online by telephone or in branch. No overdraft facility. 1% interest on the entire balance once the balance is £100, 2.00% AER/1.98% gross (variable) on the entire balance once the balance is £1,500, 3.00% AER/2.96% gross (variable) on the entire balance once the balance is £1,500 or over (up to a maximum of £2,000). Bank is registered with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so any money you keep will be fully protected, up to £85,000
Why we like it: A bank account that can build credit history. No credit check during sign up. Apply straight from your mobile. Instant online decision. Get your Contactless Debit Mastercard within 3-5 working days. Add Creditbuilder onto your account and it could help build your credit rating at no extra cost. Deposit cash into your account at any Post Office UK branch. Money is available in your account immediately. Manage your account 24/7 from any device with the banking app - get real time balance information, statements, add payees send payments and apply for extras. Automatic payment alerts. UK based Customer Services Team. Your money is protected up to £85,000 by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme)
Why we like it: Earn £4 a month back in Rewards by making a minimum of 2 direct debit payments of at least £2 each. Plus earn an extra £1 a month in rewards with 1 mobile app login. Earn Rewards that you can redeem as cash back, gift cards or e-codes with our retail partners. Great money management tools with our mobile banking app. ‘Criteria Apply’. Arranged overdraft available (subject to eligibility). Multiple ways to pay: Apple Pay, Google Pay™ and Contactless Visa Debit. Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Customers need to pay at least £1,250 into any eligible personal current account every month (excludes transfers between your own accounts). Must not currently hold 2 Reward accounts. £2 monthly fee. Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200 you’ll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable
Why we like it: An everyday current account. Great money management tools with our mobile banking app. ‘Criteria Apply’. Multiple ways to pay: Apple Pay, Google Pay™ and Contactless Visa Debit Card. Limits apply. Arranged overdraft available (subject to eligibility). No monthly fee. Defaqto 5* rated. Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200 you’ll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable
Understanding current account interest rates
Current accounts' interest rates vary considerably, but some current accounts pay highly attractive rates of interest – often better than many dedicated savings accounts.
The drawback is that current accounts tend to have relatively low deposit limits above which you will earn no interest. It is therefore usually sensible to keep as much of your savings as possible in a high-interest current account, then put the rest in a different current account or other type of savings account.
Current accounts generally have two different interest rates – the one they charge you when you are in credit and the one you pay when you are overdrawn. Different current accounts are likely to be more appealing than others depending on whether you tend to be in credit or not most of them time.
AER versus APR
When people talk about interest rates, they will usually refer to an interest rate that is a certain percentage AER or APR.
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and is usually quoted for the interest you will pay on loans and credit cards.
AER means Annual Equivalent Rate and is used for the interest you earn on your savings. AER is the amount you would earn if your interest was only paid once a year, whereas in reality current accounts usually pay interest monthly.
Compare current account interest rates
To find the best current account interest rates, you need to compare current accounts from all the top providers on the market. The current account comparison table at the top of this page makes this process quick and simple, allowing you to find a great deal with minimal hassle.
Below are three of the top current accounts available right now:
Santander 123 current account
This account offers 1.50% AER/1.49% gross (variable) on balances up to £20,000. You can also earn cashback of 1-3% on a variety of household bills. This includes payments on a Santander mortgage or insurance policy.
This account has a £5 per month account fee. You must make a minimum monthly deposit of £500 and have two active Direct Debits to qualify for cashback.
TSB Classic Plus account
You can earn 3% AER interest paid monthly on balances up to £1,500 with a TSB Classic Plus account. You can also get £5 per month cashback if you have at least two Direct Debits from the account and another £5 per month when you use your debit card at least 20 times in that month.
There is no monthly account fee, but to earn interest you must pay in a minimum of £500 each month.
Nationwide FlexDirect current account
You get a market-leading 5% AER (4.89% gross p.a.) interest on balances up to £2,500 for the first 12 months with this account. However, the interest then drops to 1% gross p.a./AER (variable), so it may be worth switching to a different account after the first year.
There is no monthly account fee, but you won’t earn any cashback and you have to pay in at least £1,000 a month to earn interest.
