SPECIAL OFFER - Switch to a 1st Account and get £175*. Requires credit check. New customers only and T&Cs apply.
Why we like it
Get access to a Regular Saver Account - Put away between £25 and £300 for a fixed 12 month term. If you save £300 every month for 12 months and qualify for the 7.00% AER/gross p.a. interest rate, you'll earn approximately £136.50 interest (gross). Interest is calculated daily and paid 12 months after you opened the account. AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate. This shows you what the rate would be if interest were paid and compounded each year. Gross is the rate of interest if interest were paid and not compounded each year. No partial withdrawals allowed. Early closure will result in interest being paid at the standard account variable rate. £250 interest-free overdraft (subject to status). No minimum monthly funding and no monthly account fee. No first direct fees for when spending abroad, withdrawing cash from the UK or when making a debit card payment in a foreign currency in the UK. Mobile banking app. UK based contact centre. Representative Example: How does our overdraft compare? The representative APR shows the cost of borrowing over a year, so you can use it to compare the cost of our overdraft against other overdrafts and ways of borrowing. 0% EAR variable on the first £250, 39.9% EAR variable thereafter, giving a representative rate of 30.5% APR variable (assumed arranged overdraft £1,200). For customers with an offset mortgage linked to a 1st Account, the interest-free limit will not apply. *Within 45 days of your account opening you need to: switch to first direct using the Current Account Switch Service (including at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders), deposit £1,000, make 5+ debit card payments, and log on to digital banking. New customers only, who haven’t previously held a first direct product. Sorry, first direct also can’t offer this to people who have opened an HSBC current account on or after 1 January 2018. Offer can be withdrawn at any time. Subject to status. UK residents only
The current account Switch Service was launched in 2013 to make it faster and easier to change your current account.
It has so far been used to switch over 3 million accounts, with more than 40 banks and building societies being part of the service. This means 99% of UK current accounts are included.
To use the Current Account Switch Service, you simply have to choose a new current account, then ask your new bank or building society to move your old account over using the Current Account Switch Service.
Your new current account provider will then do everything for you, moving your balance, your Direct Debits and standing orders over. This means you don’t have to spend time cancelling and restarting all your payments , which means you don’t risk missing a payment and getting into arrears.
What is the Current Account Switch Guarantee?
The Current Account Switch Service offers a Current Account Switch Guarantee, giving customers the following:
Free current account switching
Switch on a date of your choosing
They will take care of all outgoing and incoming payments (e.g. your salary)
They move any money in your old account to your new one
They will let you know before your switch date if there are any issues
If anything goes wrong, they will refund any interest (paid or lost) and any charges you incur
First Direct 1st Account offer a £175 incentive for switching to their 1st Account. You will need to switch your everyday banking to First Direct using the Current Account Switch Service including at least two Direct Debits or Standing Orders, deposit a minimum of £1,000 (in single or multiple deposits) and register and log onto digital banking within 45 days of opening your first direct 1st Account.
