This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
RBS Current Account
Why we like it: 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
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER - £125 for SWITCHING to an HSBC Advance Account. Earn 1.00% AER/gross when you save between £25 and £250 per month. Arranged overdraft limit of at least £1,000 on account opening. Money banking app. No monthly account fee. Easy switching with the Current Account Switch Service. Must be 18 or older and be UK resident. Must pay in £1,750 per month or £10,500 over 6 months. Must be approved for an arranged overdraft of £1,000+. Get the £125 when switching to an HSBC Advance Account as a new customer with at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders. Eligibility criteria and T&C’s apply. Offer may be withdrawn anytime
Why we like it: SPECIAL OFFER - £100 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. Easy switching with the Current Account Switch Service. Must be 18 or older and UK resident. Get the £100 when switching as a new customer and paying in at least £1,000 within three months of the account opening
Why we like it: Earn 0.60% AER (variable) interest on balances up to a maximum of £20,000. Up to 3% CASHBACK on various household bills. Monthly fee of £5. 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
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. Best British Bank and Best Current Account in 2020 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: Can be opened by or on behalf of any child up to the age of 18. Debit or cash card available for those aged between 13 and 18. 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 18 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: *2.00% interest for 12 months on balances up to £1,500 for the first year. You must pay in £1,000 or more each month to receive interest (excluding transfers from any Nationwide account held by you or anyone else). 12 month fee-free arranged overdraft available. No monthly fee. Access to Flexclusives - Select Credit Card and low personal loan rate. Must be aged 18 or older. 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: Everyday current accout. No monthly account fee. Access to Flexclusives - Select Credit Card and low personal loan rate. 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: UK & Europe Breakdown Cover, Worldwide family travel and mobile phone insurance, and commission-free cash withdrawals and card payments abroad. Free mobile banking app, text alerts and secure online banking. Access to Flexclusives - Select Credit Card and low personal loan rate. £13 monthly account fee. Bank is registered with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), so any money you keep will be fully protected, up to £85,000
RBS Current Account
RBS offer a selection of accounts from a basic everyday account to make life easier to paid monthly reward accounts.
Their Basic Account offers the following features:
- 24-hour telephone banking and online banking.
- Emergency money available from ATMs if you forget or lose your card.
- Access to your account at any time with 24 hour call centres, using the mobile app, online banking or by visiting one of 600 branches.
- Apple Pay, a secure way to pay using your Royal Bank of Scotland debit or credit card and Apple device.
- An arranged overdraft with a ten pound buffer.
Rewards and Offers
- 3% cashback on household bills
RBS also offer a reward account. It’s worth noting that this account is not available to customers in England and Wales but as NatWest is part of the RBS group they offer the same account to English and Welsh residents.
There are no monthly payments for this account, which makes it a great option for those who are unable to meet the high minimum payment requests of some other accounts. There is, however, a charge per month of £3.
The rewards you can earn on this account are similar to the Santander 123 account in that you can earn cashback on your household bills. As this account is a cheaper option than the Santander account, it’s a great choice for those who pay a lot of household bills out of one account and would like to see some return on that. Although, in order to see any profit on this, you would need to spend over £100 on bills per month in household bills.
The scheme is quite simple, you can automatically earn 3% on seven kinds of household bills, including council tax. As soon as you reach £5 in rewards you can exchange it for £5, which you can convert to money and transfer in to your current account or even use towards your RBS credit card balance.
RBS state that there will be no limits to the rewards you can earn and on average customers can earn around £120 per year in rewards.
- You are also able to exchange the rewards for gift cards or codes to spend at selected UK retailers or donate to one of four charities.
You can earn your ‘rewards’ on the following bills when you pay by Direct Debit from your Reward Bank Account; council tax, mobile, landline, TV package, gas, electricity and broadband.
However, they don’t allow you to earn rewards on payments to organisations such as insurance providers, repairs or home maintenance.
Other Useful Information
- If you go overdrawn without having an arranged overdraft (or if you go over your agreed limit), then you may be charged an unarranged overdraft Usage Fee of £6 per day if you go past the £10 buffer and an unpaid Transaction Fee of £6 for each transaction not paid.
- It’s worth noting that no interest is paid on either of these accounts for in-credit balances.
Overall the basic bank account is a very good option for those who want a standard bank account.
The Reward Account is a great account for cashback and with no minimum monthly pay-in, it is a cheaper option than other current accounts. The £3 a month charge would be covered by your rewards if you take full advantage of the offer.
