This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
Santander Savings Accounts
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. Offer for new customers only who haven’t held an HSBC current account, or opened a first direct account since 1 January 2018. Eligibility criteria and T&C’s apply. Offer may be withdrawn anytime
Why we like it: 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
Why we like it: Save from £5,000 to £500,000. No additional deposits or withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: MARKET LEADING. Save from £5,000 to £500,000. No additional deposits or withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: MARKET LEADING. Save from £5,000 to £500,000. No additional deposits or withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Which? Recommended Savings Provider. No notice period. Deposit from £100. Interest paid monthly or annually. Apply in minutes. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services. Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Market Leading. Balances from £1,000 to £1 million. Unlimited withdrawals without restriction or loss of interest. Eligible deposits covered by UK FSCS.
Why we like it: Unlimited withdrawals subject to 95 days notice.
Why we like it: Which? Recommended Savings Provider. Save from £1,000 to £1,000,000. No withdrawals before the end of the term. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Which? Recommended Savings Provider. Save from £1,000 to £1,000,000. No withdrawals before the end of the term. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
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
Compare Santander savings accounts
The Santander Group is a Spanish banking group which offers a range of savings products to customers around the world. Below we look at the main types of savings accounts Santander has on offer and explain some of their key pros and cons.
Current Accounts
When your savings are relatively modest, you are probably best keeping them in your current account. This is because current accounts usually pay good rates of interest on smaller amounts.
If your balance goes over the interest-paying limit, however, you will usually earn nothing on the excess. This should then be transferred to another type of savings account to maximise your return.
Instant Access Savings Accounts
If you want the flexibility to add and remove funds from your savings account when it suits you, an instant access savings account is likely to be the best fit. You can normally deposit and withdraw money instantly, but there may be an annual limit on the number of times you can do this.
Many instant access accounts will come with a cash card, allowing you to get money from a standard ATM. Others require you to make withdrawals in person at a branch or use phone and online banking to make transfers.
Regular Savings Accounts
For savers who want to put a little bit of money aside each month, a regular savings account makes a lot of sense. You will usually have to commit to making a minimum deposit each month or risk paying a penalty fee and you make only be able to make so many withdrawals a year.
In exchange you will generally get a favourable interest rate, although it may take a while to see much of a benefit from this as you will need to build up your capital first.
Fixed Rate Bonds
If you want a reliable return on a lump sum, fixed rate bonds are a good possibility. They pay guaranteed rates of interest over a set period with the downside being you can’t access your money until the bond matures. The longer the bond lasts for, the higher the interest rate you will tend to be offered.
Cash ISAs
For UK tax payers, cash ISAs are a very attractive proposition. They let you earn interest tax free on deposits below a certain yearly threshold set by the government. For the 2017/18 tax year the cut-off is £20,000.
ISAs are usually offered either as instant access or fixed term. Instant access cash ISAs let you add and remove funds whenever you want to and pay variable rates of interest. Fixed term cash ISAs act like fixed rate bonds, but with the benefit of paying no tax on your interest.
Find the best Santander savings account for you
With such a range of providers and products on the market, making the best choice is challenging. To help make things a little easier, we offer a savings account comparison tool (see the top of this page). This allows you to quickly and simply compare the best offers currently available on savings accounts from all the top providers, making your decision much less confusing.
