How does the Current Account Switch Service work?

You apply for the new current account and, once approved, ask the new bank for a full switch through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS, run by Pay.UK). It is free, you pick the switch date (any working day at least 7 working days ahead), and the new bank does everything: your balance, salary and other incoming payments, Direct Debits and standing orders all move across automatically, and your old account is closed. More than 40 bank and building society brands take part, covering the overwhelming majority of UK current accounts, so almost any switch between mainstream providers is covered.

What does the Current Account Switch Guarantee actually cover?

Three big protections. First, the switch completes in 7 working days. Second, payments accidentally sent to your closed old account are automatically redirected to the new one — for at least 3 years, and in practice indefinitely (the redirection keeps running until 13 months pass with no stray payments) — and the sender is contacted with your new details. Third, if anything goes wrong with the switch, any interest or charges you incur on the old or new account as a result are refunded. A payment due mid-switch is covered: if it fails or is charged because of the switch, the guarantee puts you back where you should have been.

How much can I get for switching bank account?

Banks regularly run switching incentives of roughly £100–£200 (occasionally more) to win new customers — offers change monthly, so check a live comparison such as MoneySavingExpert's best bank accounts page for what is on the table right now rather than relying on any figure you read elsewhere. The bonus small print matters more than the headline: most offers require a full switch through CASS, that you are a new customer, that you move a minimum number of active Direct Debits (often two), pay in a minimum amount within a set window, and sometimes log in to the app or use the debit card. Missed conditions are the main reason bonuses are not paid.

Does switching bank account affect my credit score?

Applying for the new current account usually involves a credit check, and for most accounts that is a hard search, which sits on your file for a while and can nudge your score down slightly — one switch is trivial, but lots of applications in a short period add up, so serial switchers should space applications out. Some newer banks use soft checks for the account itself (a hard check only if you ask for an overdraft). The account itself, run well, does no harm — and being on the electoral roll at your current address matters far more to your file than which bank you use.

Switching bank account: the 7-day guarantee & switching bonuses

Q: Can I switch bank account with an overdraft?

Yes — being overdrawn does not stop you using the switch service, but the new bank has to agree to take the overdraft on. If your record is decent, many will match some or all of an existing arranged overdraft; if not, you will need to agree with your old bank how to repay what you owe before or as part of the switch. You do not need to be debt-free to switch — you just need a plan for the overdraft that both banks accept. If you keep being refused a normal account, a fee-free basic bank account is the guaranteed fallback.

How the switch works — you pick a date, the banks do the rest

A full switch through CASS is genuinely hands-off. Once your new account is approved, you ask the new bank for a full switch and choose a switch date — any working day at least 7 working days ahead (not a weekend or bank holiday). Then:

What moves	What happens
Money coming in	Your salary, pension, benefits and any other regular payments in are transferred to the new account automatically — and anyone who pays your old account after the switch is contacted and given your new details.
Direct Debits & standing orders	All of them move across automatically. You don’t contact a single company — the banks handle it.
Your balance	Whatever is in the old account on the switch date is transferred to the new one.
Your old account	Closed for you as part of the switch. You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) close it yourself.
Stray payments afterwards	Anything sent to the closed account — in or out — is automatically redirected to the new account for at least 3 years. In practice the redirection continues indefinitely: it only ends once 13 months pass with no stray payments to redirect.

You can keep using your old account as normal right up to the switch date. From the switch date, you use the new one — and that’s it. There is no cost, and you don’t need to be switching to or from any particular bank: the service covers switches between the participating providers, which is nearly every mainstream bank and building society in Britain.

Full switch vs partial switchSome banks also offer a partial switch — moving selected payments while leaving the old account open. That can suit people who want to keep an old account alive, but be clear-eyed: a partial switch is not covered by the Current Account Switch Guarantee, has no 7-day promise and no automatic redirection, and it won’t qualify for switching bonuses (they almost always require a full switch). If you want the protections on this page, ask for a full switch.

The guarantee — what you’re actually protected against

The Current Account Switch Guarantee is the reason a switch is low-risk. It promises:

The 7-working-day timetable. Your new account is up and running, with everything moved, by the agreed date.
Nothing gets lost. Payments in and out that go to the old account are redirected automatically and the sender is told your new details — so a payroll department that hasn’t updated your record can’t cost you a payday.
Errors cost the banks, not you. If anything goes wrong with the switch and you end up with interest or charges on the old or new account as a result — a bounced Direct Debit, a missed payment fee, lost interest — you get a refund when you tell the new bank.

Payments due mid-switch are coveredThe classic worry — “my rent goes out on the 1st, what if the switch eats it?” — is exactly what the guarantee exists for. If a payment fails or triggers a charge because of the switch, the guarantee puts you back in the position you should have been in. Pick a switch date that isn’t your busiest payment day if you want extra peace of mind, but you don’t have to: the protection applies either way, and the redirection keeps working for years afterwards.

Two genuine limits worth knowing: the guarantee covers the mechanics of the switch, not the terms of the new account (an overdraft rate or fee you signed up to is yours to own) — and anything saved about the old account, like a landlord’s saved payee details, is handled by redirection rather than magically updated everywhere, which is why it’s still worth telling your employer directly.

Switching bonuses — real money, real small print

Because a current account is the anchor of a banking relationship, banks periodically pay people to move. Incentives of roughly £100–£200 — sometimes more — come and go throughout the year. We deliberately don’t name live offers here: they change monthly, and yesterday’s £200 is today’s withdrawn deal. Check a live, maintained comparison — MoneySavingExpert’s best-bank-accounts page or a similar comparison site — on the day you decide.

What stays constant is the shape of the conditions. Almost every bonus requires most of these:

A full switch through the Current Account Switch Service (not a partial switch, not just opening an account);
Being a new customer — many offers exclude anyone who has held (or sometimes ever held) an account with that bank or its group, or who claimed a previous switching bonus from them;
Moving a minimum number of active Direct Debits — commonly two (an “active” Direct Debit is usually one that has actually paid out recently);
A minimum pay-in within a set window (often within 30 days of the switch);
Sometimes: logging in to the app, depositing into a linked saver, or using the debit card a set number of times.

Why most missed bonuses are missedIt’s almost never the bank refusing to pay — it’s a condition quietly unmet: one of your two Direct Debits wasn’t “active”, the pay-in landed a day late, or you’d had an account with the same banking group years ago. Screenshot the offer terms on the day you apply, tick each condition off inside the deadline, and diarise the payout date. If you met every condition and the bonus doesn’t arrive, complain to the bank in writing — and escalate free to the Financial Ombudsman if they don’t put it right.

Serial switching — moving every few months for the next bonus — is legal and some people fund a holiday this way. Just weigh the credit-file point below, keep a “burner” pattern honest (banks can and do exclude repeat claimants), and never chase a bonus into an account with fees that outweigh it.

Overdrafts & your credit score — the two honest caveats

Switching with an overdraft

You don’t need to be debt-free to switch — but an overdraft can’t just be wished across. The new bank has to agree to take it on: if you’ve managed an arranged overdraft reasonably, many will match some or all of it (the balance you owe simply moves to the new account). If the new bank won’t offer one, you’ll need to agree with your old bank how to repay what you owe before or as part of the switch. Tell the new bank about the overdraft when you apply, not after — and if overdraft debt is the real problem, deal with the debt first: our free debt help guide and StepChange (0800 138 1111) beat any switching bonus.

What a switch does to your credit file

Opening the new account usually involves a credit check — typically a hard search, which sits on your file for a while and can nudge your score down slightly. One switch is trivial and short-lived; lots of applications in a short period add up, so if you’re switching repeatedly for bonuses, space applications out. A few newer banks use a soft check for the account itself and only run a hard search if you ask for an overdraft. The account itself, run well, does your file no harm at all — and being on the electoral roll at your current address matters far more than which bank you use: see our credit report guide.

Two more “who should pause” cases: joint accounts can be switched, but both of you must agree and sign up to the new account first. And if you keep being refused a standard current account — after bankruptcy, CCJs or a thin file — stop applying (each refusal usually means another hard search) and open a fee-free basic bank account instead: banks can’t refuse those for credit-score reasons. Full guide: basic bank accounts.

Two things never to do(1) Never close your old account yourself mid-switch, and never switch to an account you haven’t actually been approved for — the service closes the old account for you at the right moment, and doing it early is how payments genuinely get lost outside the guarantee. (2) No bank will ever phone, text or email telling you to “switch” or move your money to a “safe account” — that is always a fraudster, however convincing the caller ID. Hang up, call your bank on the number on your card, and check anything suspicious with our scam checker. If money has already gone, you may be covered by the bank scam refund rules — act fast.

The switch, step by step

Pick the new account — and read the bonus terms first. Compare on service and fees as well as any live offer; screenshot the conditions.
Apply and get approved. Flag any overdraft you want carried over. Nothing moves until you’re approved, so there’s no risk in applying.
Request a FULL switch and pick your date — at least 7 working days ahead, on a working day. Then do nothing: the banks move everything and close the old account.
After the switch date: check your Direct Debits and standing orders all arrived, complete any outstanding bonus conditions inside the deadline, and tell your employer (and anyone else who pays you) the new details — redirection catches stragglers, but tidy beats redirected.
If anything goes wrong: tell the new bank — under the guarantee they must refund any charges or lost interest the switch caused, on either account.

Do this now

Ten minutes, potentially £100–£200: (1) open a live comparison (e.g. MoneySavingExpert’s best bank accounts page) and see what switching offers are running today; (2) count your active Direct Debits — most bonuses want two or more; (3) apply for the account that fits, request a full switch, and screenshot the bonus terms. The switch service itself is free, guaranteed and does all the work — the only effort is picking well.

Confusing bank letter? Put it through Decode. This is general information, not financial advice — for free, impartial money guidance see MoneyHelper (government-backed) or Citizens Advice.

Related guides — banking & money

Basic bank account Check your credit report Bank scam refunds Stop overpaying Find missing money

Source verification Primary sources: the Current Account Switch Service (currentaccountswitch.co.uk, operated by Pay.UK) — how-it-works and common-questions pages — plus MoneyHelper, Moneyfacts and MoneySavingExpert switching guides for cross-checks. Last verified 3 July 2026 — the service is free; a full switch completes in 7 working days on a switch date you choose (any working day, not weekends/bank holidays); balance, incoming payments (salary etc.), Direct Debits and standing orders all move automatically and the old account is closed by the banks. Participation stated qualitatively: more than 40 bank and building society brands, covering the overwhelming majority (industry sources cite 99%+) of UK current accounts. Redirection: payments to the old account are redirected for a minimum of 36 months and in practice indefinitely — the redirection ends only after 13 consecutive months with no redirected payments (post-Sept-2013 switches; MoneySavingExpert/Pay.UK coverage of the extension) — and senders are contacted with the new details. Guarantee: any interest or charges incurred on the old or new account as a result of a switch failure are refunded. Overdrafts: switching while overdrawn is possible but the new bank must agree to take the overdraft on, else repayment is arranged with the old bank (NatWest/Moneyfacts guidance). Partial switches exist but sit outside the guarantee (no 7-day promise, no redirection). Bonuses stated qualitatively only — banks regularly run roughly £100–£200 switching incentives with conditions (full switch, new customer, typically 2+ active Direct Debits, minimum pay-in, sometimes app login/card use); live offers change monthly, so no specific current offer or bank is named — check a maintained comparison on the day. Credit impact: account opening typically involves a hard search (some banks soft-check unless an overdraft is requested); one switch is minor, repeated applications compound — stated per MoneySuperMarket/Uswitch guidance. Confidence: High on the CASS mechanics (operator’s own site); medium-high on redirection-forever detail (operator + MSE coverage — the floor of 36 months is certain); qualitative by design on bonus amounts and bank-by-bank credit-check practice. Scope: UK-wide. Not financial advice — free impartial guidance from MoneyHelper.

Switching bank account — common questions

How long does switching bank account take?

Seven working days from start to your chosen switch date, under the Current Account Switch Guarantee. You pick the date (any working day at least 7 working days ahead), keep using your old account until then, and everything — balance, salary, Direct Debits, standing orders — is moved automatically. The old account is closed for you.

Will I miss a payment during the switch?

The guarantee is built so you don’t: payments due around the switch are moved with everything else, anything sent to the old account afterwards is redirected automatically (for at least 3 years, in practice indefinitely), and if a switch error does cause a failed payment, charge or lost interest on either account, the new bank must refund it. Tell the new bank promptly if you spot anything wrong.

Do I have to close my old account?

No — and don’t do it yourself. A full switch closes the old account for you at the right moment, which is what keeps the redirection and the guarantee intact. If you want to keep the old account open, that’s a partial switch — possible with some banks, but outside the guarantee and it won’t qualify for switching bonuses.

Why didn’t I get my switching bonus?

Almost always a condition quietly unmet: a Direct Debit that didn’t count as “active”, a pay-in that landed after the deadline, a partial rather than full switch, or a previous account with the same banking group. Check the offer terms you (hopefully) screenshotted, and if you genuinely met every condition, complain to the bank in writing — then escalate free to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they don’t pay.

Can I switch if I have a poor credit history?

You can apply — the new bank runs its own checks, and an overdraft transfer needs their agreement. If you’re refused a standard account repeatedly, stop burning hard searches and open a fee-free basic bank account instead: the big banks must offer them and can’t refuse for credit-score reasons (bankruptcy included). Full guide: our basic bank account page.

Sources: Switch mechanics, guarantee & redirection · Current Account Switch Service (Pay.UK) · MoneyHelper — switching bank accounts · MoneySavingExpert — best bank accounts (live offers) · Moneyfacts — the switch service explained. SortedUK is not affiliated with Pay.UK or any bank, receives no commission from any switch or offer, and this is general information, not financial advice. Free impartial guidance: MoneyHelper 0800 011 3797 · Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848. Last reviewed: 3 July 2026.

Switching bank account — the 7-day guarantee & switching bonuses