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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo switch a personal current account, open an account with a participating UK bank or building society, then ask that new provider to arrange the free Current Account Switch Service (CASS). The switch normally takes seven working days from the agreed switch date; it transfers your balance and regular payments, redirects payments sent to the old account and closes that account on the switch date.
Before you switch: choose and open the new account
Compare accounts against the way you bank, not just a headline offer. Check monthly charges, overdraft interest and fees, eligibility rules, any minimum-deposit or Direct Debit conditions, access to branches or banking hubs, and whether the payment or financial-data services you use work with the new provider. Promotional offers can have their own eligibility and fulfilment conditions. MoneyHelper explains what to compare in its guide to choosing a bank account.
Opening the account and switching are separate steps: the new provider must first approve your application and complete its identity and security checks. Approval and any overdraft facility depend on that provider’s criteria. CASS is available for regular current accounts at participating providers, not savings accounts or ISAs. Check the CASS service information and personal-account FAQs for current participation details.
How to switch using CASS
- Open the destination account. Wait until the new provider confirms the account is open.
- Request the switch from the new provider. Give it the details it requests for your old account; the new bank or building society, not CASS itself, starts and manages the switch.
- Agree a switch date. Allow seven working days after opening the account and arranging the switch. Choose a working day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday. The CASS switching-process guide sets out the sequence.
- Keep the final week clear of new payment instructions on the old account. During the seven working days before the switch date, set up any new Direct Debits or standing orders on the new account instead.
- Check the move on and after the switch date. CASS transfers the remaining balance and regular incoming and outgoing payments, including salary, benefits, Direct Debits and standing orders. Payments sent to the old account are redirected. Check that important payees and expected payments appear as intended.
What the Current Account Switch Guarantee covers
The guarantee is offered by the new participating provider. It says the service is free, your balance and regular payments are transferred, and payments sent to the old account are redirected. The guarantee also provides for charges or interest caused by a switching failure to be refunded; any additional compensation is at the provider’s discretion. Read the Current Account Switch Guarantee for its terms.
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When a payment is redirected, the guarantee says the sender will be contacted with your new account details. The service does not move every financial relationship or permission associated with your old account, so check the exceptions below.
Exceptions to plan for
If you have an overdraft
You can apply to switch while overdrawn, but your overdraft limit does not automatically transfer. The new provider must agree to any overdraft under its usual lending criteria. If the providers have not agreed how the existing overdraft will be handled, arrange repayment separately before switching.
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If the old account is joint
Both holders must agree to the switch, and the destination must also be a joint account. CASS will not switch a joint account into a sole account.
If you want to keep the old account open
A CASS switch closes the old account. If you want to retain it, speak to your bank about another arrangement instead; that route is not a CASS switch and does not carry the CASS guarantee.
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Third-party services and permissions
Payment services, money-management apps and financial-data connections do not transfer automatically. Contact each provider and, where supported, reconnect or re-authorise it with your new account. Compatibility varies between third parties and banks.
Account details do not match
If the details you give the new provider do not match the old bank’s records, you may need to update your information with the old bank before the switch can proceed. Contact the providers if you are told there is a mismatch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Personal-account scope and changing terms
This process is for personal current accounts and providers participating in CASS. It does not establish the process for business accounts or accounts at non-participating providers. Account fees, rates, eligibility, participation and promotions can change, so confirm the current terms directly with the providers before applying.
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