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Strategy
Best bank switching order in 2026
The order you switch in can decide how much you earn. Here's how to plan it, and a free tool to build your own.
Updated 17 October 2026 · 6 min read
The short answer
Start with the biggest offer you qualify for, and watch the links between banks.
Banks in the same group often exclude each other, and every offer has a deadline. Plan the order first, then switch.
Banks set their own eligibility rules. Many exclude people who already hold, or recently held, one of their accounts, and some exclude people who hold an account at a linked bank. Every offer also has its own deadline. Switch in the wrong order and you can rule yourself out of a bigger bonus later.
The live offers to plan around
These are the offers we track right now. Always confirm the exact rules on the bank's page before you apply.
Checked October 2026. Lloyds closes 9 December and the First Direct boost ends 2 December.
The banking groups to know
Banks in the same group often share eligibility rules, so check this before you switch, not after. The two main groups at the moment:
HSBC and First Direct. HSBC excludes anyone who has held a First Direct account since 1 January 2023, and First Direct excludes anyone who has held an HSBC account since 1 January 2018. In practice, taking one usually rules out the other, so decide which you want first.
NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank. These share eligibility rules, so you can usually only claim one of them.
A simple approach that works for most people
Start with the highest-value offer you qualify forCheck the live offers and pick whichever pays most that you're eligible for.
Choose one bank from each linked groupYou can only claim one from HSBC / First Direct, and one from NatWest / RBS / Ulster Bank.
Put deadline offers ahead of open-ended onesIf two offers pay about the same, do the one that closes first. An ongoing offer gives you more room on timing.
Space switches six to eight weeks apartA switch takes up to seven working days and most bonuses pay 30 to 60 days after the conditions are met. Three to five a year is realistic.
Offers, deadlines and eligibility rules change every month, so a fixed "switch in this order" list goes stale quickly. That's why we built the calculator: it reflects what's live right now.
What about your Direct Debits between switches?
This is where most people lose momentum. A CASS switch moves your Direct Debits to the new bank automatically. But if a switch goes wrong or you cancel too early, you can end up with no active mandates and miss the next offer.
BeSwitchReady's two £0.99 Direct Debits are Bacs mandates that move with each CASS switch, so you stay ready for the next offer without extra admin.
Your strategy, simplified
Stay eligible through every switch
£1.98 a month keeps two genuine Direct Debits running, and the monthly newsletter points you at the next offer worth targeting, with deadlines and claiming steps.
Two Direct Debits£0.99 each, £1.98 a month in total.
Offer alerts firstNew offers, boosts and ending dates, by email.
Your best next switchA monthly pick, with the order to do things in.
Cancel any timeThrough your bank, no minimum term.
Yes. Some banks exclude people who hold or have recently held an account with the same banking group, and some offers have deadlines. Claiming a lower offer first can rule out a bigger one later, so check the rules before you switch.
Which banks are linked for switching bonuses?
The main groups to watch are HSBC and First Direct, and NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank. HSBC excludes people who have held a First Direct account since 1 January 2023, and First Direct excludes people who have held an HSBC account since 1 January 2018, so taking one usually rules out the other.
How many bank switches can I realistically do in a year?
Each switch takes up to seven working days and most bonuses pay 30 to 60 days after you meet the conditions, so spacing switches six to eight weeks apart means three to five a year is realistic for an active switcher.
Do my Direct Debits move with each switch?
Yes. The Current Account Switch Service moves your Direct Debits to the new bank, so BeSwitchReady's two £0.99 Direct Debits carry across each time and stay available for the next offer.
Free download
The UK Bank Switching Eligibility Database
Every live offer, its Direct Debit rules, banking groups and a switching checklist. Reviewed 1 November 2026.
This is general information, not financial advice. Offer figures were checked in October 2026 and change regularly, so always confirm terms on the bank's own page before you apply. BeSwitchReady is a paid membership service that sets up Direct Debits.