First Direct is a branchless UK bank offering current accounts and savings through its app and 24/7 phone line.
Offer overview
Chris · Your personal guide
Switch
Go to Quidco using the button below for an extra £20 cashback.
Switch from an account with 2 direct debits or standing orders.
- Please note this is a hard credit check.
Eligibility
- Does not qualify:Previous First Direct products
- Does not qualify:HSBC current account opened since 1st January 2018
- Qualifies:The extra £35 is for accounts opened between 14 September and 2 December 2026 only
Step by Step Guide
- 1Use the button below to go to Quidco for an extra £20 cashback
- 2Search for 'First Direct' and click through to start your application
- 3Select the 1st Account (free, no monthly fee)
- 4Complete the application. You’ll set up the switch separately once your account is open
- 1Download the First Direct app from the App Store or Google Play
- 2Log into your new First Direct account
- 3Select the account you want to transfer into, then tap ‘Switch to us’ from your account menu
- 4Enter your existing bank’s sort code, account number, and preferred switching date
- 5Make sure at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders will move across
The switch will move your Direct Debits and standing orders automatically
- Deposit at least £1,000 into your new First Direct account
Don't have it all up front? Pay in £250 from another bank, leave it 24 hours, then move it back out and repeat. 4 rounds of the same £250 counts as the full £1,000.
Your salary counts towards this if it's £1,000 or more
You can also do a manual bank transfer
Complete within 45 days of account opening
- Make 5 or more card transactions with your First Direct debit card
See my top 3 card payment tips if you need ideas for this.
Contactless, online, or chip & PIN all count
No need to wait for your physical card. You can use your virtual card in the app.
Any amount works, even a £1 coffee counts
Complete within 45 days of account opening
- Check your First Direct account for the £210 credit
Keep First Direct as your main account, or switch it to your next bank switch offer
- Your Quidco bonus will become payable. Withdraw this to your bank
Member experiences
14 completions (all-time offers)
How fast members were paid
Days from meeting the criteria to the cash arriving
30.0
Average days
- none in 1 to 14 days
- 3 in 15 to 30 days
- 3 in 31 to 60 days
- none in 61 to 90 days
6 member timings (current offer)
Quick review
First Direct
Wondering whether First Direct is worth it beyond the bonus? Here is our honest take.
Customer service nerds, this one's for you. Quidsy has two live offers with First Direct: £210 free cash for switching your current account (£175 plus a £35 boost if you open by 2 December 2026), plus a 7.00% AER Regular Saver paying on £25 to £300 monthly deposits. The catch is you need the 1st Account open before the Regular Saver unlocks.
Chris' verdictYour personal guide, QuidsyIf customer service matters to you, First Direct is genuinely the best bank in the UK right now. They topped the January 2026 UKCSI Best Customer Service ranking across all 13 sectors the index covers, not just banking, and 97% of customers in Finder's awards said they would recommend the bank.
Phone support is 24/7 and you actually speak to a real person in Leeds, which sounds like a small thing until you have spent half an hour stuck on someone else's phone tree.
The 1st Account itself is one of the most useful current accounts in the market. No monthly fee, fee-free spending abroad, a £250 interest-free overdraft buffer, and access to a 7% Regular Saver once you are a customer. That Regular Saver alone is reason to switch and stay.
The only real downside is no branches, which matters for some people and not others. If you need to deposit cash regularly or want a face-to-face relationship with your bank, this is not the one. For everyone else, especially if you are already comfortable doing your banking on a phone, it is a strong recommendation, better than the high-street alternatives in almost every measurable way.
First Direct is a division of HSBC UK Bank plc, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN 765112). Eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.