Bad relationships are hard work. Here, we highlight why it’s time to cut the ties with your old bank and fall in love with easy, responsible banking from Starling.
“I think we should see other people, surprise fees.”
At Starling, we believe in fair banking with no monthly fees. We never go behind your back and slip a fee or caveat into the small print - that’s not our style.
Instead, we aim to be upfront, honest and transparent. For example, if you haven’t got enough in your account to cover an upcoming direct debit, we’ll ping you a notification so that the payment doesn’t bounce.
If you’ve got an overdraft with us, we’ll let you know if you’re just about to go into it. We also make it easy to see how many days you’ve been in your overdraft and how much it costs. You only pay interest on what you use, and you can lower your own limit, using our flexible in-app slider.
In the Starling app, you’ll also find our Marketplace, where you can browse and connect to third-party products and services. From phone insurance to online accounting software, everything is priced in line with what the providers charge on their own website. You’ll never be charged more for signing up through our Marketplace - it’s our Starling promise.
“It’s not me, it’s you, teeny tiny calculator.”
The Starling app is designed to help you, not hold you back. To set up a new payee, all you need are your login details for the app, your password and their account details. No need to rummage through your receipts drawer for one of those mini card readers - you can manage all your payees and payments through your smartphone.
You can even use the app to pay in cheques up to £1,000. Simply enter the amount, snap a photo of the front and back of the cheque and let us do the rest. You can also use the app to lock your debit card if it’s been lost or stolen, or update your address if you’re moving house - peace of mind in just a few taps.
“I need some space, energy-guzzling branches.”
Every time a Starling customer recommends us to someone new and they open an account, we plant a tree as a thank you. It’s a feature of our referrals programme with Trillion Trees, a joint venture between BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF.
Starling is branchless, paperless and our offices run on renewable energy. We’re also a licensed, regulated British bank, meaning that eligible deposits are covered up to £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
“You’re just not listening to me, customer service chatbot.”
Reliable, understanding, easy to get hold off - it’s what we all want from any relationship, right? When you bank with Starling, you’ll be able to reach us through the app, on the phone or via email 24/7. Starling Customer Service is UK based and 100% human. It’s one of the reasons we came top of the league in a Which? customer survey for British current accounts. And partly why we’ve been voted Best British Bank three times in a row at the Smart Money People Awards.
Unlike other banks, we’ll never ask you to visit a branch to sort out a problem or open a joint account - you can manage your money from your sofa, day or night. If you’re up, so are we.
What’s more is that you may not even need to contact us - our app enables you to lock or cancel your card, download a bank statement if you’re moving house, and set savings aside from within your current account. Say goodbye to multiple, complicated accounts. And say hello to Starling - the bank that’s got your back.
Article updated: 6 July 2022.