Seven reasons to switch to Starling

Article updated: 23/4/24

More people are switching to Starling than ever before. In the last quarter of 2020, Starling made a net gain of 12,000 customers. That means more than 12,000 customers chose to leave their old bank and move everything to us.

Here, we explain how the Current Account Switch Service works and outline seven reasons you should #BreakUpWithYourBank and switch to Starling.

What is the Current Account Switch Service?

The Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is a UK-wide scheme that guarantees a complete, hassle-free switch from one bank to another. If you choose to switch, your old bank account will be closed and your payees, direct debits, standing orders and balance will be moved over to your new bank account within seven days. Incoming money to your old bank account will be redirected to your new bank account, as will your salary.

The best thing about CASS is that the banks do all the legwork. As a customer, all you have to do is start the switch, choose a switch date, and we’ll handle the rest. Starling is a regulated bank, meaning that eligible balances of up to £85,000 are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Remember that signing up to Starling isn’t the same as switching to Starling - if you’re new to Starling, simply download the app, apply for a free account and try us out. There’s no obligation to switch - that choice is up to you.

Let’s look at some reasons to switch.

1. No monthly fees

With Starling, there are no monthly fees for our regular personal, business or joint accounts. And we don’t charge you for withdrawing cash or using your card overseas. We also send you a notification if you’re about to go overdrawn or if there’s not enough in your Starling account to cover an upcoming direct debit.

Switching to Starling from a high street personal, business or joint account is free. It could even save you money, if you’re paying lots of fees to another bank and choose to close that account and move everything across to Starling.

2. Real-time notifications on pay day

When a switch to Starling is complete, all incoming payments will land in your Starling account, including your salary. There’s no need to update your employer - the change will happen automatically.

One of the benefits of having your salary in Starling is the real-time notification that we send to let you know it’s arrived. We send notifications every time money comes in or out of your account. Say goodbye to nervous checks of your bank account on pay day - as soon as your salary has been paid, we’ll ping you a notification.

3. Organised savings with Spaces

One budgeting technique is to have multiple bank accounts for different purposes. For example, one account for ‘needs’ such as bills or rent, and another for ‘wants’ such as eating out. But with Starling, you can keep all your money in one account and use our Spaces feature in the app, to create different pockets of money or keep savings separate from your main balance.

When you set up a Space, you can name it, choose a target amount and add a photo for some extra motivation to save for a holiday next summer or a new winter coat. You can’t spend what’s in your Spaces unless you move money back into your everyday balance, meaning that savings are kept separate and safe.

4. All scheduled payments on one screen

Part of CASS involves moving all direct debits, standing orders and scheduled payments over from your old bank account to your new one. With Starling, all of these upcoming payments can be viewed on one screen in the app - simply go to ‘Payments’ and then ‘Scheduled’.

Having everything in one place can make it easier to get a handle on your subscriptions: Are there any you want to cancel? Are you paying too much on your phone bill or for your gym? Assessing monthly spend is so much simpler when you have all the information there on one screen.

We also send notifications for upcoming direct debits or if there isn’t enough money in your Starling account to cover a payment. Our aim is to keep you in the loop at all times.

5. No more branch visits

Starling enables you to do all your money management without ever visiting a bank branch - say goodbye to queuing in the rain and say hello to technology that really works.

If you receive a cheque, you can take a photo of the front and back and process it through the app. If you need to set up a payee, you can do so with their sort code and account number - no need to find an outdated mini card reader.

If you need proof of address, you can download a letter confirming your account with Starling by tapping on your account menu and clicking ‘Statements’ followed by ‘Account confirmation letter’. And if you’ve just tied the knot, you can change your maiden name to your married name by contacting Customer Service in the app, on the phone or via email.

6. Banking that doesn’t cost the earth

Starling is a digital bank with no branches, we run our four offices on renewable energy and our main cloud service provider is carbon neutral. Our ethics statement outlines our commitment to our customers, staff and wider society.

We don’t send out paper statements and our packaging is 100% recyclable. We also have an environmentally-friendly referral scheme - every time a customer recommends Starling to someone and they open a new Starling account, we plant a tree to say thank you. The scheme is enabled by our partnership with Trillion Trees, a joint venture between BirdLife International, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the WWF.

7. Switch guarantee in seven days

You may think that switching from one bank account to another could be time-consuming and complicated. But that’s where CASS comes in - it helps make the process smooth and stress free.

The CASS guarantee means that we’ll move your payments and balance over from your old bank account. We’ll move your salary, payees, direct debits and balance across, all within seven days. Your old bank will look after closing your old account. All this takes place without you needing to worry.

To request a switch, go to your Starling personal, joint or business account, press the green + button next to your balance and select ‘Move everything to Starling’ or ‘Switch to Starling’. Follow the steps on-screen.

Next, choose a switch date. Seven days before that date, Starling and your old bank will start moving everything over. Don’t set up any new payments in your old account within this seven day period, as they won’t be moved over.

On the day the switch is complete, your balance will move over and your old bank account should close, unless you’re overdrawn.

If you have an overdraft with your old bank account, your bank may choose to move everything over but keep the account open so that you can pay off your overdraft. Other banks may close the account and use a separate, suspense account for you to pay into, in order to pay off your overdraft. Every bank has its own process though, so it’s worth checking your old bank’s policy on this before requesting to switch.

You can find out more information on how to switch your bank account on the CASS website.

Remember that you don’t have to switch to Starling straight away - decide when you’ve had a chance to get to know us. It’s free to apply for an account and there’s no need to close your old bank account unless you choose to switch completely over to us.

Starling Bank will make a donation to WWF-UK, a registered charity with charity registration number 1081247 in England and Wales and SC039593 in Scotland, of £3 for each bank account, which is successfully opened with Starling Bank as a result of a referral under this scheme.