Apply for a free, award-winning and fully-licensed UK current account in minutes, with protection for your money up to £85,000 from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Personal current account
A current account like no other
Get more from your money with Starling’s award-winning, app-based current account. Earn 3.25% AER / 3.19% Gross (variable) interest on balances up to £5,000. No monthly fees. Apply in minutes today.
Not your average current account.
Earn money
You’ll get 3.25% AER* / 3.19% Gross* (variable) interest on balances up to £5,000. Interest is paid monthly.
Fast and free access
Apply for a free current account right now in minutes.
Money management, made easy
Apply for a current account and get instant payment notifications and smart tools to help with budgeting and saving.
24/7 support
Chat to our all-human, UK-based team in the app, whenever works best for you.
*AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded once each year. Gross is the contractual rate of interest payable before the deduction of income tax at the rate specified by law. See illustrative example.
Features fit for an award-winning current account.
Instant notifications. Get an alert whenever payments leave or enter your account.
Categorised spending insights. Seeing where, when and how you’re spending makes budgeting fast and easy.
Spaces. Put money aside in virtual change jars, automatically round up transactions to save the change and give someone a Connected card if they’re spending on your behalf.
All your financial products, in one place. Connect with some of the UK’s best financial products – like your mortgage, insurance or pension – via our Marketplace.
A new way to pay. Settle up IOUs with a simple payment link, send money to nearby Starling customers or split bills with a tap.
“I used to be so unaware of where my money was going but now, with Starling’s instant notifications and reminders about upcoming payments, checking in on my finances is part of my everyday life.”
Banking. But less hassle.
Seamless switching. Move all your finances over to Starling in a few taps by using the Current Account Switch Service.
Lock your card with a tap. Use the app to lock your card if it goes missing – and block gambling transactions and payment methods, too.
No fees overseas. Use both your card and ATMs freely when you travel, with no extra charges from us.
All your admin, in the app. Change your address, cancel your card, set up new accounts and more.
Send money internationally. With no hidden fees, and at a competitive rate.
Lending, reimagined. Control your overdraft in-app (if eligible). No hidden fees or unfair unarranged charges.
“I really like the way the home screen breaks down what you’ve spent in a day and how easy it is to get a PIN reminder in the app.”
Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.
Cheque deposits. Just scan the cheque with your camera to make a deposit.
Cash. Withdraw £300 a day from ATMs and deposit £1,000 each calendar year free of charge at the Post Office’s 11,500 branches.
Earn interest. Get 3.25% AER / 3.19% Gross (variable) interest on balances up to £5,000. Prefer not to earn interest? We can move your account to 0% AER instead.
Fixed rate savings. Saving for a long-term goal? Lock away savings and earn more interest with a Fixed Saver. Eligibility criteria apply.
Online banking. You can also manage your Starling account from your laptop or computer.
Additional account. Like to manage your money across multiple accounts? Add an additional account completely free of charge!
Kinder to the planet. Our Mastercard debit card is made from recycled plastic (the very first of its kind in the UK).
*Fixed Savers are subject to eligibility criteria, which means that the option to apply for these accounts in the app will only be visible for customers that match our criteria.
“I used to get a sense of dread when I opened my banking app. Now, I feel in control and more at ease.”
What you need to apply for a current account
- Smartphone (and signal)
- Valid photo ID (passport or driving licence)
- About 5 minutes of your time
Find out more about what information you will need to provide to open a current account, or about our personal account service information.
Find out about fees, rates and charges for our current account.
How does Starling’s current account stack up against other banks?
Spoiler alert: we come out on top in most areas.
| Feature |  Starling Bank - Current Account |  NatWest - Select Account |  Lloyds Bank - Classic Account |  HSBC - Bank Account |  Santander - Everyday Current Account |  Monzo - Current Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
App Transaction History | real time | pending transactions | pending transactions | pending transactions | pending transactions | real time |
Mobile App Card Security | lock, unlock, cancel | lock, unlock, cancel | cancel | lock, unlock, cancel | lock, unlock | lock, unlock, cancel |
AER interest - £1,000 | 3.25% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Arranged Overdraft Representative APR | 15.00% | 39.49% | 39.90% | 38.90% | 39.94% | 39.00% |
ATM World £100 Cost | £0 | £2.75 | £4.49 | £4.75 | £2.95 | £0 |
Faster Payments App Limit | £1,000,000 | £20,000 | £25,000 | £25,000 | £25,000 | £10,000 |
App Cheque Imaging |  | | | | |  |
Data supplied by Defaqto and correct as of 20 November 2023.
Independent service quality survey results
Personal current accounts, Great Britain
Published August 2023.
As part of a regulatory requirement, an independent survey was conducted to ask approximately 1000 customers of each of the 16 largest personal current account providers if they would recommend their provider to friends and family. The results represent the view of customers who took part in the survey.
The requirement to publish the Financial Conduct Authority Service Quality Information for personal current accounts can be found here.
Personal current accounts, Northern Ireland
Published August 2023.
As part of a regulatory requirement, an independent survey was conducted to ask approximately 500 customers of each of the 11 largest personal current account providers if they would recommend their provider to friends and family. The results represent the view of customers who took part in the survey.
The requirement to publish the Financial Conduct Authority Service Quality Information for personal current accounts can be found here.
Thousands of happy current account customers
Apply for a free, award-winning personal current account today and enjoy app-based banking at its best.
Step 1
Simply click on the button below to start your application and fill in a quick, fuss-free form
Frequently asked questions
What is a current account?
It’s a bank account designed for holding and withdrawing money. Most people have their salaries paid into a current account, and they’re used for things like Direct Debits and paying bills, too.
Can you have multiple current accounts?
Yes. You can open an additional current account completely free of charge.
Is a debit card a current account?
When you open a personal current account, you’ll usually be sent a debit card, too – so you can make transactions from your account. Learn more about debit cards, account numbers and sort codes.
How much interest will I earn with a personal current account?
You’ll earn 3.25% AER* / 3.19% Gross* (variable) interest on balances up to £5,000. You will earn interest on the money in your main balance together with any money in Spaces, including Connected card and Kite.
You won’t earn interest on additional GBP accounts or multi-currency accounts. The current account interest rate does not apply to the Fixed Saver, which is a savings product with its own rate.
Interest is calculated daily and paid on the first day of each month. We pay ‘gross’ interest, which means we don’t take off any tax you might owe on the interest you receive. The tax treatment is dependent on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. The interest rate we offer is subject to change.
Interest is earned on personal, teen and joint accounts. You will earn interest on balances up to £5,000 in each account type you have.
*AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded once each year. Gross is the contractual rate of interest payable before the deduction of income tax at the rate specified by law. See illustrative example.
How do I put money in a current account?
You can add money to your account from another bank account by using your Starling account number and sort code. As Starling is part of the Faster Payments network, your money will be sent across instantly. Another way of adding money to your account is by visiting your local Post Office and depositing cash at the till (Please note, deposit limits and fees apply - find out more about limits and fees). You can also deposit cheques via the mobile app or by post.
How do I switch current accounts?
It’s really easy to make Starling your main bank account – in fact, we’ll do most of the work for you. The whole process takes just a few clicks from you and seven working days to complete. Read more about our Current Account Switch Service.
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud rankings in 2022
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud happens when someone is tricked into transferring money to a fraudster’s bank account.
These charts use data given to the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) by major banking groups in the UK in 2022.
You can read the full report by visiting the PSR website.
Share of APP fraud refunded
This data shows the proportion of total APP fraud losses that were reimbursed, out of 14 firms. Higher figure is better.
APP fraud sent per £million transactions
This data shows the amount of APP fraud sent per million pounds of transactions, out of 14 firms. Lower figure is better.
APP fraud received per £million transactions: smaller UK banks and payment firms
This data shows the amount of APP fraud received per million pounds of transactions, ranked out of 20 firms. Lower figure is better.
APP fraud received per £million transactions: major UK banks and building societies
This data shows the amount of APP fraud received per million pounds of transactions, ranked out of 20 firms. Lower figure is better.