Refer a Friend programme
terms and conditions
Refer a Friend programme
terms and conditions
Effective from: 30th June 2026
Introduction and key words
These are the terms and conditions for Starling’s Refer a Friend Programme (“Programme Terms”). These replace any previous terms and conditions for Starling’s Refer a Friend scheme.
In these terms we’ll use a number of key words, so to help you understand them, we’ve included the definitions at the start.
account: a Starling personal, business or sole trader current account. This doesn’t include Starling joint, teen, Under 16s, savings or any currency accounts. It also doesn’t include any Spaces.
promotion period: the length of time that we’ll offer the referral promotion
Refer A Friend T&Cs: the Programme Terms and the reward conditions.
referral promotion: the promotion inviting existing customers to refer friends and family to open an account with us, where you’ll both be paid a reward if all Reward Conditions are met.
referee: the person, company or sole trader who is invited to apply to open an account by the referrer.
referrer: an existing Starling customer who invites another person, company or sole trader to open an account.
reward: £25 (or other amount set out in the referral message) paid to the referee and referrer’s account.
reward conditions: the specific rules and conditions displayed on the ‘Refer a Friend’ screen or referral message that governs each individual referral promotion.
you or your: the referrer, the referee, or both as the context requires.
we, our, or Starling: Starling Bank Limited, company number 09092149 registered at 5th Floor London Fruit And Wool Exchange, 1 Duval Square, London, United Kingdom, E1 6PW.
As part of the referral promotion, a referrer can invite a referee to open an account. If the account is successfully opened through the referral promotion and all reward conditions are met, both customers will receive the reward.
By taking part in the referral promotion, both the referrer and the referee agree to the Refer A Friend T&Cs. If you’re the referrer, you accept the Refer A Friend T&Cs when you share a referral code with a referee. If you’re the referee, you accept the Refer A Friend T&Cs when you use a referral code to apply to open an account.
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the referral promotion, a referrer must:
be aged 18 or over;
have an active, unrestricted account;
have been invited to take part in the referral promotion by Starling; and
follow the referral instructions in the reward conditions.
To be eligible to participate in the referral promotion, a referee must:
be aged 18 years or over;
have received a referral code from a referrer;
not have a Starling account (and has never opened a Starling account); and
be eligible to open the applicable account.
We may offer multiple referral promotions at the same time. Referrers are only eligible for the referral promotion described in the reward conditions.
The reward and reward conditions
The reward will be paid to the referrer and the referee, after the referee:
enters a valid referral code from a referrer when they apply for an account with us
opens an account
completes all other required steps in the reward conditions within the promotion period (if applicable).
This could include setting up one or more Direct Debits, or making one or more payments from the account. Read more about Direct Debits here.
The reward will not be paid, or may be taken back, if either the referrer or the referee:
closes their account before the reward is paid;
cancels their Starling card before it arrives;
cancels or receives a refund for a transaction which is part of the reward conditions; or
cancels any Direct Debit from their account which is part of the reward conditions.
The reward can’t be transferred or exchanged for any other kind of benefit.
If your account is closed by you or Starling, you won’t receive the reward. If a referee used your referral code before your account was closed, they’ll still receive the reward as long as they meet the reward conditions.
If we pause or end a referral promotion, we’ll process any referrals that are already in progress, and provide rewards for eligible referrers and referees who have met the reward conditions.
How you’ll receive the reward
We’ll tell you in the app when you have earned a reward.
The reward will be paid into a Space in your account within 30 days of all reward conditions being met. We’ll create the Space for you, and you can move the money to your main account balance at any time.
You can learn more about Spaces in your account terms and at www.starlingbank.com/features/spaces.
Exclusions
The referral promotion only applies to the first account a referee opens. If you open more than one Starling account (or any other type of Starling current or savings account), you won’t qualify for a reward for those additional accounts.
A referee can only enter one referral code during their account application, and only the owner of that referral code will receive the reward. Multiple referral codes from different referrers will not be accepted.
If the reward conditions for a reward includes making transactions or setting up a Direct Debit, certain transactions and payments won’t count. These include:
Refunds or cancelled payments
Buying foreign currency
Gambling and betting payments
Transfers to other bank accounts, including other Starling accounts
Buying or topping up e-money, like a digital, pre-paid alternative to cash
Standing orders
General terms
We may update the Refer A Friend T&Cs from time to time, without giving you advance notice. Any updates we make will be available in the Starling app and on our website, and will be effective from the date shown. We may change or introduce new conditions on any referral promotion at any time, including introducing a limit on the number of referrals and changing the amount of the reward.
We can suspend, amend, end or extend the referral promotion at any time without notice, including ending the referral promotion early.
If we suspend or end the referral promotion, all referral codes will be deactivated and will not be accepted after this time.
If we don’t specify an end to the referral promotion in the reward conditions, the referral promotion will continue until we end it.
Starling can refuse to pay you the reward if:
you break any of the Refer A Friend T&Cs or any other terms related to your account;
your account is restricted;
paying you a reward would mean we break the law or a court order;
there’s a technical problem;
we think you’re committing fraud or any criminal activity; or
we reasonably believe that the referral promotion is being abused, manipulated, or risks harming Starling’s reputation.
We will not be liable for any costs or losses if we suspend, amend or end the referral promotion, or if we refuse to pay a reward.
As permitted by law, Starling won’t be responsible or liable to compensate a referrer or referee for any loss or damage (including money) that arises as a result of the referral, taking part in the referral promotion or in any other way connected with the referral promotion. This doesn’t apply if the loss or damage is caused by our negligence. Your statutory rights are not affected.
If the reward results in a tax liability for you, it’s your responsibility to pay any taxes that may be due. The Refer A Friend T&Cs are only between Starling and referrers and referees who take part in the referral promotion. Other people or organisations may not use the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce these Refer A Friend T&Cs.
These Refer A Friend T&Cs are governed by English law. Any disagreements or disputes about these Refer A Friend T&Cs or the referral promotion will be handled exclusively in the English courts.