A bank account with benefits

A lot of bank accounts come with extra benefits for you to use.

If a first direct current account is taking your fancy, see what extras you can make the most of.

open and switch your account easily with the Current Account Switch Service (CASS)
no first direct card fees when spending abroad
access to our Regular Saver Account
add your cards to a digital wallet
manage money with our Mobile Banking App
cover emergency costs with an arranged overdraft*

* subject to credit status and an assessment of your financial circumstances.

If you’re eligible for a first direct account, you can open one in minutes – whether it’s a current account for you or a joint account for you and someone else.

first direct is signed up to the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first], which means we'll take care of switching your payments and transferring your balance, and your old bank will take care of closing your old account. So you don’t need to worry.

We’ll just need to get some details and proof of your identity and address to get your account up and running.

You can open an account through the first direct mobile banking app or by giving us a call.

Going on holiday? There are no first direct fees when making a debit card payment in another currency or withdrawing cash from a cash machine outside the UK.

There may still be fees that are out of our control. Some cash machines, for example, charge a fee for withdrawing money – this should be advised on screen at the time of withdrawal.

Get access to our Regular Saver Account with a fixed rate of 7.00% AER/Gross for 12 months.

Available to first direct 1st Account holders only.

You’ll just need to save between £25 and £300 every month into the account. We’ll add the interest to your account balance after 12 months, and then transfer it all to your Savings Account.

You can apply for a Regular Saver via our App or Online Banking.

AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate. This shows you what the rate would be if interest were paid and compounded each year. Gross is the rate of interest if interest were paid and not compounded each year. No partial withdrawals allowed. Early closure will result in interest being paid at the standard account variable rate.

Also known as an e-wallet, a digital wallet is an electronic device that stores your payment details in one place. It can make it easier for cashless purchases in shops and online.

You can add your first direct card to:

Apple Pay is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Google Pay is a trademark of Google Inc.

Samsung and Samsung Pay are trade marks or registered trade marks of Samsung Electronics Co.Ltd.

Whether you want to make a payment or bank transfer, freeze or unfreeze your cards, or have a little chat with us, you’ll find it all in our App.

We’ll even give you insights into your spending so you can get a better understanding of where your money goes each month. Transactions are categorised so you know what you’re buying and where. You can also sort your transactions yourself using your own labels.

There are loads of extra options and ways you can manage your money and stay in control of your cards, too.

With our current account, there are no interest charges on the first £250 of your arranged or unarranged overdraft. Subject to credit status and an assessment of your financial circumstances.

To help you stay on top of your money, we’ll text you to let you know if you’ve gone into your arranged overdraft, or if you’re about to.

Find out more about how an overdraft works.

The £250 interest-free buffer will not apply to first direct customers with an offset mortgage linked to a 1st Account.

Representative example

0% EAR variable on the first £250, 39.9% EAR variable thereafter, giving a representative rate of 30.5% APR variable (assumed arranged overdraft £1,200).

The representative example shows you the rate of interest we’d charge for arranged overdrafts. For 1st Account, this example shows the cost of any interest above the interest free limit.

For customers with an offset mortgage linked to a 1st Account, the interest-free limit will not apply

How does our overdraft compare?

You can compare our overdrafts with other ways of borrowing by looking at the Annual Percentage Rate (APR). APR is the cost of borrowing over a year and lets you compare the costs with other credit products and other lending providers.

How much does my overdraft cost in pounds and pence?

Here are some examples of how much it would cost if you borrowed £500 of your overdraft:

Account	7 days	30 days	60 days
1st Account	£1.63	£7.00	£13.99

Before applying for any current account, look at the overall account and read the terms and conditions to make sure it’s right for you. Think about:

if the account covers your everyday banking needs – like how you can access your money or make and receive transactions
how easily you can make payments
if there’s an app or online banking so you can manage your account

Using a current account responsibly could help build your credit history over time, avoiding going over your arranged overdraft limit, and regularly paying off your arranged overdraft (if you have an overdraft).

Explore more

What do you need to open a bank account?

Find out what you need and how you can apply with first direct.

Open a bank account

How to switch current accounts

If you're not satisfied with your current bank, you may want to look at switching.

Switch to first direct

How do overdrafts work?

Get to know the ins and outs of an overdraft to help you get the best value from your account.

Learn more about overdrafts

A bank account with benefits

Benefits of a first direct current account

Easy to open and switch accounts

No first direct debit fees when spending abroad

Access to our Regular Saver account

Add your cards to a digital wallet

Manage your money with the mobile banking app