Two clocks run, one after the other. The first is the switch, which takes seven working days on a date you choose, guaranteed by the Current Account Switch Service. The second is the bonus, and it starts when the switch finishes.
The switch takes seven working days
You pick a switch date when you apply. Your old account closes on it, your direct debits and standing orders move, and payments sent to the old account are redirected. There is nothing to chase in the middle.
Then the bank checks you did the rest
Nearly every offer has conditions on the new account. You might have to pay in a set amount, keep two direct debits running, use the debit card a few times and log into the app once. The bank gives you a window to do them in, often 30 to 60 days, and usually pays when the window ends or when you finish, whichever it prefers.
So you get paid about 30 days in if you do everything in the first week, and up to three months in if you leave it until the deadline.
Finishing early pulls the money forward at most banks. Santander assesses on a fixed date, so finishing early there makes no difference.
What we do about it
The app shows the earliest and latest likely date for each bonus on the roadmap. It schedules the switches in sequence, so you aren’t waiting on two payouts at once, and it emails you before each deadline.