Which bank switch bonus should you do first?

Start with the offers that have an end date, then the ones that pay fastest. After that, the order comes down to which banks rule each other out and how much money you can move at once.

The dates and amounts here are as of 6 November 2026. Banks change them, so check the current offers before you start.

Santander, Barclays, HSBC, NatWest and Nationwide have no end date yet. Santander’s £240 came back on 27 October 2026.

Nationwide pays within 10 days of you meeting its conditions. NatWest pays within 30 days of you finishing its steps. A bonus paid sooner frees your pay-in money for the next one. Our post on how long a bonus takes has the detail.

HSBC and first direct are one group, so you get one of the two. NatWest and RBS are one group too. Our post on banks that block each other has the full list, and the rules on banks you have left decide whether an old account rules you out.

Most offers want £1,000 to £2,000 paid in. If you have one sum to move, do one offer at a time and move the money on once each bank has counted it. Check each bank’s wording first, because some want it kept there for a while. NatWest wants its £1,250 to stay for 24 hours.

Barclays pays up to £300, and the full amount needs £2,000 a month for five months, paid in as a salary, a pension or a business account transfer. Do it when moving your income suits you. Our post on your first salary covers the timing, and the post on switching without a salary lists the offers that take your own money.

Bank Switcher asks which banks you hold and which bonuses you have had, then puts the offers you can take in order. Offers about to end go to the front, and quick, simple ones come early. This is general information and isn’t financial advice.