Santander is currently offering a £180 cash incentive to customers who switch to a Santander current account. Alongside this, the bank is offering a £150 hotel voucher to customers who choose to open its premium Santander Edge Explorer account.
The £180 cashback offer is available to those who switch their everyday banking to an eligible Santander account using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). If you opt for the Santander Edge Explorer account, you could benefit from both the cash and the hotel voucher, making it a highly competitive package for those looking to move their finances.
Below, we explain how the cashback and voucher offer works, who is eligible, and how to claim.
How to qualify for the £180 Santander switching offer
To get the £180 cash bonus, you need to switch an existing non-Santander bank account to a new Santander current account and complete the following steps within 60 days of starting your switch:
- Complete a full switch using the free Current Account Switch Service (CASS) to close your old account and automatically move your balances and payments.
- Pay in at least £1,500 into your new Santander account. This can be done in a single transaction or spread across multiple deposits.
- Set up at least two active Direct Debits for household bills on the account. These can include utility bills, mobile/household phone bills, broadband bills and your Sky or Virgin media subscription.
The accounts eligible for this offer are the Santander Everyday, Santander Edge, Santander Edge Up and Santander Edge Explorer. If you meet all the qualifying criteria, Santander will check the account 60 days after the switch has been instructed, and it will then pay the £180 directly into your new account within 30 days.
Who is excluded from the £180 offer?
There are some restrictions to be aware of. You will not be eligible for the £180 cash bonus if:
- You held a Santander current account on 1st January 2025
- You have previously received any switching incentive from Santander
- You are switching from an account provided by Santander, cahoot, or Cater Allen.
How to claim the £150 hotel voucher
While the £180 cash bonus applies to the Santander Everyday, Santander Edge and Santander Edge Up and Santander Edge Explorer accounts, the £150 hotel voucher is exclusively available to customers who open or transfer into a new Santander Edge Explorer current account. The hotel voucher is not available to existing Edge Explorer customers.
You do not need to switch your existing current account to an Edge Explorer to qualify for the voucher, you simply need to open a new Edge Explorer account and meet the basic eligibility requirements. However, if you complete a full switch alongside opening the Edge Explorer account, you can combine the two offers to get both the £150 voucher and the £180 cash.
Is the Santander Edge Explorer account right for you?
The Santander Edge Explorer account is a packaged bank account that comes with a £17 monthly fee. In exchange for the fee, the account offers a range of perks, including:
- Cashback - You can earn 1% cashback on selected household bills paid by Direct Debit (capped at £10 a month) and 1% cashback at supermarkets and on selected travel costs (capped at £10 a month).
- Insurance - The account includes worldwide family travel insurance (including winter sports), UK and European vehicle breakdown cover (even if you are a passenger), and worldwide mobile phone cover for up to 4 mobile phones.
- Fee-free spending abroad - You will not be charged any Santander fees for using your debit card to make payments or withdraw cash abroad in the local currency.
- Medical access - 24/7 remote access to a UK GP for you, your partner and any dependents 18 or under (23 or under if they are in full-time education)
When deciding if this account is a good fit, it is important to weigh the £17 monthly fee against the value of the cashback and insurance benefits you will actually use. If you already pay for travel insurance, breakdown cover, and phone insurance separately, the account could save you money. Likewise, if your spending means you will earn the maximum £20 per month in cashback, then you are essentially getting the insurance and medical perks for free.
However, if you are unlikely to use the perks, a fee-free account such as the Santander Everyday account might be a better choice, even though it does not come with the hotel voucher. You can compare the Santander Edge Explorer account with other packaged bank accounts on the UK market in our article 'The best packaged bank accounts in the UK'.
Are there other benefits when switching to Santander?
By switching your current account to Santander, you also gain access to its highly competitive Regular Saver account. This account currently pays a market-leading 8.00% AER (variable), including a 5.00% variable bonus for the first 12 months.
Customers can deposit up to £200 per month, making it an excellent option for gradually building a savings pot. If you were to save the maximum £200 every month for a year without making any withdrawals, you could earn up to £104 in additional interest.
Unlike many regular savings accounts on the market, Santander allows unlimited withdrawals without charging a penalty fee. This means you can access your money in an emergency while still benefiting from the high interest rate on your remaining balance.
How does the Santander offer compare?
Santander's offer of £180, plus a £150 hotel voucher and access to an 8% regular saver, makes it one of the most generous switching packages currently available. However, the bank switching market is highly competitive, and deals change frequently.
If the Santander accounts don't quite fit your financial situation, there are plenty of other banks that offer cash bonuses to new customers. To see how this deal stacks up against the rest of the market, check out our regularly updated guide to the best current account switch offers and incentives.
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