What counts as a Direct Debit, offer by offer
4 of the 11 offers need no Direct Debits; the rest need 2 to 3, moved by the switch from your old account. Each bank counts them differently; the table says how, from each offer’s own terms, as last checked Thu 5 Nov.
Every offer’s rule at a glance
| Offer | Direct Debits | Set up before the switch starts | Household bills only | Standing orders also count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Premier £500 | None needed | Doesn’t apply | ||
| NatWest Premier £500 | None needed | Doesn’t apply | ||
| NatWest £200 | None needed | Doesn’t apply | ||
| RBS £200 | None needed | Doesn’t apply | ||
| Santander £240 | 2 or more | No | Yes | Not mentioned |
| HSBC UK £220 | 2 or more | No | No | Not mentioned |
| first direct £210 | 2 or more | No | No | Yes |
| Nationwide Building Society £175 | 2 or more | No | No | Not mentioned |
| Barclays Premier £450 | 3 or more | No | No | Not mentioned |
| Lloyds £200 | 3 or more | Yes | No | Not mentioned |
| Barclays £150 | 3 or more | No | No | Not mentioned |
“No” means the terms don’t ask for it. “Not mentioned” means the terms don’t say, so don’t count on it.
Count yours
Direct Debits and the switch
- A Direct Debit is collected by the company you pay; a standing order is a fixed payment you send yourself. The switch moves both, along with your balance.
- Card payments, such as subscriptions charged to your debit card, aren’t Direct Debits. The switch doesn’t move them: change them yourself.
- Your banking app lists your Direct Debits, usually under payments. Statement lines marked DD are Direct Debits.
- A Direct Debit or standing order you add to the old account in the 6 working days before the switch date only moves if you tell the new bank. Lloyds counts only Direct Debits that already exist before the switch starts.
- Some terms say “active”. Pocketly can’t see how a bank judges that, so it counts only Direct Debits that are set up and being paid.
From the Current Account Switch Agreement the banks use (Halifax, TSB, Co-operative Bank and Virgin Money’s guides, 2025–26) and each offer’s terms above.
Each offer’s rule, in its own words
Open an offer for its exact wording. A link from another page opens the one it’s about.
HSBC Premier HSBC UK Premier Bank AccountNone
HSBC Premier · HSBC UK Premier Bank Account
HSBC Premier doesn’t require any Direct Debits: a full switch is enough.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with HSBC UK or first direct.
In the terms: How do I qualify: a full switch using CASS
NatWest Premier NatWest Premier Select AccountNone
NatWest Premier · NatWest Premier Select Account
NatWest Premier doesn’t require any Direct Debits: a full switch is enough.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank.
In the terms: Step 3: full switch of an account not with NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank, from 2 September 2026
NatWest NatWest Select AccountNone
NatWest · NatWest Select Account
NatWest doesn’t require any Direct Debits: a full switch is enough.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank.
In the terms: Step 3: full switch of an account not with NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank
RBS RBS Select AccountNone
RBS · RBS Select Account
RBS doesn’t require any Direct Debits: a full switch is enough.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with RBS, NatWest or Ulster Bank.
In the terms: Step 3: full switch of an account not with RBS, NatWest or Ulster Bank
Santander Santander Everyday Current Account2+
Santander · Santander Everyday Current Account
Santander needs the switch to move at least 2 Direct Debits, and they must be household bills paid straight to the supplier.
What counts as a household bill: Council tax, mobile or home phone, broadband, paid-for TV, water, gas or electricity, paid directly to the supplier (not via PayPal, Stripe and similar). Direct Debits funding Santander, cahoot or Cater Allen savings don’t count.
In the terms: General term 3: Household Direct Debits
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with Santander, cahoot or Cater Allen.
In the terms: Eligibility: full switch with CASS, closing your external account
HSBC UK HSBC UK Bank Account2+
HSBC UK · HSBC UK Bank Account
HSBC UK needs the switch to move at least 2 Direct Debits.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with HSBC UK or first direct.
In the terms: How do I qualify: full CASS switch including at least 2 Direct Debits
first direct first direct 1st Account2+
first direct · first direct 1st Account
first direct needs the switch to move at least 2 Direct Debits (standing orders count too).
Pocketly’s plans count Direct Debits only, so a plan never relies on a standing order. If you have standing orders too, first direct’s terms count them.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with first direct.
In the terms: Switch criteria: full CASS switch with at least two Direct Debits or standing orders
Nationwide Building Society Nationwide FlexDirect2+
Nationwide Building Society · Nationwide FlexDirect
Nationwide Building Society needs the switch to move at least 2 Direct Debits.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with Nationwide or Virgin Money.
In the terms: 1. What you need to do
Barclays Premier Barclays Premier Current Account3+
Barclays Premier · Barclays Premier Current Account
Barclays Premier needs the switch to move at least 3 Direct Debits.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with Barclays.
In the terms: Section 3: full CASS switch including 3 active Direct Debits
Lloyds Club Lloyds Account3+
Lloyds · Club Lloyds Account
Lloyds needs the switch to move at least 3 Direct Debits, already set up on your old account before the switch starts.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland.
In the terms: Conditions: full switch with CASS including at least 3 active Direct Debits set up before the switch starts
Barclays Barclays Bank Account3+
Barclays · Barclays Bank Account
Barclays needs the switch to move at least 3 Direct Debits.
For this offer, the account you switch from can’t be with Barclays.
In the terms: £150 CASS Bonus: full switch with at least three active Direct Debits
If you don’t have enough
HSBC Premier, NatWest Premier, NatWest and RBS need no Direct Debits at all. Pocketly plans only with the Direct Debits you already have, and picks offers that fit them.
Pocketly doesn’t suggest setting up payments just to qualify for a reward, and doesn’t recommend services that sell them: they cost you money, and a bank can decide they don’t meet its terms. Which genuine bills you pay by Direct Debit is your own choice.
If you use such a service anyway, check the offer’s own rule above first. Some offers count only Direct Debits that are active, or that were set up before the switch starts. Santander counts only household bills paid straight to the supplier. A Direct Debit that doesn’t meet the rule can lose you the reward, and the bank decides.
About the banks on this page
Each account is provided by the bank named below, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority; covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme, for eligible deposits; and within the Financial Ombudsman Service, where complaints can be taken.
- Barclays · Barclays Premier Barclays Bank UK PLC, England and Wales Register no. 759676 Capital and reserves exceed £17bn 31 Dec 2025
- first direct · HSBC Premier · HSBC UK HSBC UK Bank plc, England and Wales Register no. 765112 Capital and reserves exceed £20bn 31 Dec 2025
- Lloyds Lloyds Bank plc, England and Wales Register no. 119278 Capital and reserves exceed £48bn 31 Dec 2025
- Nationwide Nationwide Building Society, the United Kingdom (a building society under the Building Societies Act 1986) Register no. 106078 Capital and reserves exceed £13bn 31 Mar 2026
- NatWest · NatWest Premier National Westminster Bank Plc, England and Wales Register no. 121878 Capital and reserves exceed £19bn 31 Dec 2025
- RBS The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Scotland Register no. 114724 Capital and reserves exceed £3bn 31 Dec 2025
- Santander Santander UK plc, England and Wales Register no. 106054 Capital and reserves exceed £11bn 31 Dec 2025
first direct is a division of HSBC UK Bank plc.