Consumer champion analysed fees, overdrafts, charges, perks and customer satisfaction
Which? has carred out its latest current account survey
Consumer advice site Which? has announced its pick of top current account providers along with advice to customers about making a switch. It has selected six providers which it has awarded Which? Recommended Provider – WRP – status after analysis of the likes of fees, overdrafts, charges and perks.
It also spoke to more than 6,600 customers in its survey to see how satisfied they are with their current account. The six providers awarded WRP status are Nationwide, First Direct, Starling, Chase, Danske Bank and Monzo, reports The Mirror.
Starling topped the table with a customer score of 86%, achieving its seventh WRP award. It earned a full five-star rating for both online and mobile banking and four stars for customer service.
Monzo received a customer score of 85% with five stars for ease of mobile banking and four stars for overall customer service. First Direct achieved a customer score of 84% and is now the longest-running current account with WRP status, having held this award for more than a decade.
This year, it was awarded five stars for overall customer service and for online, mobile and telephone banking plus four for ease of contacting customer services. Also tied on 84% was Nationwide, which received four stars for its in-branch service and five for online banking.
Chase, a digital bank owned by JPMorgan, earned an 82% customer score, receiving five stars for its mobile app and four stars in categories including customer service, ease of applying and telephone banking. And Danske Bank received a customer score of 80% with mostly four-star ratings, including for overall customer service and online banking.
Allied Irish Bank narrowly missed out on becoming a WRP holder, despite having a customer score of 85%. Revolut also scored highly, at 83%, but was not named a WRP because it still operates as an e-money provider in the UK, meaning customers are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Several banks have launched new current accounts in recent years but a new Which? survey of more than 6,600 current account-holders revealed that nearly four in 10 people – 37% – have stayed loyal to the same provider for more than 20 years. At the bottom of the table in the survey was TSB with a customer score of 67%, receiving two stars in categories such as customer service and telephone banking but also securing four stars for online and mobile banking.
Just ahead of TSB in the table were Virgin Money, Santander and Halifax, all tied on 71%. Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: “Banks are not all the same and our analysis proves this.
“Perks like fee-free spending abroad and instant spending notifications are becoming normalised, while cash back, loyalty payments and switching bonuses can earn you hundreds of pounds.” He added: “If you’re one of the millions of people who have stayed loyal to a bank for years for little in return, now may be the perfect time to switch to one of our Which? Recommended Providers.
“The process is quick and easy, with even your direct debits transferred over hassle-free.” A spokesperson for TSB said: “We take our customer service very seriously, and are proud to offer a full range of banking services to meet the needs of our customers; from our branch network to our well-rated digital services,” adds The Mirror report.
A Virgin Money spokesperson said: “We’re pleased that customers of our award-winning current account have highly rated both our mobile banking app and online banking service. We remain committed to improving service for our customers.
“We have recruited over 350 new customer service colleagues since 2024, meaning that we now answer 98% of calls within 30 seconds, and we have also expanded our branch promise meaning every Virgin Money branch will remain open until at least the start of 2030.” The Mirror approached Santander and Halifax for comment.
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