Write a review

Santander: Basic Current Account reviews

Name: Basic Current Account
Rating: 3.94 (307 reviews)

View other Santander products

3.97

Based on 307 reviews, last reviewed 14th Jun 2025

80% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

100% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

51%

21%

13%

12%

Latest highest rating:

5

I have been a Santander customer since it was Abbey... I have been a Santander customer since it was Abbey National and it has never let me down. The staff are always pleasant and helpful. They are my go-t... Read more Reviewed on: 14th June 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

They are so rude, they mess up and don't hold themse... They are so rude, they mess up and don't hold themselves accountable for the issues that they have caused. Putting there customers into debt and not a... Read more Reviewed on: 4th March 2025

Read all reviews Write a review

About this product

The Santander Basic Current Account is suitable for everyday banking needs. The account is designed for anyone new to the UK or with a poor credit history. Online and mobile banking options are available and account holders can withdraw fee-free cash from Santander cash machines when abroad. With Santander’s free rewards service, Basic Current Account customers can also access cashback, vouchers and prize draws.

It’s important to find the right bank account for your needs. Choosing a suitable account can become more difficult if you’re new to the country or have a poor credit rating. Learn how well Santander serves this demographic by reading our Santander Basic Current Account reviews.

Learn about existing account holders’ circumstances and why the Basic Current Account has worked for them. Find out about the sign-up process and how supportive Santander’s customer service team is. Read about the different perks available with the free rewards service. Learn more about the mobile banking app and the features it provides. Make an informed decision about your new bank account by reading our Santander Basic Current Account reviews.

If you have a Basic Current Account, share your experience with our Smart Money People community. How long have you had your account and is it your main bank account? Why did you choose the Basic Current Account and have you been satisfied so far? What’s your favourite feature of the account and is there anything you feel could be improved? Don’t forget to include any experiences you’ve had with the customer service team. Whether good or bad, write an honest Santander Basic Current Account review today. Together, we can help people like you make better financial decisions.

Review Santander: Basic Current Account now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

Santander Basic Current Account reviews (307)

Straightforward banking with the basic account.

I switched to Santander a couple of years ago because they had a great deal on at the time. I was paid a one off fee to switch my direct debits over and then I earned interest on balances over a certain amount for a year. They made the whole switching process really easy, I didn't have to do anything at all other than wait for it to happen. Once the deal ended though, the account became the basic current account which has no rewards to speak of. I have stuck with it for a while just because I haven't had time to do much research but I'm now planning to switch to the 123 account. Even with the price hike from £2 per month to £5 per month, I think the amount of cashback I'll get on household bills plus interest paid on my balance will make it worthwhile for me. From a customer service point of view, I've found Santander helpful and the online banking is very easy to use. Reviewed on: 26th October 2015

Terrible.

Stupidly high overdraft charges, terrible customer service. Rude staff, and terrible security. Left for Barclay's bank. Reviewed on: 26th August 2015

Patchy customer support, but mainly okay.

I've been an account holder with Santander since before they were Santander. And mostly it's been fine. General transactions work, though I don't use it as my main bank since setting up new payees requires mobile phone contact (no signal) or landline phone (expensive and annoying). The real area it falls down is customer support. I was opted into paperless statements quite some time ago and never noticed until I suddenly needed a paper statement for proof of account ownership (long story). This at first didn't seem to be a problem, there is a button on the site to turn paper back on. Sadly, the button isn't connected to anything and takes you to a blank page. I reported this via webform and asked to be manually re-papered. This was responded to shortly by someone who didn't understand the technical problem and claimed they couldn't help me with the paper. I tried again. The second one also didn't believe the technical problem, but did turn the statements back on. While I'm happy to get what I needed, frankly it leaves me feeling like they don't have a clue which isn't reassuring at all. Reviewed on: 9th August 2015

So easy to access and make payments.

I have to often check my balance as a university student and I also often have to make payments to various people, both of these tasks are incredibly easy and I feel so secure when doing so thanks to the One Time Passcode (OTP) feature. Reviewed on: 7th May 2015

Excellent Banking experience

I have a customer of Santander and I have enjoyed all the financial products offered by the bank form the current, savings, loans and investments like the Cash ISA. The only product I have used is the Mortgage which I hope I will be able to use whenever I am able to raise a minimum deposit and would be a better position to review the mortgage product. Overall it is financially stable and easy to bank with. Reviewed on: 7th May 2015

My santender account is good enough to use.

I find my Santander account easy to manage and I couldn't think of a better account to use being at university. When I opened my student account I was given an overdraft with 0% interest which doesn't need to be paid back until I finish university. Moreover, whenever I'm in need of assistance I always come off the phone or away from the branch feeling as though I have gained all the help I need in order to solve my problems. Reviewed on: 29th April 2015

i love santander

i wanted an account as I am a teenager at school and I got an account with Santander and I love the fact I do not have to carry money on me now and I can use machines which to me is safer Reviewed on: 28th April 2015

Very simple, no fuss, good service

I've had a current account with Santander since they changed from Alliance and Leicester. The current account is straightforward, and has no annual charges or gimmicks. The staff are always friendly and helpful, and very professional and keen to help. The app makes banking with them incredibly easy and hassle free. (There are some things you need to use the website for, such as setting up a new payee.) You can also set up text alerts, which mean that you get a text if your account balance falls below a certain amount (decided by you). Reviewed on: 27th April 2015

I would say average

I have had good service from santander the only thing I disagree with is the overdraft charge of £1.00 a day and if you do not pay back full overdraft within a month you get an extra £30 charge on top of it. Most banks have free overdraft services where Santader seems to charge an awful lot an could cause bad debt for people when it shouldn't it as it suppose to be there to help people not put them in a worse situation Reviewed on: 24th April 2015

Very good at protecting your money.

Santander are brillant for protecting your money against fraud and theft, I have had fraud on my account and this was quickly reversed by santander and the money was back in my account within hours. I had just moved home so this helped me a massive amount. The advisers are always friendly and very helpful. I will never back with another bank ever! So if your looking for a brillant bank with excellent customer care! Join santander. Reviewed on: 24th April 2015

Do you have a different Santander product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Plutus Account
from Plutus 0.00 from 0 reviews
Student Current Account
from Halifax 4.57 from 10 reviews
Current account
from Unizest 2.60 from 2 reviews

Want to see more from Santander?

Life Insurance
from Santander 5.00 from 2 reviews
123 Current Account (discontinued)
from Santander 4.17 from 1250 reviews
Choice Current Account
from Santander 4.16 from 17 reviews

View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub