Offer Overview
First Direct is offering £210 when you open a 1st Account and complete an eligible full current-account switch.
You'll need
- Open a First Direct 1st Account
- Complete a full CASS switch with 2 Direct Debits or standing orders
- Pay £1,000 into the account within 45 days
- Make 5 qualifying debit-card payments and log in within 45 days
Eligibility
- UK resident and eligible for a First Direct 1st Account
- Never previously held any First Direct product
- Have not opened an HSBC current account on or after 1 January 2018
- Keep the new 1st Account open until the reward is paid
Joint accounts can qualify, but First Direct pays one £210 reward per eligible joint account. At least one holder must complete the CASS switch from a sole account in their own name or another joint account held in the same names.
£35 boost ends 2 December 2026
The £210 consists of the ongoing £175 switch offer plus a £35 boost for accounts opened between 14 September and 2 December 2026. The £175 base offer has no published end date.
Things to do
- Check that I meet the First Direct eligibility requirements
Prepare your old account
Before applying, make sure the account you are switching is ready. Your full switch must include at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders.
Make sure:
- You have at least 2 qualifying Direct Debits or standing orders.
- You have the old account sort code and account number.
- There is enough money in the old account for payments due before switch day.
- You are happy for the old account to close.
- You have a plan for paying £1,000 into First Direct within 45 days.
New payment arrangements
If you are using newly created Direct Debits, consider waiting until they have collected a first payment before relying on them. CASS moves Direct Debits and standing orders, but subscriptions charged to your old debit-card number need updating separately.
Things to do
- Have at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders ready
- Check upcoming payments on the old account
Open your First Direct account
Open a First Direct 1st Account. The account has no monthly fee. Follow the application and identity-check steps shown by First Direct.
Things to do
- Open my First Direct 1st Account
Start your full switch
Once your First Direct account is open, start the switch from inside the app. Go to your new account and select Switch to us, then enter your old account details and choose a switching date.
Sign in to track your progress and manage this step.
Sign inChoose a full CASS switch
The £210 offer requires the Current Account Switch Service. A full switch moves the balance, Direct Debits and standing orders, redirects incoming payments and closes the old current account. Keeping the old account open does not meet the requirement.
All offer requirements, including the completed switch, must be met within 45 days of opening. A standard CASS switch takes 7 working days, so start comfortably before the deadline.
Do not create new payment arrangements on the old account during the final seven-working-day switching period. First Direct says those arrangements will not automatically transfer; set them up on the new account instead.
Things to do
- Start the switch in the First Direct app
- Choose a full CASS switch
- Confirm at least 2 Direct Debits or standing orders are included
Pay in £1,000 and log in
Pay a total of at least £1,000 into your new 1st Account within 45 days of opening it.
Sign in to track your progress and manage this step.
Sign inYou can pay it all at once or in multiple deposits, such as one £1,000 payment, two £500 payments or four £250 payments. First Direct’s official terms do not state a 24-hour minimum holding period.
Do not overlook the digital-banking requirement. Register and log into either the First Direct app or Online Banking within the same 45-day period.
The simplest route
If you are already using the app to manage the account and switch, explicitly check off the login requirement before the 45-day deadline.
Things to do
- Pay in a total of £1,000 within 45 days
- Register and log into the First Direct app or Online Banking
Make 5 qualifying card payments
Make at least 5 qualifying payments with your First Direct debit card within 45 days of opening the account.
Qualifying examples: in-store purchases, online purchases, physical-card payments and payments through Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Excluded payments
First Direct excludes gambling transactions, credit-card payments, insurance payments, cash withdrawals and card-to-card payments. Five normal everyday retail purchases are the simplest approach.
There is no minimum spend stated in the offer terms, so you do not need to make large purchases. You do not need to wait for the physical card: First Direct provides a virtual card after approval, so you may be able to use a digital wallet straight away.
Things to do
- Make qualifying card payment 1
- Make qualifying card payment 2
- Make qualifying card payment 3
- Make qualifying card payment 4
- Make qualifying card payment 5
Receive your £210 reward
Once you have completed all requirements, First Direct pays £210 total (£175 base reward plus £35 boost) into your new 1st Account for an eligible account opened during the boost window. The account must still be open when the reward is paid.
Sign in to track your progress and manage this step.
Sign inFirst Direct says the reward should arrive by the 20th of the month following the month in which you meet all criteria. For example, if you finish during September, it should arrive by 20 October.
Check all five requirements: full CASS switch completed; 2 Direct Debits or standing orders transferred; £1,000 paid in; 5 qualifying debit-card payments made; and app or Online Banking login completed.
If the payment deadline passes and everything looks correct, contact First Direct through the app, Online Banking or by phone.
Things to do
- Receive my £210 First Direct switching reward
By Bank Boost
Updated
Offer history
Current and previous published offers. Historical terms may no longer be available.
Current offer — £210
Available from
Get £210 cash (£175 standard switch reward plus a £35 temporary boost) when you open a First Direct 1st Account by 2 December 2026 and meet the switch requirements within 45 days.
- The cash reward increased temporarily from £175 to £210 for eligible accounts opened 14 September–2 December 2026. The CASS, pay-in, card-payment and login requirements did not change.
First Direct £175 Switch Offer — £175
From Until
Get £175 when you switch to a First Direct 1st Account, pay in £1,000, make 5 debit-card payments and meet the offer requirements within 45 days.
- The £175 offer returned with 45 days to qualify instead of 30. Five card payments remained required, but the 24-hour £1,000 balance-retention rule was removed.
£25 cash boost ended The temporary £25 boost ended and the headline cash reward returned to £175. The underlying switch requirements remained the same.
£25 temporary cash boost began Eligible accounts opened during this promotion could receive £200 total: the £175 switch reward plus an extra £25. The underlying qualification steps did not change.
First Direct £175 Switch Offer — £175
From Until
The May–July 2024 First Direct £175 switch offer required a full CASS switch with two Direct Debits or standing orders, a £1,000 pay-in held overnight for at least 24 hours, five debit-card payments and a digital-banking login within 30 days.
- The £175 offer returned with five debit-card payments added. The £1,000 pay-in had to remain in the account for at least 24 hours overnight; all steps were due within 30 days.
First Direct £175 Switch Offer — £175
From Until
The March–April 2024 First Direct £175 switch offer required a full CASS switch with two Direct Debits or standing orders, a £1,000 pay-in and a digital-banking login within 30 days. Five card payments were not a stated requirement.
- The March 2024 £175 offer required a full CASS switch, two Direct Debits or standing orders, a £1,000 pay-in and digital-banking login within 30 days. Five debit-card payments were not a stated condition.