Opening a bank account with someone else is not for the faint of heart. It may not be as romantic as a ring, but it’s still a pretty big commitment. This guide focuses on current accounts that come with debit cards for everyday spending. We also have a guide on joint savings accounts if you are looking to save money for an extended period of time and earn interest on the balance.
| Bank | Best for | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Starling Bank | Best all rounder and for overseas spending | 4.7/5 |
| Monzo | Best for budgeting tools | 4.6/5 |
| Lloyds Classic | Best for payment features | 4.4/5 |
| Revolut | Good for spending together in the app | 4.2/5 |
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 0% |
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
3.25% AER
Interest (AER)
Overall, Starling's current account is a strong choice. It was the winner in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2023 and our banking experts rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It has a lot to recommend it. As one of the largest digital-only banks, it has built a service which has a variety of payments and budgeting features which help couples or flatmates to manage their joint funds. These include spending insights and instant payment notifications, so you can see who has spent what, and where. Meanwhile, saving spaces help you both save towards a shared goal like a holiday or a new piece of furniture.
Then, once you hit that holiday savings goal, you can then take advantage of fee free spending abroad. With Starling Bank, you can both pay on card or withdraw cash abroad without being charged. Considering foreign transaction fees are usually around 2.99%, this can be quite a saving. On top of this, Starling passes on Mastercard's real exchange rates, so you can get more for your money.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £0.01 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | £0 |
£1
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
Making payments is one of the essential services we want from our current account. Lloyds' joint account does this and much more. It has a strong branch presence where both of you can make cash deposits and cheque deposits. It also allows you to make and receive international payments. Beyond these basic services, it also has its Everyday Offers cashback programme where you can earn up 15% cashback and you can set up a joint budget each month.
As they are also part of the Lloyds Banking Group, you'll find that Halifax and Bank of Scotland have much of the same payment features.
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £1 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 2.99% |
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £0 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 2.75% |
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 0% Mon-Fri (max. £1,000 per month) |
To come up with our Finder ratings and picks for the best bank accounts in the UK, our team looked at every free-to-use current account and scored them across 8 key areas.
We looked at their app scores in the Google Play Store and the App Store, their monthly fees, their transaction fees for things like ATM withdrawals or having your bank card delivered, their customer satisfaction scores including how they were ranked in our Finder survey, their account access including in-branch and online, their payment features and their extra features like spending categories or reward programmes.
We scored each category out of 5. For example, if a bank account had no fees for transactions like direct debits, card purchases, deposits and withdrawals, it would score 5 out of 5. To calculate our Finder rating, we averaged out all these scores and rounded them to the nearest half star.
You’ll also see accounts we picked as being outstanding in certain categories, such as the best bank account for overseas spending or the best bank account for payment features. What you need from a bank account is personal, so these picks are just a guide to help you with your decision.
A joint bank account is a current account held by more than one person at the same time. The limit is usually two, although there are some banks that allow more people to open an account together.
There are multiple reasons for opening a joint account, but basically, it can be a good idea when you already share some kind of money commitment with someone else: for example, if you have to pay the rent, the bills or a mortgage together.
A joint bank account works just like a regular current account. Standard features include a debit card, online and app-based banking, direct debits, standing orders and an overdraft facility. There are also joint business bank accounts to help with running a business.
These days, most banks allow you to apply for a joint current account online. Both of you will need to provide your personal details and to have your identity verified. Depending on the bank you’re applying with and whether you’re also requesting an overdraft, you may also have to go through a credit check.
In some cases, once you’ve completed the application form, you may be asked to pop into a branch and provide some form of proof of identity and proof of address. That’s usually when the bank is unable to verify your identity online.
The functioning of a joint account is governed by a document (generally referred to as a “mandate”) that details who can do what with the account. Both account holders will have to sign it.
Once the account is open, you’ll be able to register for online banking, download the app and fund the account. You should also receive your debit card and PIN within a few days.
From time to time banks offer switching bonuses if you close down your old account and switch to a new one. This also applies to joint accounts. Learn more about the latest switching deals and which banks are offering them.
Current switching deals
Below we have listed the latest switching deals on the market. This list is checked regularly and was last updated on 27 September 2024.
For more information about how to switch, head over to our switching deals guide.
| HSBC | Advance Bank Account | 6 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| TSB | Spend & Save | 5 | Yes | No | Visit TSB |
| Barclays | Barclays Bank Account | 4* | Yes | No | Read our review |
| Metro Bank | Current Account | 4 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| Co-operative Bank | Current Account | 3 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| Bank of Scotland | Classic Account | 2 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| First Direct | 1st Account | 2 | Yes | No | Visit first direct |
| Halifax | Current Account | 2 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| Lloyds Bank | Classic Account | 2 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| Nationwide Building Society | FlexDirect Current Account | 2 | Yes | No | Read our review |
| NatWest | NatWest Select | 2 | Yes | No | See account |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Royal Bank Select | 2 | Yes | No | See account |
| Starling Bank | Starling Personal | 2 | No | No | Read our review |
| Virgin Money | M Plus Account (Age 16-17) | 2 | No | No | Read our review |
The reason why sharing a current account is such a big commitment is that both people have the same right to access the money in it. As a consequence, once you fund the account, you’re relinquishing control over your money and sharing it with another person. Doing this entails two sets of risks:
For these reasons, you should only open a joint account with someone who you trust completely and with whom you share a similar money management style. It’s also a good idea to have a conversation at the very beginning on how much you’re going to pay into the account and what you’re going to use the money for.
If things go wrong and you have a disagreement with your other account holder(s), then the first step you may want to consider is to cancel the account’s “mandate”, the document that details who can do what with the account. By doing this you freeze the account, which means that none of the account holders (including you) can withdraw the money.
This should give you time and space to resolve the dispute. Your bank or building society will only unlock the account once you convince it that you have agreed on how to split the money.
Sadly, if you can’t come to an agreement about how to split the money in the account, your only remaining option is to take legal action through the courts, which is likely to be expensive and messy.
The introduction of the Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) in April 2016 means that basic rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 in savings interest per year without paying tax. Higher rate taxpayers can earn £500 in savings interest per year before paying tax, while additional rate taxpayers do not get a PSA.
The PSA covers interest earned in bank accounts, savings accounts, and bonds. With joint accounts, the interest is usually split equally between both account holders and goes towards each account holder’s respective allowance.
To help you find the best joint bank account, you’ll need to work out what’s most important to you. For example, if you are planning to use your account to pay household bills, you might want to look for one that pays cashback on those bills. Or you might want an account that pays interest on your balance.
You will also need to consider whether you’re likely to need an overdraft. If so, you’ll want an account that charges a low rate of interest or offers an interest-free overdraft buffer.
If a few of you are planning to open a joint account, check the maximum number of account holders permitted – this is usually between two and four people. You might also want to check whether all account holders need to authorise transactions, or whether just one of you can.
If one account holder loses mental capacity, providers in England and Wales can choose to temporarily freeze a joint account. This would involve blocking debit cards, withdrawals, online banking and direct debits.
One way around this is to appoint a power of attorney in advance, which allows someone else to make decisions on your behalf should you lose your mental capacity. If you lose your mental capacity before being able to do this, a deputy must be appointed by the Court of Protection. This can take several months and it can be expensive.
In Scotland, banks must allow the other account holders to continue to use the account under the Incapacity Scotland Act, so long as it was set up on an either-to-sign basis.
In Northern Ireland the process will vary depending on the provider.
What happens if you break up as a couple, or if you move out and don’t need an account with your flatmate anymore? Well, as long as you both agree on this, there’s nothing to worry about. You can split the money left in the account, move it back to your individual current accounts and then close the joint account.
In order to do so, you’ll usually need to visit a branch together and bring your debit card and proof of identity.
If you disagree on how to split the money, you can get in touch with the bank to cancel the mandate. The bank will then freeze the account until all the parties involved reach an agreement.
A joint bank account is a good idea if you need your funds or savings to co-exist with someone else. So long as you find the right bank, trust the other person’s financial commitments, set out some ground rules and are aware of the potential credit score implications, it should be smooth sailing.
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
Altcoins crypto exchanges table
All-in-one crypto exchanges table
Crypto debit cards table
The MyGuava Business Account comes with no monthly fees and has useful features for international payments and transactions.
Advanced features crypto exchanges table
Instant buy crypto exchanges table
Beginners crypto exchanges table
Crypto exchanges we review and compare.
Find out what Web 3.0 is all about, pros and cons of Web 3.0 and how you can invest in Web 3.0.
New to Monzo? See if you can keep some more money in your pocket with our promo codes and special offers.
