This comparison simply includes all savings accounts.
Santander Savings Accounts
Why we like it: Interest paid annually. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Open and manage online. FSCS Protected. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: Instant access to your savings. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Interest paid monthly, either to a linked current account, or adding it to your Online Flexi Saver account. Easy application process, you just need a UK mobile phone and UK driving licence or passport. Manage account online. Maximum balance £250,000. Must be aged 18 or older and have a UK address. Must have a linked UK current account. Your eligible deposits with Investec Bank are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Which? Recommended Savings Provider. No notice period. Deposit from £100. Interest paid monthly or annually. Apply in minutes. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services. Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: Unlimited payments and withdrawals. Interest paid annually. Open in a single or a joint name. Maximum deposit £250,000. FSCS Protected. Winner of Platinum Feefo Trusted Service Award in 2024. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: Interest calculated monthly. Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Open and manage online. FSCS Protected. Must retain a minimum balance of £20,000 in the account. Must be UK resident and be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: All funds deposited into the RCI Bank E-Volve Savings 14 Day Notice Account will be used to fund pure electric vehicles and charging facilities. Interest paid monthly or annually. Manage account online. UK-based support, seven days a week. Which? Recommended Savings Provider. Unlimited withdrawals subject to 14 days notice. Must be UK resident. Must be aged 18 or older. Your eligible deposits with RCI Bank UK Limited are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Why we like it: The interest rate tracks the Bank of England (BoE) Base Rate. Interest is calculated on the minimum daily balance and applied to the account on the first day of every subsequent month. Open and manage account online. Your eligible deposits are protected up to £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The maximum deposit you may pay into any one OakNorth Account is £500,000. The maximum amount (excluding the interest) that you will be allowed to hold on deposit with OakNorth Bank across multiple accounts is also £500,000. Unlimited withdrawals, subject to 95 days notice. Available to individuals, aged 18 or over, who are UK residents
Why we like it: Unlimited deposits and withdrawals. Interest paid monthly: can be added to your Notice Saver or paid to your linked account. Easy application process, you just need a UK mobile phone and UK driving licence or passport. Manage account online. Maximum balance £250,000. Withdrawals subject to 90 days notice. Must be aged 18 or older and have a UK address. Must have a linked UK current account
Why we like it: 3 penalty-free withdrawals in a 12 month period. 3.82% AER (variable tracker) + 0.68% AER 12 month boost. 3.75% gross variable tracker. Interest paid monthly. Deposit and withdraw almost instantly. No fees or charges for holding account. FSCS eligible on your deposits. After 3 withdrawals within a 12 month period the rate will revert to either 3.40% AER (variable tracker with boost applied) or 2.72% AER (variable tracker) for the remainder of the 12 month period since opening the account. Must be UK resident. Must be aged 18 or older
Why we like it: 9 month term, minimum deposit £1,000, no withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Why we like it: Interest paid on maturity. Automatic repayment to your linked account. Maximum deposit £250,000. FSCS Protected. Must have a UK residential address and be aged 18 or older. No withdrawals permitted
Why we like it: 1 year term, minimum deposit £1,000, no withdrawals permitted. FSCS Protected
Compare Santander savings accounts
The Santander Group is a Spanish banking group which offers a range of savings products to customers around the world. Below we look at the main types of savings accounts Santander has on offer and explain some of their key pros and cons.
Current Accounts
When your savings are relatively modest, you are probably best keeping them in your current account. This is because current accounts usually pay good rates of interest on smaller amounts.
If your balance goes over the interest-paying limit, however, you will usually earn nothing on the excess. This should then be transferred to another type of savings account to maximise your return.
Instant Access Savings Accounts
If you want the flexibility to add and remove funds from your savings account when it suits you, an instant access savings account is likely to be the best fit. You can normally deposit and withdraw money instantly, but there may be an annual limit on the number of times you can do this.
Many instant access accounts will come with a cash card, allowing you to get money from a standard ATM. Others require you to make withdrawals in person at a branch or use phone and online banking to make transfers.
Regular Savings Accounts
For savers who want to put a little bit of money aside each month, a regular savings account makes a lot of sense. You will usually have to commit to making a minimum deposit each month or risk paying a penalty fee and you make only be able to make so many withdrawals a year.
In exchange you will generally get a favourable interest rate, although it may take a while to see much of a benefit from this as you will need to build up your capital first.
Fixed Rate Bonds
If you want a reliable return on a lump sum, fixed rate bonds are a good possibility. They pay guaranteed rates of interest over a set period with the downside being you can’t access your money until the bond matures. The longer the bond lasts for, the higher the interest rate you will tend to be offered.
Cash ISAs
For UK tax payers, cash ISAs are a very attractive proposition. They let you earn interest tax free on deposits below a certain yearly threshold set by the government. For the 2017/18 tax year the cut-off is £20,000.
ISAs are usually offered either as instant access or fixed term. Instant access cash ISAs let you add and remove funds whenever you want to and pay variable rates of interest. Fixed term cash ISAs act like fixed rate bonds, but with the benefit of paying no tax on your interest.
Find the best Santander savings account for you
With such a range of providers and products on the market, making the best choice is challenging. To help make things a little easier, we offer a savings account comparison tool (see the top of this page). This allows you to quickly and simply compare the best offers currently available on savings accounts from all the top providers, making your decision much less confusing.
