If you regularly find yourself dipping into the red with your current account, you need to ensure you avoid costly interest charges.
A number of banks offer cheap or even free arranged overdrafts, provided you only go overdrawn by a couple of hundred pounds.
Heavily in debt? Here are the cheapest ways to pay off what you owe.
Best bank accounts for free overdrafts
Below is a list of accounts that offer an interest-free overdraft.
You should arrange an overdraft when you first set up the account. In some cases, you'll need to use the Current Account Switch Service to be eligible for the fee-free overdraft.
As a final point, these accounts are by no means an answer to persistent debt problems.
If you find yourself constantly in the red and struggling to keep your head above water, it's time to get free debt help.
We've arranged this table first by the duration of the free overdraft and then by the free overdraft limit.
|
Bank Account |
Duration of free overdraft (months) |
Assumed free overdraft limit |
Cost if you exceed the limit (arranged overdraft) |
|
first direct 1st Account |
Ongoing |
£250 |
39.9% EAR |
|
TSB Spend & Save Plus* |
Ongoing |
£100 |
39.9% EAR |
|
Club Lloyds** |
Ongoing |
£50 |
27.5% EAR |
|
Nationwide FlexDirect |
12 |
£1,200 |
39.9% EAR |
|
Santander Everyday current account*** |
4 |
£1,200 |
39.94% EAR |
|
Santander Edge current account***+ |
4 |
£1,200 |
39.94% EAR |
|
Santander 1|2|3 current account***^ |
4 |
£1,200 |
39.94% EAR |
*This account costs £3 a month.
**If you pay in less than £1,500 a month, you’ll get charged £3 a month. From 1 April, you'll have to pay in at least £2,000 a month to avoid the monthly fee.
***You'll need to use the Current Account Switch Service to switch to this account.
+The Santander Edge account has a £3 monthly fee.
^The 1|2|3 account has a £4 monthly fee.
First direct 1st Account
First direct offers an ongoing £250 fee-free arranged overdraft, which should be enough to deal with the odd, unexpected bill.
Beyond that point, its overdraft charges are pretty hefty at 39.9% although first direct's customer service is consistently rated as excellent.
First direct’s account is free and you'll also have access to a 7% Regular Saver account (this rate is fixed for 12 months), plus you can get £175 if you switch.
TSB Spend & Save Plus
TSB's Spend & Save Plus account offers an interest-free overdraft of £100, but if you exceed this, you’ll get hit with high overdraft charges at 39.9%.
While the account will set you back £3 a month, you can also earn £5 cashback every month if you make 20 payments with your debit card, plus you won’t get charged for using your card abroad.
Lloyds Bank Club Lloyds
The Club Lloyds current account has a fee-free arranged overdraft of £50 with a typical interest rate of 27.5% for over this amount.
The account comes with many perks like in-credit interest of 1.5% on balances between £1 and £3,999 and 3% for balances between £4,000 and £5,000, but you’ll need to pay out two separate Direct Debits every month.
You can also choose one lifestyle benefit like six free cinema tickets, an annual magazine subscription, annual Gourmet Society membership or 12 digital movie rentals.
You will need to pay in at least £1,500 a month (this will rise to £2,000 each month from 1 April) in order to avoid a £3 monthly fee.
It's worth noting that the £50 interest-free overdraft is available with other Lloyds accounts, but some of these have a higher monthly fee.
Nationwide FlexDirect
If you've got a good credit rating but know you've got a tumultuous year coming up, then Nationwide's FlexDirect account could be a good option.
That's because it provides a 12-month fee-free arranged overdraft.
The credit limit you'll get depends on your status but could be higher (they give an example of £1,200) than the ongoing fee-free overdraft accounts discussed above.
However, you'll need to know that you can pay off your overdraft by the end of the 12-month period – otherwise be prepared to pay a high 39.9% in interest.
This account is free and offers 5% interest on balances of up to £1,500 for the first 12 months (0.25% variable after), plus 5% cashback (up to £10 per month) when you use your debit card at various supermarkets and convenience stores until 30 April 2023.
If you know you are likely to need to borrow money, then a 0% purchase card could give you far longer to pay off your debts.
Santander 1|2|3, Edge and Everyday accounts
All of these accounts offer a fee-free arranged overdraft for four months – after this point, you’ll pay a high interest rate of 39.94%.
The 1|2|3 account offers up to 3% cashback on selected household bills. It is capped at £5 per cashback tier each month, so you can get a maximum of £15 per month (excluding the £4 monthly fee).
The Santander Edge account costs £3 per month but you get 1% cashback (up to £10 a month) on selected household bills when you pay by Direct Debit.
You also get 1% cashback (up to £10 a month) at supermarkets and on travel costs when you use your debit card.
On top of this, you can apply for a savings account offering 4% interest on balances of up to £4,000, which includes a 0.5% variable bonus rate for the first 12 months.
The bank gives an example of £1,200 for its overdraft, but it may be less, depending on your credit rating. But you'll need to use the Current Account Switch Service to move your banking to Santander.
For the 1|2|3 account, you must pay in a minimum of £500 a month and set up at least two Direct Debits. The monthly fee is £4, and the amount of interest is 2% on balances of up to £20,000.
For the Edge account, which is paper-free, you must also pay in at least £500 a month and set up two Direct Debits. The monthly fee is £3.
The Everyday account is free.
Paying off your overdraft
If you only have a limited interest-free arranged overdraft period, like those offered by the Santander accounts, you'll need to have a plan in place to pay it off – or you'll start being charged interest.
For some top tips, read our guide to getting rid of your overdraft for good.
If you're struggling with your debts, there are plenty of places to get free, expert, confidential debt advice – we've listed them in Where to get free debt advice.
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