Barclays Reviews

What other current accounts do Barclays offer?

Barclays offers a range of other current accounts to appeal to different needs. You might find that one of their other current accounts is better suited to your personal banking needs.

Barclays Premier Current Account

Barclays’ Premier Current Account allows you to enjoy a range of exclusive benefits and rewards at no extra cost. To be eligible, you must have an annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a Barclays current account or have £100,000 or more saved or invested with Barclays.

• Interest-free arranged overdraft
• Loyalty rewards with Premier Rewards and Barclays Blue Rewards
• Up to £1,000 daily cash machine withdrawals
• Access exclusive Premier mortgages, loans and savings accounts
• Premier relationship team to help you more complex financial decisions
• Fee-free international payments online or via the app

Barclays Basic Current Account

If you aren’t eligible for any of Barclays’ other current accounts, don’t yet have a UK bank account or are experiencing financial difficulty, this might be the perfect account for you. There’s no monthly fee for this type of account and you won’t have access to Barclays Blue Rewards, a cheque book or an overdraft, arranged or unarranged. But it does include:

• A Visa Debit Card or cash card
• Direct Debit or standing order payment options
• Regular statements and free text alerts
• Daily cash machine withdrawal limit of up to £300
• Cashback from retailers

Barclays Student Additions Account

The perfect account for students in the UK. To be eligible, you must be 18 or older, have lived in the UK with 3 year’s address history, use this account as your main bank account and be studying an undergraduate qualification for at least 2 academic years full-time or post-graduate for 1 year or more. This account gives you the ability to:

• Apply for an interest-free arranged overdraft of up to £500 when you open the
• account, increasing to £3,000 in your third year
• Keep on top of your money with the Barclays’ app
• Design your own bank card
• Move money at the speed of light with the Pingit app
• Earn cashback when you spend

Barclays Student Additions Account (International)

This account is similar to the above Student Additions account but it’s tailored to international students that have moved to the UK to study. To be eligible for this account, you must live in the UK, be at least 18, plan to use this account as your main bank account and be studying an undergraduate qualification for at least 2 academic years full-time or post-graduate for 1 year or more. It enables you to:

• Keep on top of your money with the Barclays’ app
• Move money at the speed of light with the Pingit app
• Earn cashback when you spend
• Add Packs to get extra services such as travel insurance and phone insurance for a monthly fee

Barclays Higher Education Account

Barclays’ Higher Education account is available for three years after your graduate, the perfect next step for people who have just completed their studies. To be eligible, you must be 18 or older, live in the UK and have completed your full-time higher education in the UK within the past 3 years. This account comes with:

• No monthly fee
• Cashback when you spend
• Arranged overdraft of up to £3,000 interest-free
• Cashback from over 150 retailers
• Add Packs to get extra services such as travel insurance and phone insurance for a monthly fee

Barclays Young Person’s Account

Barclays’ Young Person’s Account is ideal for those aged 16 or 17 years old. It’s a free account with no monthly fees that is packed with great features, including:

• Shop online and instore with a contactless debit card
• Use Apple Pay and Contactless Mobile to buy things with your phone
• Manage your money on the go with the Barclays app
• Design your own card using your favourite photo
• Withdraw up to £300 a day from cash machines

Barclays Children’s Bank Account – BarclayPlus

The BarclayPlus account is designed for children aged 11-15. You only need £1 to open the account and children will love that they can:

• Design their own card using their favourite photo
• Check their money when they’re out and about with the Barclays app
• Shop instore or online id they have the contactless debit card
• Use Apple Pay to pay with their phone

Parents and guardians will enjoy that:

• It’s a free account with no monthly fees
• There’s no overdraft, so children can only spend what’s in their account
• They’ll earn interest on their balance
• There’s a choice between a cash card and a debit card
• The app is specially designed for the BarclayPlus account

Barclays Foreign currency account

If you regularly receive and send foreign currency, this is the account for you. To be eligible, you need a sterling current account with Barclays. This account comes with:

• A reduced exchange rate risk – this account will help you save on exchange fees and avoid potential exchange rate loss.
• Free transfers between your Barclays account – no fee for transferring money between your foreign currency account and your Barclays sterling current accounts.
• Regular statements – you receive statements as set out in your Retail Customer Agreement. The frequency of statements can be changed at any time.

Can I have more than one Barclays current account?

Yes. There is no limit to the number of current accounts you can open with Barclays, which is great if you like the look of more than one of the current accounts they offer. However, you should always check out what other banks are offering and be wary of opening more accounts just to benefit from certain features like overdrafts.

How do I open a current account with Barclays?

You can open an account simply by using the Barclays app. Download and open the app, scroll down to ‘How to apply’ and begin your application. You need to enter a few personal details, take a video selfie and verify your identity by uploading a picture of your photo ID. Barclays will also run a quick credit check. It’s as simple as that. Barclays will get in touch once your account has been successfully opened.

You can also switch to a Barclays current account. Backed by the Current Account Switch Service, it takes just seven working days to make the switch. If you switch to Barclays, you’ll benefit from Barclays Blue Rewards provided you’re eligible. You can get up to £7 a month for using your account. Barclays will give you £3.50 for each of the first two Direct Debits you payout from the account.

What overdraft options do they offer?

You have the option to add an arranged overdraft to your Barclays current account. You must be over 18 and live in the UK to apply. If you’d like to add an arranged overdraft to your Barclays current account and you’re registered for Online Banking or the Barclays App, you can apply on the app or online. Otherwise, you’ll have to visit a Barclays branch or give them a call. All overdrafts are subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history.

If you attempt to make a payment but don’t have enough funds in your account or an arranged overdraft, Barclays may allow you to make the payment by using an unarranged overdraft. All of Barclays current accounts also come with a £15 safety net, meaning you won’t be charged any interest if you go overdrawn by £15.

How much does an overdraft cost?

Representative example
A variable representative rae of 35% APR
A variable interest rate of 35% EAR
Based on borrowing £1,200

As an example, if you were to borrow £500, the interest cost would be £2.88 for 7 days, £12.45 for 30 days, £25.21 for 60 days.

Does Barclays have a mobile app?

Yes. Their nifty, award-winning app can be downloaded for free to your smartphone or device. In their app, you have the ability to:

• Pay someone new or pay someone you’ve paid before
• Transfer money between your accounts
• Send money abroad to over 35 countries
• Set daily limits for cash withdrawals
• Pay in cheques by taking a photo
• Freeze your card if it’s lost or stolen
• Use the in-app Calendar to keep track of regular payment dates
• Call Barclays securely through the app