Switching your UK current account to Monzo or Starling: how the Current Account Switch Service works

In short: in the UK you can move your current account to Monzo or Starling Bank with the free Current Account Switch Service (CASS). The switch takes seven working days, your balance and regular payments move across, your old account is closed, and payments sent to the old account are redirected for at least three years. Recurring payments set up on your old card do not move automatically.

What the Current Account Switch Service is

CASS is run by Pay.UK, a UK payments organisation, and is described on its website. Pay.UK describes it as a free-to-use service "available to individuals, small businesses, charities and trusts", offered by over 50 banks and building societies.

The key points from Pay.UK:

• A switch "takes seven working days".
• Payments that continue to be made to, or collected from, the old account are "automatically redirected" to the new one.
• The redirection runs "for a minimum of three years or longer, if needed".
• "The old account is closed on completion of the switch."

So CASS is a full switch: you end up with one account, not two. If you want to keep your old account open and use a neo bank alongside it, you do not need CASS at all: you simply open the new account and move the payments you want by hand.

What moves and what does not

The card point is easy to miss: subscriptions charged to your old debit card will fail once that card stops working, so give those services your new card details.

Switching to Monzo

Monzo's help centre says a switch "takes 7 days (or you can choose a later date if you want to)", and its joint account page says Monzo will "get it done in 7 working days". Monzo moves your money and payments and closes your old account for you.

You can switch into:

• a Monzo current account;
• a Monzo joint account, as long as you are not trying to switch an old joint account into a sole Monzo current account;
• a Monzo Business Account, from both sole trader and limited company accounts.

What you need: the sort code and account number of your old account and the last five digits of your old account's card. For a joint account, you also need the last five digits of your partner's old card. Before you start, make sure your old bank has the same address for you as Monzo does; a mismatch can hold the switch up.

How to start in the app: tap the Home icon, tap the blue + button at the top right, then select "Switch to Monzo" and follow the steps.

For a closer look at the account itself, see our Monzo listing and Is Monzo safe?.

Switching to Starling

Starling says "everything is sorted in seven working days". It is explicit that it only offers a full switch: "We only offer a full switch service, which closes your old account. We don't support partial switches."

Who can switch: you need to live in the UK, and new Starling customers must be 18 or over. You first apply for a personal or joint account; once it is approved, you can switch into it.

Joint accounts: both of you need to confirm the switch in the app.

How to start: go to the account menu, tap "Switch to Starling", enter your old bank details and pick a switch date.

The guarantee: Starling says that if anything goes wrong with the switch, "we'll refund any interest (paid or lost) or charges incurred on your old or new account".

Business accounts at Starling

Starling's business switch page adds a few points:

• You must be verified as a Starling business customer before you switch.
• On accounts with several owners, one user starts the switch in the app and all directors with app access must approve it.
• An overdraft on your old account is not transferred. You need to agree a new overdraft with Starling or arrange to repay the old one with your old bank before you switch.
• Permissions you gave third-party providers (for example accounting software connections) are not moved automatically.
• Partial switching is not supported here either.

More on the bank in Starling Bank explained and on our Starling listing.

Monzo and Starling side by side

A checklist before you switch

1. Open and get approved for the new account first. The switch is requested from the new bank, not the old one.
2. Check your details match. Same name and address at both banks.
3. Pick a quiet switch date, for example not the day before rent or a large bill is due.
4. List your card subscriptions and plan to move them to the new card.
5. Deal with any overdraft. If you are overdrawn, ask the new bank what it can offer before you start.
6. Download old statements. Once the old account is closed, getting past statements may take longer, and you may need them for a mortgage, tax return or visa application.

If your reason for switching is that a bank froze or closed your account, see what to do if a neo bank freezes or closes your account first. To compare UK accounts before choosing, use our comparison for the UK or read UK neo banks compared.

Sources

• Pay.UK: Current Account Switch Service
• Monzo: Understanding the Current Account Switch Service
• Monzo: Switching your joint account
• Starling Bank: Switch bank accounts and current accounts
• Starling Bank: Switch your business bank account to Starling

Prices and features checked on 2026-11-07.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees, features and availability change, so check the provider's own website before you apply. Read how we compare providers and our affiliate disclosure.