Written by, Marija Petkova
Updated July, 19, 2023
Different current accounts come with distinct features and benefits that suit different needs, which is why sometimes, it might seem appealing to have two or more accounts to take advantage of certain perks and offers.
But can you have more than one current account in the UK and is it a good idea?
Let’s find out.
You can have as many current accounts as you want across as many financial institutions as you need – some of which you can open without an ID.
It is possible to have more than one current account with the same financial institution.
Some banks will let you open a second account, but you’ll still have to meet the minimum requirements and probably deposit some amount to it.
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Here are the other advantages of having a second current account.
Some bank accounts pay more interest on credit balances and almost every bank caps the amount of interest you can earn on it. If you split your earnings into different current accounts, you can potentially earn more interest across your accounts.
Opening a second current account is usually a good idea for better money management.
For instance, you can separate your earnings into different accounts for spending, bills, and holidays.
Banks often look to draw customers in by offering a variety of incentives to choose them, including rewards such as cashback on bills and even travel insurance as part of the package.
There are also banks that offer money to open an account with them.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects up to £85,000 of your money in a financial institution. If you have more than that in your bank account, it won’t be covered if the bank declares bankruptcy or loses the money.
Opening a second bank account means you can take advantage of further FSCS protection.
Note: Some banks are owned by the same company. Make sure to double-check whether your money is split into bank accounts with different institutions if you want to stay within the FSCS limit.
If you have more than one job or run your own business, it’s best to keep everything separate in different current accounts. This will help with accounting and figuring out your taxes and the end of the year.
It’s a good idea to open a second current account as a backup.
If your main account is frozen for some reason, like a tech failure and you can’t access it, you’ll always have an alternative option to access your money. This can also come in handy in case of theft.
Setting up a foreign currency account can help you avoid fees when making transactions abroad or withdrawing money from ATMs. You can also use it to transfer money from your UK current account.
When it comes to your savings, it’s better to have a separate savings account. If you’re not sure what type of account you should get, the most popular saving accounts are ISA accounts.
Having multiple bank accounts has its benefits, but managing them will take a bit of extra legwork too.
Here are some tips on how to stay on top of your accounts:
Current accounts are basic bank accounts and almost anyone can open one for themselves, regardless of their credit score (very few banks check it for this type of account) or financial situation.
But, if you’re getting more than one current account, you should confirm that you can keep up with the monthly costs.
For example, some banks require customers to make regular monthly transactions above a certain threshold or a predetermined number of direct debits from the account to keep it.
On top of that, you should make sure you can cover the monthly maintenance charges for all of your accounts.
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There is no limit to the number of bank accounts you can open, provided that you can meet the requirements set by the financial institution.
There are a couple of disadvantages to having two or more bank accounts. The biggest one is that you’ll need to pay monthly maintenance fees for all of them. You’ll also need to keep a close eye on every account to make sure enough money is coming into them.
Depending on your earnings, having two separate accounts for spending and saving is the best way to keep your daily and monthly spendings separate from your savings.
Banks don’t typically check an applicant’s credit score for a current account.
My name is Marija, and I'm a financial writer at DontDisappointMe. Although finance might not be everyone's cup of tea, my 10+ years of working in one of the biggest banks in my country, and my interest in extensive research on everything finance/investment-related, have made me somewhat of an expert in the field (if I do say so myself). No longer having the passion to work in a corporate setting, I decided that I couldn't let all of this knowledge go to waste so I started writing. And, here I am! Today I try to share my knowledge with my audience in the hopes of making this topic as simple and interesting as possible. In my leisure time, I like spending time with my family and travelling to new locations.