| Requirements | None |
| Interest rate | Zero |
| Benefit 1: | Eligibility to open First Direct Regular Saver (1%) |
| Benefit 2: | Incentive of £100 to switch your banking to First Direct (and another £100 if you want to leave with 6 months) |
UPDATE 2021: I no longer use this product as interest rates on the regular saver have bombed and I only kept this account for the linked regular saver.
I originally opened my First Direct 1st Account to bag the £100 incentive for switching my banking, however, I kept the account open to maintain access to the Regular Saver account, which currently offers an interest rate of 1% (although when I opened it, it was a much better 2.75%).
The £100 incentive is basically free money for switching your banking to First Direct. As long as you haven’t had an account with them before, use the switching service and deposit £1000 into your account within the first three months, they will give you £100. They currently also offer an additional £100 if you want to leave them within six months, however I think it is worth keeping it open for their regular saver. I have been maxing out my regular saver every month for several years. Although it does mean my cash can’t be accessed for twelve months, it has a great payoff at the end.
My experience of customer services from First Direct has been fantastic. They pickup the phone quickly, are polite, speak clearly and resolve any issues swiftly. I’m not so keen on their banking app or online banking on their website. I’m also not a fan of the amount of passwords I have to keep note of. I have an online password, a telephone banking password, three lots of memorable information and a memorable word. It’s a nightmare to remember them all and other banks seem to be able to manage with less.
Verdict
First Direct customer service is great as are the incentives they offer and their regular saver. Their banking app and website are a bit clunky and the number of passwords that must be remembered is a nightmare. The current account itself isn’t particular great, so I would only recommend opening one to grab the free incentives or to get eligibility to the regular saver.
| Good points | Not-so-good points |
| Incentives | Current account itself isn’t great |
| Eligibility for regular saver | Banking and mobile apps |
| Customer service |