Santander UK in 60 seconds
Santander UK at a glance (2026)
About Santander UK
Santander UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander S.A., the Spanish global banking group. It entered the UK market by acquiring Abbey National in 2004, picking up Alliance & Leicester and parts of Bradford & Bingley in 2008-2010, and rebranding all three under the Santander name. Today Santander UK runs as a separate, ring-fenced UK bank with its own UK board and CEO.
In July 2025 Santander UK completed its £2.65bn acquisition of TSB Bank from Banco Sabadell. Integration is the top priority for new UK CEO Mahesh Aditya, who took over from Mike Regnier on 1 March 2026.
Santander UK accounts in 2026
Everyday Current Account
Fee-free everyday current account. Contactless debit Mastercard, mobile app, Apple Pay and Google Pay. No perks beyond core banking.
- £0 monthly fee.
- No qualifying pay-in.
- Standard everyday account.
Santander Edge
£3/month with up to £10/month cashback on household-bill direct debits. Access to the higher-rate Edge Saver and Edge ISA.
- Up to £10/month bill cashback.
- £500/month pay-in + 2 DDs.
- Edge Saver and Edge ISA access.
Santander Edge Up
£5/month with up to £15/month cashback on household bills and 2.10% AER credit interest on balances up to £25,000.
- Up to £15/month bill cashback.
- 2.10% AER on balances up to £25k.
- £1,500/month pay-in + 2 DDs.
Edge Explorer
£17/month for customers who want bundled insurance and travel benefits. Travel insurance, breakdown cover and cashback on bills, supermarkets and travel.
- Worldwide family travel insurance.
- UK breakdown cover.
- Bills, supermarkets and travel cashback.
Santander Private
Private Current Account at £5/month (from 11 May 2026) for clients with £500k+ in investments/savings or £250k+ income. Dedicated UK private team.
- £500k+ savings/investments or £250k+ income.
- Dedicated private banker.
- £5/month from 11 May 2026.
Basic Current Account
Fee-free no-frills account for customers who do not qualify for a standard current account. No overdraft.
- Fee-free, no overdraft.
- Contactless debit card.
- Designed for thin credit files.
Santander Edge cashback in 2026
Edge and Edge Up cashback applies only to household-bill direct debits in 2026: gas, electricity, water, council tax, broadband, mobile and TV/streaming. Debit-card cashback was scrapped on 26 September 2025 in the wider product update.
- Edge (£3/month): 1% on household-bill direct debits, capped at £10/month; access to Edge Saver and Edge ISA.
- Edge Up (£5/month): 1% on household-bill direct debits, capped at £15/month; 2.10% AER on balances up to £25,000.
Santander UK and TSB
In July 2025 Santander UK completed a £2.65bn acquisition of TSB Bank from Banco Sabadell. Integration of TSB’s customers, branches and infrastructure is the bank’s biggest UK project for 2026 under new CEO Mahesh Aditya. Existing TSB customers continue to be served under the TSB brand for the time being.
The deal followed Santander UK’s rejection of a separate £11bn takeover bid from NatWest in early 2025, confirming the bank’s intent to remain independent inside the wider Santander Group.
Santander UK customer service
Personal banking
Account help, payments, complaints
0330 9 123 123
Mon–Sun 08:00–18:00 (telephone banking 24/7)
Top lineLost or stolen card (UK)
Block immediately
0330 9 123 123
24/7
From abroad
Lost or stolen card overseas
+44 1512 648 725
24/7
Online and mobile banking
Login or app issues
0330 123 0209
Same UK hours
Sandi in-app chat
24/7 digital assistant
Open in app
24/7
Branch finder
Santander branches across the UK
Find a branch
Local hours
Complaints and the Financial Ombudsman
Santander has up to eight weeks to issue a final response. If you are unhappy with the outcome, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.
Santander UK FAQ
Yes. Santander UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander S.A. (Spain). It is a separately capitalised, ring-fenced UK bank regulated by the PRA and FCA, with eligible deposits protected up to £85,000 by the FSCS.
Yes. From 26 September 2025, the Edge and Edge Up cashback structure became bill-direct-debit-only. Debit-card cashback that used to come with the older 123 / 123 Lite / Edge accounts is no longer available.
Eventually, yes — Santander UK is integrating TSB after the July 2025 acquisition. For now, TSB customers continue to be served under the TSB brand with no immediate change to their accounts. Any rebrand will be communicated in advance.
Pay in at least £1,500 a month into the account and keep two or more active direct debits running. The £5 monthly fee then unlocks up to £15/month in bill cashback plus 2.10% AER on balances up to £25,000.