Thousands of Brits switch to Nationwide, Co-operative Bank and Monzo – which banks are least popular?

As current account bank switches reach a record high, we look at the most and least popular banks and building societies among Brits. Is it worth switching?

Woman with credit card switching bank
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Banking loyalty seems to be a thing of the past in Britain, but what’s causing customers to move their money?

If you’re thinking about switching banks, a lot of factors come into play, whether it’s a lucrative cash bonus, access to a bank branch, higher interest rates, or spending benefits.

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Nationwide again proved to be the most popular banking company that customers switched to between April and June 2025, according to the CASS data. The building society amassed the highest net switching gains (54,347).

It was followed by Co-operative Bank in second place (9,175), and digital bank Monzo in third (8,246).

We’ve compiled the top banks and building societies in terms of net gains in a table below.

Customer data from the Current Account Switch Service is published three months in arrears, which is why the data here is from April to June.

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The most popular banks in 2025

Bank or building society

Net switching gains

Nationwide

54,347

The Co-operative Bank

9,175

Monzo Bank Limited

8,246

HSBC (including First Direct)

8,219

NatWest

3,858

TSB

938

Danske

765

Triodos Bank

120

Source: Current Account Switch Service. Data shows the number of full account switches completed between 1 April and 30 June, 2025

Of the banks and building societies listed above, four have had cash bonuses of up to £310 for customers switching their accounts. This includes First Direct, NatWest, TSB and The Co-operative Bank.

Despite the building society’s switching deal ending in March, it seems Nationwide’s other offers, such as the £100 Fairer Share bonus, the Thank You bonus, and member-only savings products may have proved attractive to a large number of customers.

Meanwhile, Monzo paid customers up to £50 to refer a friend, which may have driven its popularity.

While a few banks gained new customers, a lot more lost out.

Santander saw the biggest losses (-23,015), as 33,438 switches were made from the high street bank, and it gained just 10,423 new customer accounts.

In second place is Barclays with a net loss of -18,337 in the second quarter of 2025, while Halifax had a net loss of -14,752.

Chase also lost out on many customer accounts (net loss of -6,976), despite the digital bank introducing a bonus offer on its easy access saver in June for new customers.

We’ve compiled the banks that suffered from the highest net losses in the first three months of the year.

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The least popular banks in 2025

Bank or building society

Net losses from switching

Santander

-23,015

Barclays

-18,337

Halifax

-14,752

Lloyds Bank

-9,406

J.P Morgan CHASE

-6,976

Virgin Money

-3,697

RBS

-3,119

Bank Of Scotland

-1,820

Starling Bank Ltd

-1,237

Ulster Bank

-463

AIB Group (UK) p.l.c.

-363

Bank Of Ireland

-283

Source: Current Account Switch Service. Data shows the number of full account switches completed between 1 April and 30 June, 2025

Access to online banking was the most frequently cited reason for choosing a new account, mentioned by 44% of respondents. This was followed by better customer service (35%), attractive interest rates (33%), location of branches (26%) and spending benefits (25%).

It comes after many high street banks continue to offer poor interest rates to customers, resulting in heavy losses for savers who are being urged to switch to an inflation-beating savings account.

Should you switch your bank account?

Switching has now become easier than ever before. According to the Current Account Switching Service data, 90% of customers in the last three years were happy with the switching process.

If you use CASS, it takes seven days for the switch to complete. It makes sure that your direct debits, standing orders, and any new payments to your old account are transferred automatically, even after you’ve switched.

However, that doesn’t always mean that moving your money to another account will be the best option for you. It’s always best to consider the long-term value of a current account, like whether you’re getting better customer service, how much you’ll incur in fees or charges, and if you have access to physical branches.

Depending on the type of account you hold, your bank may already be offering better savings rates, travel perks, or spending benefits. So if you’re switching for the cash incentive alone, it might not be worth it in the long run.

We look at whether switching banks can affect your credit score in a separate piece.

Oojal Dhanjal
Editorial Content Producer

Oojal has a background in consumer journalism and is interested in helping people make the most of their money.

Oojal has an MA in international journalism from Cardiff University, and before joining MoneyWeek, she worked for Look After My Bills, a personal finance website, where she covered guides on household bills and money-saving deals.

Her bylines can be found on Newsquest, Voice Wales, DIVA and Sony Music, and she has explored subjects ranging from politics and LGBTQIA+ issues to food and entertainment.

Outside of work, Oojal enjoys travelling, going to the movies and learning Spanish with a little green owl.