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Best Bank in UK: List of Top 10 for Reference

The UK is always a busy country because of multiple tourists visiting there daily and plenty of international students studying there every year. Therefore, it becomes important to know the best bank in UK as you will definitely be making transactions on a foreign land. So, if you are a resident of the UK, then you must consider multiple factors before opening a bank account. This may include bank fees, exchange rates, services provided, and many more. Therefore, read this blog to know about the 10 best banks in UK and also accounts for students and other needs.

Know which is the best bank in UK with experts at Graddinghomes.com

Table of Contents

Top 10 banks in UK

There are hundreds of banks in UK but here, you will get the details about the 10 top UK banks that will provide good customer service and will meet with your requirements.

1. HSBC Holdings

HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial service organizations in the world. This is considered the best bank in UK because of several reasons such as customer service and its international recognition. HSBC serves over 40 million happy customers globally in almost 64 countries and territories.

  • Headquarters: London
  • Founded: 1865 in Hong Kong
  • Services: Personal banking, commercial banking, wealth management, and global banking and markets.

2. Barclays

Barclays is one of the best banks in UK. It is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company. This bank offers a wide range of services in both the retail sector and investment banking. It serves 48 million customers from over 50 countries worldwide.

  • Headquarters: London
  • Founded: 1690
  • Services: Retail banking, corporate banking, wealth management, and investment banking.

3. Lloyds

It is one of the largest retail and commercial banks in the UK. Lloyds is a leading UK-based financial services group, formed through the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS in 2009. Moreover, this bank serves over 30 million customers.

  • Headquarters: Edinburgh
  • Founded: 2009 (with origins dating back to 1765)
  • Services: Retail banking, commercial banking, insurance, and wealth management.

4. NatWest Group

NatWest Group, which used to be the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), is one of the best bank in UK. This institution has a very long history and played a very crucial role in the development of banking in Scotland and the UK. It serves over 19 million customers.

  • Headquarters: Edinburgh
  • Founded: 1727
  • Services: Retail banking, corporate banking, private banking, and insurance.

5. Standard Chartered

This multi national bank is serving happy customers not only in the UK, but predominantly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This is a British banking and finance institute that focuses majorly on emerging markets. It serves in 53 nations globally.

  • Headquarters: London
  • Founded: 1969 (through the merger of Standard Bank and Chartered Bank).
  • Services: Retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, commercial banking, and private banking.

6. Santander UK

Santander UK is the best bank in UK. This is a subsidiary of the major global bank, Banco Santander. It is known for its customer-focused approach and innovative banking solutions. It serves over 14 million customers.

  • Headquarters: London
  • Founded: 2010 (a rebranding of Abbey National, Alliance & Leicester, and Bradford & Bingley)
  • Services: Personal banking, business banking, mortgages, and wealth management.

7. Nationwide Building Society

This is not a perfect banking institution, but more of a largest building society in the world, providing a wide range of financial services with a strong focus on mutuality and member benefits. It has around 17 million satisfied customers globally.

  • Headquarters: Swindon
  • Founded: 1884
  • Services: Savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, and insurance.

8. TSB Bank

TSB is among the top commercial banks in UK, offering a range of banking services aimed at providing straightforward and transparent banking to its customers. This bank has made a good reputation in the industry through its customer support services. It serves over 5 million happy customers.

  • Headquarters: Edinburgh
  • Founded: 2013
  • Services: Personal banking, business banking, mortgages, and savings accounts.

9. Virgin Money UK

Virgin Money UK is a financial services brand used by Clydesdale Bank plc and its subsidiaries, known for its distinctive branding and customer-focused approach.

This bank emphasize on innovation and brand strength, making a differentiated identity in the industry. This bank serves around 6.5 million customers.

  • Headquarters: Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Founded: 2015
  • Services: Personal banking, business banking, credit cards, mortgages, and insurance.

10. Metro Bank

Metro bank is again a new player in the banking field. This bank is known for its unique approach to the customer services and unique retail banking model. This bank serves around 3 million customers, with a loyal customer base.

  • Headquarters: London
  • Founded: 2010
  • Services: Personal banking, business banking, and commercial banking.

This is the list of thebest bank in UK. Knowing about them is important as you will make daily transactions while staying in UK and getting a nice bank account becomes important. Therefore, in the next section of this blog, you will get to know about the best bank accounts in UK based on different needs.

Best Bank Accounts in the UK as per Different Needs

In this section, you will get to know about the best student bank account in UK. Here, the category has been divided depending on several factors such as for students, travelers, or even if you plan to save. Thus, read it till the end and make a smart choice depending on what service you want.

For Students

Santander 123 Student Account: Offers a free 4-year Railcard and interest-free overdraft up to £2,000.

HSBC Student Account: Provides a £100 welcome bonus and interest-free overdraft up to £3,000.

For Everyday Banking

  • Lloyds Bank Classic Account: Simple and widely accepted, with mobile banking and budgeting tools.
  • NatWest Select Account: Offers easy access to mobile banking and personalized spending insights.

For Savings

  • Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Offers a competitive interest rate on easy-access savings.
  • Nationwide FlexDirect: Provides a high interest rate for the first year on balances up to £1,500.

For Digital Banking

  • Monzo: Great for budgeting with spending notifications and savings pots.
  • Revolut: Offers multi-currency accounts and no-fee international payments.

For International Students or Travelers

  • Wise (formerly TransferWise): Low-cost international transfers and multi-currency accounts.
  • Starling Bank: Free overseas card transactions and easy account management.

For Premium Services

  • HSBC Premier Account: Offers global support, free travel insurance, and exclusive rewards.
  • Barclays Premier Current Account: Provides personal banking managers and premium financial advice.

This is the list of UK bank accounts that will meet different needs and will help you get the benefit of the card offers and excellent customer support. Thus, it is beneficial to open a international bank account so that you can make cross boarders transactions easily.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now know which is the best bank in UK. So, now your stay in the UK will be smooth in the context of making transactions and handling your financial services. Moreover, all these banks mentioned above provide the best customer services, transparency, and smoothness in the procedure. Thus, choose one that meets your requirements and fulfills your financial procedures. Moreover, services like banking, finding student accommodation in UK, and many more are a bit complicated and time-consuming when you shift to a new place. Thus, call our experts today and make these activities easy and well-managed.

FAQs

1. Which Bank Is Best in UK?

HSBC Holdings is considered as the best bank in UK. Apart from this, Barclays & Lloyds are also among the top banks in the UK.

2. Which Is the Cheapest Bank in UK?

Santander Basic Current Account, Lloyds Bank Basic Account, and Nationwide FlexAccount are among the cheapest banks in UK when determining the factors such as low fees and basic services.

3. What Are the 5 Largest UK Banks?

HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, and Spanish-owned Santander UK are considered the largest banks in the UK.

4. Can I Open a UK Bank Account If I Am a Non-resident?

Yes, you can open a UK bank account as a non-resident, but you may need to provide additional documentation and might face stricter requirements than the local residents.

5. Which UK Bank Has No Fees?

Starling Bank and Lloyds Bank have no fees in the UK.

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