Part of our Santander UK — Complete Guide 2026 hub.
Santander UK’s standard daily ATM withdrawal limit is £300 — the same as HSBC and NatWest, and lower than Lloyds’ £800 limit. Here’s everything you need to know about Santander’s cash limits, overseas fees, and how to change your limit.
Santander UK ATM Limits at a Glance
| Detail | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard daily ATM limit | £300 |
| UK ATM fee | Free |
| Overseas ATM fee (Everyday Account) | ~2.99% at non-Santander ATMs; free at Santander-brand ATMs abroad |
| Overseas ATM fee (Edge / Edge Up) | 0% foreign currency conversion fee — free |
| Limit reset | Midnight (UK time) each day |
| Limit adjustment | Via Santander app or phone |
Fees confirmed against santander.co.uk in September 2026 — always check your specific account’s terms, as fee-free periods can apply from account opening (Edge and Edge Up’s 0% fee can take up to 3 working days to activate on a new account).
How Santander’s ATM Limit Compares
| Bank | Standard Daily ATM Limit |
|---|---|
| Lloyds Bank | £800 |
| NatWest | £300 |
| HSBC | £300 |
| Santander | £300 |
| Barclays | £300 |
If you regularly need more than £300 per day in cash, Lloyds offers a higher standard limit. Alternatively, most banks allow a temporary increase on request.
Overseas ATM Withdrawals with Santander
Your overseas card fee depends on which Santander current account you hold:
- Everyday Current Account (free account): withdrawals at Santander-brand cash machines abroad are fee-free. At other banks’ ATMs, and on card purchases abroad, a non-sterling transaction fee of around 2.99% typically applies — check your card’s terms and conditions for the exact current rate, as Santander’s fee schedule can change.
- Santander Edge (£3/month) and Santander Edge Up (£5/month): both currently offer a 0% foreign currency conversion fee on card purchases and cash withdrawals abroad, in the local currency. This fee waiver can take up to 3 working days to activate after the account is opened.
Example: On the Everyday Account, withdrawing €200 from a non-Santander eurozone ATM (at an exchange rate of roughly £170) would cost approximately £5.10 in fees at a 2.99% rate.
For regular foreign cash withdrawals, an Everyday Account cardholder may still find it cheaper to use a specialist account. Consider:
- Starling Bank — no overseas ATM or transaction fees (up to £300/day free, then 0.5% charge)
- Nationwide FlexPlus — fee-free overseas ATM use included in packaged account fee
- Chase UK — no overseas fees, fee-free ATM worldwide
Given that Santander’s own Edge account (£3/month) already removes foreign fees entirely, it’s worth comparing the Edge monthly fee against how much you’d otherwise pay in overseas charges on the free Everyday Account.
How to Change Your Santander ATM Limit
Via the Santander app:
- Sign in and tap Manage card
- Select Spending limits or Card limits
- Adjust your daily ATM limit up or down
- Confirm with your app PIN or biometrics
Via telephone banking:
- Call 0330 9 123 123
- Pass security checks
- Request a temporary or permanent limit adjustment
Santander may apply a maximum ceiling on how high you can set your limit. If you need to withdraw an unusually large sum, a branch counter withdrawal is the safest option.
Withdrawing Large Amounts of Cash
If you need more cash than your ATM limit allows, consider:
- Branch counter withdrawal — Santander branches can process cash withdrawals up to your daily cash limit. Bring photo ID (passport or driving licence) for large amounts.
- Cashback at a supermarket — most major supermarkets offer free cashback at the till when you make a purchase. Limits vary but typically £50–£100 per transaction.
- Splitting over multiple days — your limit resets at midnight, so withdrawing on consecutive days is straightforward for planned needs.
Security and Card Freezing
If your Santander card is lost, stolen, or you suspect fraud:
- Freeze your card immediately in the Santander app — tap Manage card → Freeze card
- Call 0330 9 123 123 — select the fraud/lost card option (available 24/7)
- Order a replacement card through the app or phone
Freezing is instant and reversible — you can unfreeze from the app at any time if you find your card.
What Happens if You Hit Your Daily ATM Limit?
If you have reached your daily withdrawal limit, you have several options:
- Request a temporary increase via the Santander app or phone — some accounts allow a one-off increase (e.g. for a holiday or large purchase), which resets the next day
- Use branch counter service — withdrawing over the counter at a Santander branch typically has higher limits than ATM withdrawals, though you may need ID for large amounts
- Use a card payment instead — for most purchases, a card payment (contactless or chip-and-PIN) is not subject to the daily cash limit and is safer than carrying large amounts of cash
- Spread over two days — the limit resets at midnight, so a portion withdrawn before midnight and the rest after works for non-urgent needs
For large planned cash needs (e.g. paying tradespeople who only take cash), contacting Santander in advance is the most reliable approach.
ATM Limits and Fraud Prevention
Daily ATM limits exist primarily as fraud protection — if your card details are stolen, the limit caps the damage. If you notice unfamiliar withdrawals:
- Freeze your card immediately via the Santander app (under “Manage my card”)
- Call Santander on 0330 9 123 123 immediately to report fraud — the fraud team is available 24/7
- Santander will cancel and replace the card — replacement takes 3–5 working days
- Santander is covered by the FCA’s Payment Services Regulations — fraudulent transactions that you did not authorise and did not enable through gross negligence must be refunded