Part of our Santander UK — Complete Guide 2026 hub.
Santander UK’s standard current account has no monthly fee, but several charges apply for overdrafts, international use, and certain payment types. Here’s a full breakdown of what you’ll pay and how Santander compares to other UK high-street banks. Figures below were checked against santander.co.uk in September 2026 — always verify the current fee schedule before relying on them, as banks update pricing regularly.
Santander UK Fees at a Glance
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Everyday Account monthly fee | Free |
| Santander Edge monthly fee | £3/month |
| Santander Edge Up monthly fee | £5/month |
| Arranged overdraft | ~39.9% EAR (varies by account and balance) |
| Unarranged overdraft | See account terms |
| Foreign transaction fee — Everyday Account | ~2.99% (non-Santander ATMs and purchases abroad) |
| Foreign transaction fee — Edge / Edge Up | 0% (fee-free abroad) |
| UK ATM withdrawal | Free |
| CHAPS outgoing transfer (Everyday Account) | £25 |
| CHAPS outgoing transfer (Edge / Edge Up / Edge Explorer) | Free |
| Faster Payments | Free |
| Standing order | Free |
Always verify the current fee schedule at santander.co.uk — rates can change.
Current Account Options and Monthly Fees
Everyday Account — Free
Santander’s standard current account has no monthly fee. It includes:
- A Santander debit card
- Online banking and the Santander app
- Faster Payments, standing orders, and direct debits
- Overdraft facility (subject to eligibility and approval)
No cashback or rewards are included on the free account.
Santander Edge — £3/month
The Santander Edge account charges £3/month (£36/year). To qualify for cashback you need to pay in at least £500/month and have 2 active Direct Debits. In return it offers:
- 1% cashback on selected household bills paid by Direct Debit (council tax, mobile/phone, broadband and paid-for TV, gas/electricity, and water) — capped at £10/month in total
- A 0% foreign currency conversion fee on card purchases and ATM withdrawals abroad (the fee waiver can take up to 3 working days to activate on a newly opened account)
- Access to the Santander Edge Saver, a linked savings account
There is currently no separate supermarket-spending cashback category on the standard Edge account — the £10/month cap applies to qualifying household bills only. (Supermarket cashback is a feature of the separate, higher-fee Santander Edge Explorer account.)
The cashback can effectively cover the monthly fee for customers with enough qualifying household bills.
Santander Edge Up — £5/month
Santander Edge Up (£5/month / £60/year) requires paying in at least £1,500/month to earn cashback and interest, and includes:
- 1% cashback on selected household bills, capped at £15/month
- In-credit interest of around 2.10% AER/2.08% gross (variable) on balances up to £25,000 — confirm the current rate at santander.co.uk, as it is variable and can change
- A 0% foreign currency conversion fee on purchases and ATM withdrawals abroad, the same as Edge
As with standard Edge, there is currently no separate supermarket cashback category on Edge Up — cashback applies to qualifying household bills only, capped at £15/month.
Overdraft Fees
Santander’s arranged overdraft rate is around 39.9% EAR — Santander itself quotes 39.94% EAR as a representative example for a £1,200 overdraft. This is broadly in line with most high-street banks, which largely moved to a flat ~40% EAR rate following FCA reforms in 2020. Rates can vary by account and balance, and Santander has changed overdraft pricing during 2026, so always check your own account’s terms.
| Bank | Arranged Overdraft Rate (EAR) |
|---|---|
| Santander | ~39.9% (varies by account) |
| NatWest | ~39.9% |
| HSBC | ~39.9% |
| Lloyds | 27.5%–49.9% (varies by account) |
| Barclays | ~35.0% |
Practical impact: A £500 overdraft used for 30 days at 39.9% EAR costs approximately £16. Overdrafts are expensive for sustained use — see Best 0% Overdraft Bank Accounts for alternatives.
Foreign Transaction Fees
Your foreign transaction fee depends on which Santander current account you hold:
- Everyday Account: withdrawals at Santander-brand ATMs abroad are free; a non-sterling transaction fee of around 2.99% typically applies to purchases and withdrawals at other banks’ ATMs abroad — confirm the exact current rate on your card’s terms.
- Santander Edge and Edge Up: both currently have a 0% foreign currency conversion fee on purchases and ATM withdrawals abroad.
| Bank | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| Santander Everyday Account | ~2.99% (non-Santander ATMs/purchases abroad) |
| Santander Edge / Edge Up | 0% |
| NatWest | 2.75% |
| HSBC | ~2.99% (confirm current rate) |
| Lloyds | ~2.99% (confirm current rate) |
| Starling Bank | 0% |
| Chase UK | 0% |
For Everyday Account holders who travel occasionally, the fee-free Edge account can be cheaper overall than paying per-transaction fees abroad, depending on how much you spend.
Payment Fees
| Payment Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Faster Payments (UK transfers) | Free |
| Standing orders | Free |
| Direct debits | Free to set up and receive |
| CHAPS (same-day large transfers) — Everyday Account | £25 |
| CHAPS — Edge, Edge Up and Edge Explorer accounts | Free |
| International wire transfer | Fee applies — check current rate |
CHAPS and international transfer fees should be verified at the time of transfer as Santander’s schedule can change.
Returned Payment and Unpaid Item Fees
When a direct debit or standing order cannot be paid due to insufficient funds, banks may charge a “returned payment fee.” Santander charges £0 for unpaid items on most personal accounts — this reflects wider changes across UK banking to restructure default charges. However, Santander’s overdraft interest rate still applies on any negative balance (see overdraft section above).
Alternatives to Avoid Fees
| Fee type | How to avoid |
|---|---|
| Monthly account fee | Stick with the free Everyday Account if you don’t need Edge’s cashback or fee-free foreign spending |
| Overdraft interest | Keep a small buffer in the account; set low-balance alerts in the app |
| Foreign transaction fees | Switch to Santander Edge (0% abroad) or a dedicated travel debit card (e.g. Starling, Monzo) |
| CHAPS payment fee | Use Faster Payments for same-day transfers under £100,000 (free), or an Edge/Edge Up account for free CHAPS |
Santander Fees vs Competitors
| Fee | Santander | Barclays | NatWest | HSBC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard overdraft rate | ~39.9% EAR | ~35% EAR | ~39.9% EAR | ~39.9% EAR |
| International ATM/purchase fee | 0% (Edge/Edge Up) or ~2.99% (Everyday) | ~2.99% (confirm) | 2.75% | ~2.99% (confirm) |
| CHAPS payment | £25 (Everyday); free (Edge/Edge Up) | Confirm current fee | ~£21–£23 (confirm current fee) | Confirm current fee |
Overdraft rates across major high-street banks are broadly similar — if you regularly use an overdraft, a specialist account with lower rates or a 0% overdraft buffer is worth considering.