Barclays switch bonus: which Direct Debits count?
Barclays pays up to £300 when you switch to a Barclays Bank Account. Here’s what its Direct Debit and salary conditions mean.
Barclays pays up to £300. You get £150 for a full switch to a Barclays Bank Account that includes at least 3 active Direct Debits, plus a £2,000 salary paid in within 30 days. You can then earn five £30 monthly rewards, each needing another £2,000 salary and 10 eligible debit card payments that month.
What Barclays asks for
| Condition | What the bank says |
|---|---|
| Account | Barclays Bank Account, applied for in the Barclays app. You need a UK mobile number. |
| Switch | A full switch through the Current Account Switch Service, requested within 30 days of opening the account |
| Direct Debits | The switch must include 3 active Direct Debits |
| Pay in | A salary of at least £2,000 within 30 days of opening |
| Monthly rewards | £30 a month for up to 5 months. Each month needs a £2,000 salary and at least 10 eligible debit card payments. |
| Payment | Within 28 working days of meeting the conditions |
| Who can apply | Sole new customers. Not if you held any open Barclays current account on or before 1 October 2026, or have had a Barclays switch bonus before. |
| End date | Runs from 1 October 2026 until Barclays withdraws it |
What counts as an active Direct Debit for Barclays?
Barclays’ offer page says the switch must include 3 active Direct Debits but doesn’t define active. Other banks, such as Lloyds, only count a Direct Debit that has collected a payment. The safe reading is the same here: set up any missing Direct Debits on your old account early and wait for the first payment before you request the switch. See what counts as an active Direct Debit.
What counts as the £2,000 salary?
Barclays wants a salary or pension paid by Bacs from an employer or a state or private pension, or a payment from a UK business account in your name. Transfers between your own personal accounts don’t count. The same applies to the £2,000 needed in each month for the monthly rewards.
Which card payments count?
The monthly rewards need at least 10 eligible debit card payments in the calendar month. Cash withdrawals and deposits, gambling, refunded payments, transfers between accounts and payments to other people don’t count. Pending payments don’t count until they’ve gone through.
The monthly periods start in the calendar month after you earn the £150. If you qualify in October, November is your first qualifying month and that reward is paid in December.
Is Switch Direct Debit suitable for Barclays?
Barclays’ offer page doesn’t exclude subscription payments. It also doesn’t confirm that any particular payee counts, so we can’t promise it will. You need three Direct Debits, and several to the same business may not count separately. Use bills you already pay first and fill any gap with one extra. Barclays decides who gets paid.
Step by step
- Check you’re not excluded (see the table above).
- Make sure your old account has 3 active Direct Debits. Set up any you’re missing and wait for the first payment.
- Apply for a Barclays Bank Account in the app and finish the application within 21 days of starting it.
- Request a full switch within 30 days of opening.
- Have a £2,000 salary paid in within 30 days of opening.
- For the monthly rewards, keep a £2,000 salary and 10 eligible card payments going each month for 5 months.
- Keep the Direct Debits running until you’ve been paid. See when to cancel.
Questions
How much is the Barclays switch bonus?
Up to £300: £150 for switching, then up to five monthly rewards of £30.
How many Direct Debits do you need for the Barclays switch?
Three active Direct Debits, moved from your old account in a full switch.
Can I pay in my own money to meet the £2,000?
No. Barclays wants a salary or pension paid by Bacs, or a payment from a UK business account in your name. Transfers between your own personal accounts don’t count.
Can I open a joint account for the Barclays bonus?
No. Joint accounts don’t qualify.
Can I get it if I already bank with Barclays?
Not if you held any open Barclays current account on or before 1 October 2026, including student, graduate and Premier accounts.
When does Barclays pay the bonus?
Within 28 working days of meeting the conditions. Monthly rewards start the month after you earn the £150.
Do I need the Barclays app?
Yes. You apply in the app, and you need a UK mobile number.
When does the Barclays offer end?
It runs from 1 October 2026 until Barclays withdraws it. People who have already started a switch won’t lose out if it ends.