Joint account for up to 5 people
Finder Award
- Earn cashback
- Put money aside in Savings Pots
- Open an account in 15 minutes
Compare joint bank accounts for 3, 4 and more people
There's no rule that says a joint account is just for 2.
Some banks offer joint accounts for 3 or more people. You’ll each get your own debit card linked to the account, and there generally aren’t extra charges or fees for this. This comparison is for personal accounts – we also have a joint business bank accounts guide.
Key takeaways
- Step 1. Use our comparison table below to find a suitable joint account.
- Step 2. Choose a bank account, and have each applicant open an individual account online.
- Step 3. Visit your local branch together with the other account holders, bringing your ID and account details. Ask the bank to link your accounts into a joint account.
- Tip. When you convert to a joint account, all parties have equal access to the funds and are equally responsible for any activity or liabilities tied to the account, such as overdrafts.
- Tip. Each bank has its own policies regarding joint accounts and may have different processes or requirements.
Joint bank accounts compared
| TSB | Spend & Save | 5 | Yes | Visit TSB |
| Barclays | Barclays Bank Account | 4* | Yes | Read our review |
| Metro Bank | Current Account | 4 | Yes | Read our review |
| Co-operative Bank | Current Account | 3 | Yes | Read our review |
| Bank of Scotland | Classic Account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| First Direct | 1st Account | 2 | Yes | Visit first direct |
| Halifax | Current Account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| HSBC | Advance Bank Account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| Lloyds Bank | Classic Account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| Monzo | Current account | 2 | N/A | Visit Monzo |
| Nationwide Building Society | FlexDirect Current Account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| NatWest | NatWest Select | 2 | Yes | See account |
| Revolut | Standard account | 2 | N/A | See account |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Royal Bank Select | 2 | Yes | See account |
| Santander | Everyday current account | 2 | Yes | Visit Santander |
| Starling Bank | Starling Personal | 2 | No | Read our review |
| Triodos Bank | Current account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| Ulster Money | Select account | 2 | Yes | Read our review |
| Virgin Money | M Plus Account (Age 16-17) | 2 | No | Read our review |
| Chase Bank | Current Account | 1 | N/A | See account |
Reviews of popular accounts for 3 or more people
TSB Spend & Save Account
Finder Score 4.3★★★★★
Earn £5 cashback a month for six months when making 20 or more debit card payments each month.
Up to 5 people can open the TSB Spend and Save account together. The account has no monthly fee and you’ll earn £5 cashback each month you make at least 20 debit card payments, for the first 6 months. You can also set money aside in different savings pots which can be useful for household budgeting, plus the Save the Pennies feature rounds up all debit card payments to the nearest £1 and transfers the difference into your savings. You’ll also have the option of an overdraft. Accounts can be opened in just 15 minutes and managed online, via mobile banking or over the phone.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable.
Barclays Bank Account
Finder Score 4.1★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Eligible for Barclays Blue Rewards.
Barclays recommends that no more than 4 people open this account together - although there’s no set restriction. There’s no monthly account fee and you can easily track your household spending within the app. The account includes a travel wallet, allowing you to buy US dollars and euros to spend on your debit card. There’s also the option to have an overdraft on the account and add travel insurance, breakdown cover and gadget insurance for a fee. It’s easy to apply for the account online, but all account holders must be at least 18 years old and have lived in the UK for the last 12 months.
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
The Co-operative Bank Current Account
Finder Score 4.0★★★★★
Read review
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
£75 cashback for accounts switched using the Current Account Switch Service.
Up to 3 people can open a current account with the Co-operative. It’s a straightforward no-fee account, with an optional overdraft available. It might suit you if you’re looking for a more ethical way to bank. You can manage your account online and via your mobile, and each account holder will get their own contactless debit card. The account also gives you access to exclusive savings accounts. You can open an account online, with the application taking around 10 minutes to complete, or you can apply in branch.
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 35.9% EAR variable.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
Metro Bank Current Account
Finder Score 4.1★★★★★
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
This everyday account from Metro Bank has no monthly fee and can have up to 4 account holders. There are no rewards or cashback with the account, but it can be opened online in just 10 minutes and managed via the app. Within the app, you can choose to receive alerts every time your debit card is used, while the Insights feature can identify patterns, trends and upcoming payments to create personalised reports. You’ll also be able to freeze and unfreeze your card with ease. The account - and therefore your money - is protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 34% EAR variable.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Account fees | £0 |
| Interest (AER) | 0% AER |
How many people can have a joint bank account together?
Despite most banks having a maximum allowance of two joint holders when opening a bank account, there are several banks and accounts that allow more joint names on the account. You can open a joint bank account with two, three, four, five or more people depending on the bank. No matter how many joint owners, each person can deposit and withdraw funds. HSBC with its Advance Bank account allows up to 6, while TSB’s Spend and Save account offers up to 5 account holders. Other banks also provide features such as additional cardholders and account supervisors, which we explain below.
Additional cardholders
When conducting our research, we discovered that two of the above providers also enable you to add additional cardholders to your account. These cardholders are not joint account holders and won’t have full access to the account. The money in the account doesn’t belong to them (as it would with a joint account) and the account will only be in your name.
For example, Starling Bank has a Connected card that you can give to a friend, family member or carer so they can buy whatever you need on your behalf. The money will come out of a designated Space in your bank account which means the additional cardholder won’t be able to access your whole account. Nor can they check the balance, withdraw cash or shop online.
Meanwhile, Barclays lets you give up to 4 extra debit cards to other people which enable them to spend from your account. The additional cardholders can use their card for spending in shops, over the phone and online, as well as for cash withdrawals. But you can set spending limits and control the cards at all times. You can set up this service through the app, but the cardholders must already bank with Barclays.
Having an extra cardholder could be ideal if you have a carer who needs to shop on your behalf or if you were ill and needed a friend to buy essentials for you. It means someone else can still access the funds in your account, and you can stay in control of what is spent where.
Note that this is different to setting up a third party mandate which is a formal instruction from you to your bank or building society informing them that you want someone else to carry out everyday banking transactions on your behalf.
Account supervisors
Barclays also offers something known as an account supervisor. This works in a similar way to an additional cardholder, but you can give your friend or family member extra access to your account. This means they can see your balance as well as transactions, and you can choose to let them set controls on your debit card if you wish to.
This can be a good option if you are concerned about scams or need help controlling your spending. Your friend or family member can help you manage your banking without the need to hand over full control of your account.
How do I compare accounts that allow multiple joint account holders?
If you want to open an account with 2 or more others, consider the following when comparing your options:
- Account maintenance fees. Look for an account with low or no monthly account fees.
- Transaction limits and fees. With several people accessing the account, there may be a lot more transactions than with a single account. Make sure you’re not charged any unnecessary transaction fees.
- ATM withdrawal fees. Look for an account that offers fee-free ATM withdrawals, so you’re not hit with a fee each time one of the account holders withdraws some cash.
- Easy online access. Check the account is easily accessible for everyone on the account, for example with an easy-to-use mobile banking app.
- Number of linked debit cards. If more than two people need a linked debit card, make sure you’re not charged extra fees for the additional ones.
Pros and cons of having a joint account with multiple people
Pros
- Easy money management. If you share a lot of expenses with a number of people, it can be easier if you all have access to the one bank account to manage them.
- Transparent. Because you can all access the account online it’s easy to see who’s transferring or withdrawing money and for what.
- Accessible in an emergency. With more than two joint holders, the account is accessible even if one of the account holders is unavailable.
Cons
- Less secure. Other account holders can withdraw money without your consent.
- Difficult to manage. With multiple individuals making deposits and withdrawals into your account you may find it difficult to keep track of the balance.
- May impact your credit score. Opening a joint bank account can sometimes have a negative impact on your credit file, as the credit history of those you’ll be linked to via the joint account will be accessible to potential future lenders. If the people you’re opening the account with have had problems with repayments in the past, this can also impact on your creditworthiness.
How to open a mutiple-holder bank account
When you’ve selected an account from the table above, click “Go to site” to check that the account allows the number of people you want to share it with, then complete the online application process. Each account holder will need to provide personal information. Banks may also require you to verify your identity using a passport or driver’s licence. From time to time, banks often run switching offers that pay you to close down your old account and switch to a new one. This can also apply to joint bank accounts including switching deals from TSB.
Common reasons for opening an account for multiple people
The need for more than two joint account holders most often arises in business situations, where partners, treasurers and other bookkeepers all need to be able to move money in and out of the account. In the case of youth accounts, it is not uncommon to find both parents listed as account holders as well as the child. This ensures that in the event that one parent is absent, the account is still accessible.
People also commonly open joint accounts with:
- Roommates to pay for shared living expenses and rent
- Business partners so multiple employees can make deposits and withdrawals (See our guide on joint business bank accounts)
- Family members as an emergency fund
- Friends to pay for an upcoming holiday
- Romantic partners to combine finances
Who can close a multiple-holder bank account?
Generally, one person can close a joint bank account without the other’s permission. But some banks have stricter rules that require all joint owners to provide consent before closing. If you’re concerned about having the account closed without you knowing, look for a bank that requires all parties to close the account together.
Bottom line
While 2 is the most common number when it comes to joint accounts, several banks allow you to add a third account holder or additional card holder. Compare savings accounts or current accounts to find one with the features you’re looking for before getting started.
Frequently asked questions
Banking scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
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