Starling Bank review: 4.7/5

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Starling Bank is one of a growing group of “challenger banks” looking to simplify how we manage our finances, using modern technology to bring banking into the present. Starling is a digital-only bank that offers a personal account, which we review here. It also has a business account, a fixed-rate savings account and a kid’s prepaid card.

How we scored Starling

What is Starling Bank?

Starling Bank offers a full UK current account that can be opened and managed directly from the app. It aims to make banking easier and more customer-centric and make your finances accessible to you wherever you are.

When you sign up, you get a current account, a debit card and an app that’s all about helping you understand where your money goes, budget and save.

How to start using Starling

1. Download the app
2. Create an account by providing your name, date of birth, email address and home address
3. Verify your identity through the app using a selfie video and photo of your ID
4. Wait to be approved (this usually only takes a few minutes)
5. Once approved you can link the account to Apple Pay or your Google Wallet, to start spending immediately
6. Receive your physical Mastercard debit card in the post within 3-5 days
7. Link this card to the app and start spending with it

How does Starling Bank work?

The app focuses on the necessities, with a minimalist design covering key information. Tabs allow you to access other features including:

• Payments. Just as with any payment system, there’s a feature for transferring your current standing orders from your old bank.
• Add money. For anyone who joined after August 2018, there is no limit to how much you can pay in. You can add as much as you like using “Faster Payments” and online banking.
• Spending. Get a record of your transactions, categorised to let you know what you’re spending your money on, which gives you an idea on where you can save.

Other key features include:

• Spaces. This is basically a digital piggy bank. You set your goal and then squirrel cash away either manually or automatically, encouraging you to save more.
• Card. Starling sends you a physical bank card (a Mastercard debit card) when you sign up. From the app, you can activate the card, let Starling know if you’re travelling abroad and manually deactivate it if it gets lost or stolen. The debit card itself does all you would expect, from making payments to allowing you to withdraw cash from ATMs. The Starling debit card is also the first Mastercard in the UK to be made from recycled plastic (rPVC).
• Overdraft facility. Eligible account holders can be given an overdraft facility.
• Marketplace. Starling’s partnerships with third-party financial technology companies offer ways to compare insurance, pensions and mortgages.
• Physical cash loads. Although there are no Starling bank branches, you can load cash into your account for free up to £1,000 at Post Office branches in the UK.

Starling’s personal account customers can manage their accounts through online banking, in addition to their Starling mobile app.

Does Starling Bank offer a credit card?

Starling Bank has announced plans to launch a credit card, but there is no card available as of September 2024. We’ll update this section when we have more information.

If you’re looking for a credit card from another neobank, you could try Monzo or Zopa. Or you could compare a wider range of credit cards in our guide.

What are Starling Savings Spaces?

Starling operates a system of “Savings Spaces”, which are essentially virtual piggy banks where you can keep savings separate from your main balance. The Savings Space sits within the app and you can easily top it up from your primary account. There is also the option to use Starling’s Round Ups feature to automatically add to your chosen Space.

You can also spend directly from a Saving Space using Starling’s virtual cards. Cards can be assigned to a dedicated Saving Space instead of linking to your main account balance. As a result, payments can be made from a personalised space instead of your primary account, making it easier to stick to a budget.

What is Starling’s Bills Manager feature?

As part of its Savings Spaces, Starling has a Bills Manager feature which allows you to pay direct debits and standing orders straight from your personalised space. It’s a way to ring-fence money for bills and keep those funds separate from your main balance. You can set up automatic transfers to set money aside, and bills will be paid automatically on their scheduled date.

Is Starling any good compared to other challenger banks?

Starling is definitely one of the best challenger banks out there. The app is quite elegant and streamlined, the lack of fees makes it great for travelling and it’s a fully licensed bank, so your money is as safe as with a traditional high-street bank.

However, the most popular banking challengers – Starling, Revolut, Monzo – are quite similar to each other and all offer a solid service. Compared to Starling, the Monzo app is a bit more fun, while Revolut is more about using different currencies at the same time. Learn more about alternatives to Starling.

If you’re undecided between two of them, applying for an account is really quick and easy, so you could even try both out for a while and then pick the one that works best for you.

In a boost to its green credentials, in October 2020 Starling announced that it would be planting a tree for every successful new personal or business customer referral. The bank followed this up in March 2021 with the introduction of the UK’s first recycled Mastercard debit card. Made from 75% recycled plastic (rPVC), the material is sourced from EU industrial waste from the printing and packaging industries. Only 25% of the card is made up of unavoidable non-recycled elements, including the card’s chip and magstripe. Existing customers will receive the recycled debit card when their current one expires and new customers will be issued the card upon joining the bank.

Starling is also a founding member of TechZero, a climate action group of UK tech companies. It plans to become a net zero company, with a target of reducing the carbon emissions from its own operations and supply chain by one third by 2030. In 2023, it was our highly commended Green Digital Bank of the Year in the Finder Green Banking Awards. It was commended for its exceptionally low operational emissions and clear policy not to invest in the fossil fuel sector.

Hands-on test: I tried out Starling’s joint account

"I like how myself and my partner both have full visibility of our joint account, including spending categories and savings spaces. It’s been very useful for household budgeting, as we can see how much we are spending on groceries or utilities each month. Alongside that, it’s great to have a space to put a little bit of money to the side for something fun. Starling’s app also makes it very easy for you to transfer money between your joint and personal accounts.

Starling’s customer support was particularly convenient when I needed to make a change to my personal details. It was easy to contact customer service within the app and I was able to upload the relevant documents straight into the chat. The whole process was very slick!"

Kate Steere

Editor

Can I travel with the card?

Yes, you can, and using your Starling debit card abroad should be a much less painful experience than with a traditional bank.

Thanks to Starling’s mobile nature, it is much easier to keep track of your budget while on the road. Also, charges for spending abroad or withdrawing cash at an ATM aren’t an issue since using your Starling Bank card overseas doesn’t incur extra fees.

When you pay in a foreign currency with your Starling, money will be converted at the Mastercard exchange rate. And when you withdraw money from an ATM abroad, Starling won’t charge you for doing so.

What does the Starling app look like?

Can you get cashback with Starling?

Starling doesn’t offer cashback as standard. Instead, it has partned with cashback app Tail. Part of its Starling Marketplace, Tail gives you access to cashback offers at retailers like FatFace, Ocado and Homebase.

You will need to activate Tail within your Starling app. Once you have activated the service, your Tail and Starling accounts will be linked.

Simply pay using your linked Starling bank card and cashback will be paid directly into your bank account.

Does Starling offer any promotions, discounts or refer-a-friend offers?

Starling’s refer-a-friend bonus is unique. It doesn’t earn you any money, but it earns both of you a free National Trust day pass for 2 people. How wholesome! If you’re after some cold-hard cash, you can look at all the switching deals on the market.

Does Starling offer joint accounts?

Yes, Starling offers joint accounts for 2 people. They can be opened in the app and both people need to already have Starling accounts.

Does Starling offer premium/packaged or premier accounts?

Starling doesn’t offer any of these. If you want a current account with more features, you can check out our guides on premium accounts or packaged accounts.

Starling Bank overdraft, fees and limits

Starling offers an arranged overdraft option. Interest is calculated daily and charged at 15%, 25% or 35% EAR (variable) based on the customer’s credit score. There are no additional charges for unarranged overdrafts.

Starling’s fees are competitive:

• Current account and transactions. Starling doesn’t charge you for basic transactions and banking services. There’s no monthly account fee, and card payments and ATM withdrawals come for free both in the UK and abroad.
• International money transfers. Starling charges a fee for sending money abroad, which depends on the receiver’s country and the amount of money transferred.
• Cash loads. Depositing and withdrawing cash for personal current account holders is free at your local Post Office.

Starling Bank’s interest rate

Starling Bank pays 3.25% AER interest on current account balances. It also offers a fixed-rate savings account offering AER on balances from £ up to £. Learn more about saving money with Starling here.

This is relatively uncommon among banking challengers. Revolut, for example, pays no interest on balances at all; and with Monzo, you only get interest if you open a separate savings pot.

However, if a considerable interest rate on your balance is what you’re looking for, you may be better off with a traditional bank – some traditional current accounts have been known to offer more on balances up to a set amount. Kroo, a banking app, also offers a tracker rate, meaning that the interest rate is always 0.9% below the Bank of England base rate. It is currently offering 4.1% AER interest on balances up to £499,999.99.

What is the Starling Kite debit card for kids?

Starling Kite is a kids’ debit card and account. It has no monthly fee and is linked to the parent’s personal (or joint) Starling account.

The card has the child’s name printed on it, and they can use it to spend online, in-store and to withdraw cash from ATMs (up to a maximum of £100). If the Kite debit card is lost or stolen, it can be locked from the adult’s Starling account.

Parents can also use their Starling banking app to allocate funds (such as pocket money) to their kid’s account and then monitor their spending. Parents receive notifications whenever their child spends money, and parental controls within the app mean that they can limit specific functions such as online payments and ATM withdrawals, or set a daily transaction limit.

There are no fees for using the card abroad, which is a big plus. There is also a dedicated app for your child to use as well.

Learn more about this new kids’ debit card in our Starling Kite review.

Is Starling safe to use?

With a relatively new bank like Starling, it’s natural to worry if your money will be safe. One major question is: what if the bank goes bust? Would you be covered? As Starling is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), you would be protected up to £85,000.

If you fall victim to fraud, Starling is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and has adhered to a new voluntary industry code called Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) code. This not only means that in most cases it has to refund any unauthorised payments made from your account, but that it will also refund you if you’re tricked into sending money to a scammer voluntarily (for example because they pretend to be part of your bank’s security team). The exception is if you’re negligent.

Starling’s app and card also have several security features to protect your account:

• Your finances are secured behind a passcode and password and completing your registration requires video and photo ID.
• If you ever lose your bank card, you can immediately deactivate it with a push of a button in the app, and Starling’s customer service team is there whenever you need it.
• A live record of your transactions and home screen notifications means you are alerted to any strange payments immediately.

Customer service information for Starling

Starling customer reviews

Starling was the winner in our 2024 Banking Customer Satisfaction Awards, receiving 4.9 out of 5 stars from customers in our survey, with 100% of its users saying they would recommend the brand. Its current account holders particularly praised the app’s features and ease of use. Here’s what some of those Starling customers had to say in our survey:

“It was very easy to set up and use. Any queries I have get answered very quickly.”

“They’re very good and I highly appreciate the support they have given me.”

“The bank has amazing customer service.”

“The app gives a clear breakdown of money spent, there are options to have a separate savings options within the app. Also customer service is 10/10, very fast reply and efficient.”

Starling Bank also has an average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars in the App Store, from more than 2.1k reviews. Over on the Google Play Store, it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on reviews from 113k Android app users (January 2024).

On the reviews platform Trustpilot, Starling has a score of 4.3 out of 5 – classed as “Excellent” – based on more than 38,000 reviews (last updated January 2024).

Case study: Jon found it fast to set up his account via Starling's app

"I chose this account because my wife told me it was really slick to use (she has Starling as well). I wanted a debit card I could use abroad without fees, and I wanted to be able to collect donations from work colleagues for a leaving present for someone in the team. The app allowed me to do that really easily.

If there’s one thing you’d tell a friend who’s thinking of getting this, what would it be?

There aren’t any branches, but how many times do you really need to go into a bank branch? It was fast and easy to set up the account just on the phone."

Jon Duffy

London

Frequently asked questions

• How does Starling make money?

  Starling Bank has four revenue streams that function much like those of a traditional bank:

  • Net interest income. Starling Banks uses customer deposits to lend to other customers as overdrafts.
  • Treasury income. Surplus deposits are held by the Bank of England, and Starling gets small returns via interest.
  • Interchange income. Starling takes a fee from every card transaction made – the interchange fee.
  • Fees and commissions. Traditional banks upsell and advertise additional services that they can provide, generating more income. As Starling Bank only offers their current account, they make money through partnerships with other fintechs, getting a commission on every referral.

• How do I put money into my account if there aren't any physical bank branches?

  You can add money to your Starling personal account by doing any of the following:

  • Bank transfer directly from another bank account to your Starling personal account.
  • Cash deposit at any Post Office branch.
  • Choose to transfer your salary or bank balance and set up direct debits and any other regular payments by making Starling your main bank account.

• How easy is it to top up?

  Simple. Pay in cash manually or transfer funds from another account. Alternatively, you can use the “Switch” option to make your Starling account your main account.

• I'm planning on using a Starling card for my travels. How much will it cost me to get a replacement card if I lose mine while abroad?

  You will need to pay £60 for a replacement card, as the delivery process is currently highly manual. It may take a few days to a few weeks depending on your location. For more specific information on this process, please contact Starling Bank directly.

• How much will it cost me to withdraw from an ATM in another country?

  While Starling does not impose any withdrawal charges on customers, ATM providers in your country of destination may charge their own fee. The cost of withdrawing from ATMs differs in different countries and locations.

• How much money can I take out from an ATM?

  You can make up to six withdrawals per day, with a maximum daily limit of £300.

• Can I open a Starling bank account if I live outside the UK?

  Starling bank accounts are only available to those whose current address is in the UK. You can be any nationality as long as you live in the UK. We have a separate guide on opening a bank account for those not currently based in the UK.

• Do I need the Starling app to access my account?

  Yes, you need to download the app on either an Android or iOS device.

• Do I need a main account to link my Starling account to or can I use Starling as my main bank?

  A Starling personal bank account is a fully functioning current account that comes with a Mastercard debit card, so you can 100% use it as your main bank.