Santander savings rates — compare every account, plus switch offers and guides

Who they are

Santander UK has its origins in three former mutual building societies - Abbey National, Alliance and Leicester, and Bradford and Bingley. The bank as it stands today was formally established on 11 January 2010, when Abbey National was combined with the savings business and branches of Bradford and Bingley and renamed Santander UK plc. Behind it sits one of the world's biggest banking groups, Banco Santander, founded in 1857 with a presence in nine key markets in Europe and America. As of May 2025, the bank has 18,000 employees and 14 million active customers. It remains one of the larger players on the UK high street, offering current accounts, savings, mortgages and more.

One important note for savers: Santander UK plc is authorised to take deposits under this name as well as the cahoot, Santander Business, and Santander Corporate and Commercial trading names. That means if you hold money with both Santander and Cahoot, those balances share a single FSCS limit. The FSCS protects up to £120,000 per customer across accounts with Santander - rising to £240,000 for two individual customers holding a joint account.

Savings accounts

Santander's savings range is broader than many people realise. The headline product is the Edge Saver, which pays 6.00% AER variable on balances up to £4,000 - but this rate includes a bonus element that applies only for the first 12 months, after which it drops to a lower base variable rate. You also need a Santander Edge current account to be eligible. Worth factoring in the account's monthly fee before treating that 6% as a clean win.

The Regular Saver is another eye-catching headline at 8.00% AER variable, and it does include a 5% variable bonus for the first 12 months. Bear in mind that with a regular saver you're drip-feeding money in each month, so the interest you actually earn is considerably less than the headline rate implies - around £104 if you max it out over the year.

For straightforward easy access without the conditions, the Easy Access Saver pays 2.00% AER variable and the Limited Access Saver (capped at two withdrawals per month) pays 3.00% AER variable. ISA savers can choose between an Easy Access ISA at 2.00%, or a Fixed Rate ISA at 4.50% for both one-year and two-to-five-year terms, with a £500 minimum. Fixed Term Savers for one to three years are priced at 4.30% AER. There is also a Junior ISA at 2.70% and a First Home Saver at 4.00% for those building a house deposit - though the higher rate applies only in calendar months with two or fewer withdrawals.

Is it right for you?

Santander works best if you are already an Edge or Edge Explorer current account holder and want to squeeze extra value from linked savings. For savers who want a simple, standalone account with no strings, the base easy access rates are modest compared to what specialist savings providers currently offer. The fixed ISA and fixed term bond rates are more competitive and worth a look if you can lock money away.

The branch network and long-standing brand may appeal if you prefer face-to-face service, but it is worth running the numbers on any account that carries a current account fee before committing.

As always, rates on all Santander products change over time - check the live figures shown on this page before you decide.