Bank accounts | Open a bank account online

No fees to open or use your account
Join Barclays Blue Rewards to be eligible for cash rewards¹
Someone to answer your questions – call us, chat online or visit a branch
With the option of applying for an arranged overdraft, subject to status³

How to open a bank account with the Barclays app

Want an account , open the app and apply with video selfie

Apply with a video selfie

If you’re 18 or over and want an account just for you, download the Barclays app
Open the app and enter your personal details
Upload a photo ID, like a passport or driving licence
Record a video with your phone to help prove your identity
We’ll run a quick credit check
If we approve your application, you can start using your new account

You can apply online if you need a joint account or you don’t have your ID documents to hand. Scroll down to ‘How to apply’ for details.

Switch and you can start earning rewards

Barclays blue rewards is our way of saying thanks by giving cash rewards every month

Barclays Blue Rewards is our way of saying thanks for banking with us by giving you cash rewards every month – providing you stay eligible.

Once you’ve joined, you can get up to £7 a month for using your account. We’ll give you £3.50 for each of the first two Direct Debits you pay out from the account.

Switching is simple – it takes just seven working days, and the full switch option is backed by the Current Account Switch Guarantee [PDF, 38KB].

Barclays Blue Rewards

Manage your money with the Barclays app

Spending insights

See a summary of the types of things you pay for and compare how much you spend with specific shops and businesses month by month.

Temporarily freeze your debit card if you can’t find it, set a daily limit for cash-machine withdrawals

Flexible security controls

Temporarily freeze your debit card if you can’t find it, get a reminder of your PIN and set a daily limit for cash-machine withdrawals.

Track your payments easily

Tap a payment to see when and where you spent your money, and check your payment calendar to see what’s due to leave your account before pay day.

General information about overdrafts

An overdraft limit is a borrowing facility which allows you to borrow money through your current account.

There are two types of overdraft – arranged and unarranged.

An arranged overdraft is a pre-agreed limit, which lets you spend more money than you have in your current account. It can be a safety net to cover short-term outgoings, like an unexpected bill. It is not suitable for longer-term borrowing. We charge you for every day of the month that you use your arranged overdraft where you go beyond any fee-free limit you may have.

An unarranged overdraft is when you spend more money than you have in your current account and you have not agreed an arranged overdraft limit with us in advance or you have exceeded an existing arranged borrowing facility.

You can only make payments from your account if you have enough money in your account or through an arranged overdraft to cover them. Barclays will always attempt to return any transaction that could take your account into an unarranged overdraft position. Having enough money in your current account or having an arranged overdraft limit could help prevent payments such as priority bills from being returned unpaid.

On very rare occasions we may be unable to return a payment (e.g. due to an offline transaction made on a flight) and the account may enter an unarranged overdraft. No additional charges will be applied in this situation.

Information regarding the conduct of your account may be sent to credit reference agencies. As with any debt or borrowing, this may affect your ability to get credit in the future.

Our Eligibility tool can show you the likelihood of getting an arranged overdraft and the overdraft calculator lets you see how much it could cost to use an overdraft. To use these tools and find out more about overdraft charges, please visit www.barclays.co.uk/youroverdraft.

If we hold a valid mobile number for you, we’ll automatically enrol you to receive relevant alerts regarding borrowing and refused payments, to help you avoid charges. You can also choose to receive additional alerts, including Low Balance and Large Credit or Debit. Tailor your alerts to your personal needs online, by phone or in branch. To find out more, visit https://www.barclays.co.uk/alerts.

Get the Barclays app on your phone and apply from there. If we’re able to offer you an account, you can start using it straight away in the app.

Opening an account during the coronavirus situation

The quickest way to open your account is by getting the Barclays app on your phone or device and applying from there. If we’re able to offer you an account, you can start using it straight away in the app.

Get the app and apply