-
 A man sitting behind a laptop in his kitchen smiles at the camera

Ways to borrow

Our guide on what to think about

Find out what your options might be, and how we could help you get the money you need.

Choosing the best borrowing option for you

The best borrowing option for you depends on things like what you need the money for and how soon you need it. Before deciding, it can be helpful to ask yourself:

What do I need the money for?

How much do I need to borrow?

When do I need it?

How will I pay it back?

All lending is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Terms and conditions apply to all. The amount we’ll lend you could be different to the amounts we’ve shown below. You must be 18 or over and resident in the UK to apply for lending with us.

Borrowing options

mechanic looking at engine of a car

Arranged overdraft

An arranged overdraft is a pre-agreed limit on your current account that allows you to spend more than your balance.

Good for:

  • Covering emergency spending or an unexpected bill

Things to consider:

  • Arranged overdrafts often have higher fees and charges than other borrowing options, so they’re best for borrowing money for a short period of time.
Couple banking on their devices

Credit card spending

Credit cards are a flexible way to borrow money. You can spend up to an agreed limit and pay it back in smaller amounts every month.

Interest-free period if you pay in full each month.

Good for:

  • Potential incentives, like rewards and cashback
  • Purchase protection on certain types of payment

Things to consider:

  • You’ll need to pay back at least a minimum amount each month, or you’ll be charged a late payment fee
  • Over time you might pay more in interest if you only pay back the minimum amount you owe each month
Man banking on his phone

Credit card balance transfer or money transfer

Balance transfers let you move money you owe on one credit card to another card.

Money transfers allow you to move money from your card’s credit limit to your current account to spend.

There could be a one-off fee for these options.

Good for:

  • Varying your repayments if you need some flexibility
  • If you move your debt to a credit card with a 0% interest offer you could pay back the money you owe quicker

Things to consider:

  • You might be charged interest if you miss a payment or spend more than your credit card limit
  • You might be charged a fee to make a transfer
  • Offers can change, and they might not always be available
Couple jumping on bed

Loans

A loan lets you borrow money and pay it back in monthly amounts with interest added, over a set number of months.

Good for:

  • Bigger, one-off purchases, or for consolidating debt you’ve already got
  • Setting a budget, as your payments are the same each month

Things to consider:

  • Loans are best for borrowing more than £1,000
  • Loans aren't flexible like some types of borrowing, so you’ll need to pay back a set amount every month
Family sitting on kitchen floor

Borrowing more on your mortgage

Additional mortgage borrowing lets you borrow more money on your existing mortgage.

Speak to one of our mortgage advisers to find out if this could be right for you.

Good for:

  • Big purchases like home improvements
  • Spreading payments over a longer period of time

Things to consider:

  • You can only borrow more money from your mortgage provider
  • This borrowing is secured against your home, so it’s important you can afford the repayments as you could lose your home if you don’t keep paying them
  • You might have to pay early repayment fees if you want to pay the money back quicker
Compare borrowing options

Arranged overdraft

Credit card spending

Credit card balance or money transfer

Loan

Additional mortgage borrowing*

Interest-free period

Amount you could borrow

Subject to application

£50 to £25,000

£50 to £25,000

£1,000 to £60,000

£5,000 to £2million

Flexible repayments

Fixed monthly repayments

Purchase value

Low

Low to medium

Medium to high

High

High

Rewards and offers

Purchase protection**

Early repayment fee

Short term

Long term

Revolving credit

Existing customers only

*Additional mortgage borrowing is secured against your home, so your home is at risk if you don’t keep up repayments

**On payments from £100 - £30,000. Subject to terms and conditions

Jargon buster

Revolving credit

Revolving credit lets you borrow money up to certain credit limit that you can then use and pay back for as long as your account stays open. To make sure your account stays open you’ll need to keep making payments on time and keep your balance under your credit limit.

Purchase value

Low-value purchases are amounts you borrow and pay back in a short space of time. High-value purchases are ones that take you longer to repay.

Short or long term

Short-term borrowing is anything you pay back quickly, usually within six months. Everything else is called long-term.

Consolidating debt

Debt consolidation is when you bring together the money you owe in different places, like credit cards, loans or overdrafts, and pay it all back on one credit card or loan.