Barclays

Barclays is one of the UK's best known high street banks, offering current accounts, savings, mortgages, credit cards through its Barclaycard brand, personal loans, insurance and investing. Around 12 million customers now bank in its app¹, and its range stretches from everyday accounts to wealth management. Whether you are weighing up a current account, a mortgage or a Barclaycard, this page sets out what Barclays sells, how its charges work, who can apply, and what to do when something goes wrong.

Money you hold with Barclays in eligible savings and current accounts is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK's deposit protection scheme². Barclays appears on the Bank of England's list of banks incorporated in the UK that are authorised to accept deposits², which is what makes this protection available. Check the FSCS website for the current limit and which account types qualify.

What Barclays offers: accounts, savings, mortgages and Barclaycard

Barclays' main personal account is the Barclays Bank Account, and Premier Banking customers get access to exclusive savings rates and mortgage options, 24/7 UK-based support and higher payment limits, with terms and conditions applying¹. If a standard account is not open to you, the Barclays Basic current account is a simpler option, and our current accounts guide explains how these accounts compare in general.

On savings, Barclays offers accounts including the Barclays Blue Rewards Saver, and its savings range sits within the wider savings accounts market. Barclays also offers Junior ISAs for children: these are for children under 18, with a parent or legal guardian opening one for a child under 16 and children aged 16 or 17 able to open their own. Our ISAs guide explains how the allowance works. For children aged 11 to 15, there is a version of the Barclays app designed for them⁷.

Barclaycard is Barclays' credit card brand, and you can manage all your Barclays and Barclaycard accounts in the same app⁸. The range includes the Amazon Barclaycard, Barclaycard Avios and Barclaycard Avios Plus, the cashback-earning Barclaycard Rewards, the Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer and Barclaycard Forward, a card aimed at people building a credit history. Our credit cards guide explains how these types of card differ.

On borrowing, Barclays offers personal loans, including the Barclays Greener Home Loan for home energy improvements, and mortgages for buying and remortgaging. Its insurance range includes life insurance for mortgage holders; where a loan has Payment Protection, that cover is provided by Barclays Insurance (Dubai). For investing, Barclays offers investment products and services to its clients⁹, and our investing guide explains the basics. If you hold accounts with other banks, the Barclays app can also display sterling and non-sterling savings and payment accounts, including credit cards, held with other providers that support this, if you are a UK-based personal current account or UK Wealth customer¹⁰.

How Barclays charges work: overseas payments, cash and cards

For everyday spending in the UK, Barclays lists payment options including Bank Pay and debit or credit card, with purchases itemised on your statements so you can keep track of them¹¹. When you spend abroad with a debit card, some transaction fees might apply, and Barclays directs customers to explore their options before travelling¹¹. On the Basic Current Account, debit card charges apply to making purchases or getting cash abroad, and Barclays states these charges and interest rates are variable and may be amended from time to time¹². Barclays publishes its current rates and fees on its own website, so check there before you travel.

For sending money abroad, Barclays lets you send and receive money online to more than 130 countries⁴, and the app supports payments to over 35 countries¹³. Barclays says it will show you any rates, fees and charges before you send the payment⁴. The exchange rate used is the Barclays reference exchange rate, which Barclays sets based on the market exchange rates for the two currencies involved⁴. For some destination countries, you may need to split the charges with the recipient, meaning both sides pay a share of the transfer cost⁴. Our money transfers guide explains how international payments work in general and what to compare.

Who can bank or borrow with Barclays

To apply for any Barclays lending, you must be 18 or over and resident in the UK, and all lending is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history⁵. The Barclays Bank Account application through the app is also 18+ and UK only⁵. For personal loans, you must have a Barclays current account or Barclaycard account to apply online¹⁴, and Barclays says you can use its loan for almost anything apart from business reasons, investments such as stocks and shares, timeshares, purchasing property (home improvements are fine), gambling-related expenses, repaying County Court Judgments, or a purchase made by combining the loan with any others¹⁴. Additional mortgage borrowing is for existing customers only⁵.

Not everyone qualifies for a standard account, and Barclays' Basic Current Account is aimed at people who are not eligible for another Barclays current account, do not have a UK account, do not have standard ID, or are experiencing financial challenges¹². Barclays UK is one of nine institutions that must offer basic bank accounts⁶, and a parliamentary committee noted that, among the major UK banks, only Barclays currently provides bank accounts to undischarged bankrupts¹⁵. For online loan applications, Barclays pre-selects some customers, and those not pre-selected cannot apply online or in the app¹⁶. Our credit scores guide explains how borrowing history affects applications.

Barclays mortgages: applying, switching deals and letting your home

Qualifying for a Barclays mortgage depends on an affordability assessment that reviews your income against your monthly spending commitments, plus a credit check on how you have managed debt in the past¹⁷. Borrowing limits are set by that affordability assessment, and Barclays may offer a reduced loan amount if it thinks the repayments will not be affordable¹⁷. You then make a formal application in which Barclays checks your identity, proof of income and the value of the property through a valuation¹⁷. Some applications are approved on the same day, but the average timeframe for a decision is two weeks¹⁷. Once your solicitor confirms a completion date, Barclays arranges to send the mortgage funds to them¹⁷.

Barclays' affordability calculator asks for the number of people applying and their deposit, the type and length of mortgage, employment status and income, financial commitments and dependants, and the property value¹⁸. If you already have a Barclays mortgage, Barclays offers exclusive rates if you want to switch to a new deal, and existing buy-to-let customers get the same offer plus the option to borrow more¹⁹. You can switch in the app if you are eligible¹⁹, or select your mortgage in the app and choose 'Browse and switch your mortgage rate'; in Online Banking, choose the mortgage from your accounts list and select 'Switch to a new rate'²⁰. Barclays also says you might be eligible for a mortgage rate switch, which could lower your monthly payments, if you are worried about affording them²⁰. Its mortgage support line is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm²¹. Our mortgages guide and home buying guide cover the process in full.

How Barclaycard interest and repayments work

Barclays states that its credit cards come with an interest-free period if you pay your balance in full each month⁵. If you do not clear the balance, interest is charged on what you owe, and the card's terms set out the minimum repayment you must make each month. Barclaycard eligibility is always subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. You can see your card details in Online Banking, in Barclaycard online servicing, in the Barclays app or in the Barclaycard app⁸.

To pay your Barclaycard bill, you can pay in a Barclays branch or at a number of Barclays cash machines inside branches across the UK²². At a cash machine, you insert your debit card, enter your PIN, select 'Pay Bill' (sometimes shown under 'Other Services') and scan the QR code from your statement under the reader²². Our credit cards guide explains how card interest, minimum repayments and balance transfers work in general, and Barclays publishes each card's current rates on its own website.

Banking with Barclays: app, Online Banking, branches, Post Office and video

Most day-to-day banking can be done from home. Both the Barclays app and Online Banking let you view and download statements, transfer cash between your accounts, pay in a cheque, manage standing orders, see spending insights and controls, report your debit card as lost or stolen, send Barclays a message, manage your mortgage, and open a Barclays Bank Account²³. Barclays says 10 million customers use its app²⁴. In Online Banking, statements are under 'Manage accounts' then 'Statements and documents'; in the app, go to 'Help' on your home page and select 'Statements'²⁵.

Features available in the app and Online Banking²³

To send money abroad you can use the Barclays app, Online Banking, Telephone Banking or a branch²⁶. In Online Banking, you click the 'Move money' tab, select 'International payment' and confirm the payment with PINsentry²⁶. You can also send Barclays a message from the 'Help' section of the app or online banking²⁷. Where a branch is needed, Barclays also operates Barclays Local sites in community locations, and everyday banking is available through the Post Office²⁴. Support line opening hours include the mortgages line (Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm) and the Barclaycard line (Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 9pm)²¹.

Paying in cash and cheques, and getting cash out

Cash can be withdrawn from Barclays cash machines, and many of the machines inside branches also take payments, including Barclaycard bills paid by scanning a QR code from your statement²². Through the Post Office, Barclays customers can do everyday banking, and Barclays notes a £2,000 limit per transaction for exchanging notes for coins at the Post Office, with multiple transactions allowed in one day²⁴. Cheques can be paid in through the app or Online Banking without visiting a branch²³.

If your card goes missing, the app lets you report it as lost or stolen, or put its use on pause with a 'temporary freeze' if you have simply misplaced it¹³. You can contact Barclays about a lost or stolen card online, by phone, with the app or in branch¹¹.

Scams: what Barclays will never ask you to do

Barclays publishes a clear list of things it will never do, and knowing it is one of the best protections against impersonation scams. Barclays will never ask you to move money to a 'safe account', ask you to provide or enter your PIN or use your biometric device, take control of your computer, or call unexpectedly and direct you to a website²⁸. It will never contact you by phone, text or email to ask you to move money to another account, help with an 'internal investigation', give access to your device, or reveal your PIN, PINsentry or other membership details²⁹. Barclays will never send you a link in an SMS message²⁹, will never call and ask you to enter 21 and a long number³⁰, and will never call and ask for your one-time passcode: it only asks for this when you call them³⁰.

If a call, voicemail or text from someone claiming to be from the Barclays fraud team seems suspicious, call Barclays back using the number on the back of your card, making sure the line is clear first so a fraudster is not still on it³¹. Scammers can keep your line open, so call from a different phone if possible, or try calling a friend first to check²⁹. If Barclays calls you, you can ask the colleague to use app ID to send a secure notification to your Barclays app, showing their name so you can confirm you are speaking to Barclays²⁹. Barclays has also partnered with Get Safe Online on a tool to check whether a website is known to be problematic²⁹. On passwords, Barclays recommends changing them at least every three months, using three random words plus some numbers, and checking that somebody who knows you well could not guess it in 20 attempts³². If you have sent money to the wrong account, Which? sets out the steps to try to get it back, and lists +44 2476 842063 as the number to call Barclays from outside the UK³³. Our scams and fraud guide covers the warning signs in depth.

Complaints, fraud claims and extra support

If you suspect any type of fraud on your account, Barclays says it is important you speak to them immediately²⁸. Complaints can be made in writing, by email, by telephone or via your relationship manager, and if Barclays cannot resolve your complaint or you are not happy with the outcome, you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service²⁸. Barclays says it will usually respond to a scam claim within 5 business days, though in some cases it can take up to 35 business days²⁸. The Financial Ombudsman's quarterly complaint data for Q1 2026/27 shows complaints opened against Barclays across product areas including 33 for credit broking and 55 for business overdrafts³⁴. If you want to submit a claim on behalf of someone else, it must be done on a separate form³⁵.

Barclays also runs specialist services for difficult moments. After a bereavement, you can notify Barclays through an online form at any time, by phone, by video or branch appointment, or by letter, and it gives you a reference number starting BRV to quote on correspondence³⁶. Documents can be sent online, by post or taken to a branch, and if there is enough money in the deceased's accounts Barclays can send a payment to the funeral director to cover the funeral cost³⁷. While Tesco Bank is part of the Barclays Group, Barclays does not automatically notify it about a death, so Tesco Bank credit cards, savings or loans must be notified directly³⁷. A power of attorney can be registered using an access code from the Office of the Public Guardian, though Barclays does not accept health and welfare powers of attorney, and any power of attorney stops being valid when the account holder dies³⁸. The Financial Lives survey found only 1% of adults with a day-to-day account used a branch to add a third party or power of attorney in the previous 12 months, so arranging it in advance matters³⁹. If your income has dropped, Barclays says banks may be able to offer repayment plans, eased savings account restrictions, reduced arranged overdraft interest rates, or help applying for an overdraft²¹. Free debt help is available from charities such as StepChange, and free general guidance is available from MoneyHelper.

How your money with Barclays is protected

Money held with Barclays in eligible savings and current accounts is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme's deposit protection²; check the FSCS website for the current limit and which account types qualify. Barclays appears on the Bank of England's list of banks incorporated in the UK authorised to accept deposits². For online security, Barclays encrypts the information you send through Online Banking³¹, and the protections described in the scams section above, including the 159 phone service and app ID verification, are designed to stop fraudsters reaching your money in the first place. Our consumer protection guide explains your rights across UK financial services, including the Financial Ombudsman Service and the FSCS.