Danske Reward: the £5 monthly reward account explained

All three have to be met by 6pm on the last business day of that month¹.

The account comes with a Contactless Debit Mastercard, and Danske Bank says it will not charge fees if you use that debit card abroad².

This page covers what the account offers, how the reward is earned and lost, the monthly fee and other charges, who can open one, how joint accounts work, how to switch, how to run the account day to day, and what to do when something goes wrong.

What the Danske Reward account offers

Danske Reward sits in the middle of Danske Bank's personal current account range, alongside Danske Choice, Danske Freedom, Danske Choice Plus and Danske Prestige⁴. It is a standard day-to-day account with a Contactless Debit Mastercard, an optional overdraft, and the monthly reward as its distinguishing feature¹.

The card is a Debit Mastercard, which means it works wherever Mastercard is accepted, including contactless payments at a till and payments through a digital wallet. Danske Bank does not charge its own fee for using the debit card abroad on this account, and the non-sterling transaction fee the bank applies elsewhere does not apply to Danske Reward, Danske Freedom, Danske Discovery, Danske Choice Plus or Danske Prestige⁵. That is a statement about the bank's own charge, not about the exchange rate used to convert a foreign purchase, which is set separately.

The account also gives access to the bank's wider services: eBanking and the Mobile Banking app, free text and email alerts managed through eBanking, and the option to apply for an overdraft at the same time as opening the account or later⁶. Alerts can cover daily, weekly or monthly balances, individual payments and low balances⁶.

Danske Bank also runs a monthly prize draw for customers who meet a separate entry criterion of 11 debit card transactions in a month. The bank says it has already given over 300 customers £1,000 each, and that 10 prizes of £1,000 are won each month².

How the monthly reward is earned

Danske Bank's stated conditions are that, by 6pm on the last business day of the previous calendar month, you have paid in at least £1,000, completed at least 8 Debit Mastercard transactions, and received digital statements for the account¹.

Two details in that wording matter. First, ATM withdrawals and credits to the account do not count towards the 8 transactions, so the qualifying spending has to be purchases¹. Second, the deadline is a fixed point in the previous month, not the month the reward is paid, so a month in which you fall short affects the following month's payment.

Digital statements are not optional if you want the reward. When you apply for Danske Reward you are automatically signed up for eBanking and digital statements¹. That is a different arrangement from some of the bank's savings accounts, where a paper statement is sent at least every 6 months unless you have asked to receive them electronically through eBanking⁸.

If you miss a condition in a given month, the reward for the following month is not paid. The bank's own guidance on reducing fees and managing the account is the place to check how the conditions are applied to your account⁶.

Monthly fee and charges, including using the card abroad

That is the figure the bank publishes for the account, and it is charged regardless of whether the reward conditions are met.

On spending abroad, Danske Bank states that it will not charge fees if you use your debit card abroad on this account², and the non-sterling transaction fee it applies elsewhere does not apply to Danske Reward⁵. What that does not cover is the exchange rate applied on the day, which is the thing to check rather than a fee line⁵.

Other charges sit around the account rather than on it. Overdrafts are a separate product with their own pricing, and the bank publishes a cost calculator and its overdraft terms so you can see what a borrowing arrangement would cost before applying⁷. The bank's published overdraft rates and service speed figures run to 30 June 2026³.

The bank also publishes a page on how to reduce fees, which sets out the practical steps that affect what you pay, including how alerts and account management can help you avoid charges⁶.

Who can open a Danske Reward account

The residency rule is the one that catches most people. Danske Bank states that if you are new to the bank you need to be a resident in Northern Ireland to open a Danske Reward account¹. That is consistent with how the bank describes other parts of its business: its mortgage meeting information applies to customers in Northern Ireland only, and its remortgage offer is currently only available to customers in Northern Ireland¹⁰.

Beyond residency, Danske Bank states that its personal current accounts are offered subject to status, eligibility criteria and its lending policy¹¹. In practice that means the bank checks your circumstances and can decline an application.

For joint accounts, the bank's rule is that a joint account cannot be opened for anyone under 18, and that you can open a joint account online with a maximum of two account holders¹². Danske Reward is available as a joint account². If you are choosing between accounts, the bank's joint account page sets out which of its current accounts can be opened jointly, and Danske Discovery is the one exception¹².

Other Danske Bank products have their own eligibility rules that are worth knowing if you are arranging several things at once. Its fixed rate personal loan is open to existing Danske Bank customers aged 18 or over, resident in the United Kingdom, who have held a Danske Bank personal current account (excluding Danske Standard) for at least 6 months or a Danske Bank residential mortgage drawn down for at least 6 months¹³. Its junior savings account can be opened online by a parent or legal guardian who is an existing Danske Bank customer, for a child aged 10 or under living in the United Kingdom⁹.

Joint Danske Reward accounts: shared responsibility

A joint account is not two separate accounts side by side. Danske Bank states that all parties are jointly responsible for any debts incurred on the account, including overdrafts or debit balances, and that the bank may block the account during a dispute between the holders¹. On its joint account page the bank puts it plainly: any money in the account belongs to both of you, regardless of who paid it in, and you are both responsible for any debit balances incurred on the account¹².

That has two consequences a reader should weigh before opening one. The first is credit. Danske Bank states that a joint account links your financial records together, and that having a shared debt with someone with a poor credit history could make it harder for you to borrow money in the future¹². The second is access. On its joint accounts, all holders can independently access funds and carry out transactions, which means either of you can move money without the other's agreement¹⁴.

If you want a shared overdraft, both parties are responsible for overdrafts or debit balances on it¹². If the joint account has no overdraft facility and one holder dies, the bank says such accounts will usually be amended into the names of the remaining parties, who will get new chequebooks and lodgement books reflecting the change¹⁵.

Where a joint account is being used as part of financial abuse, Danske Bank says it can talk to you about your options if you have a joint account with your abuser, and that it can help you access statements online, update your address to deliver mail to a secure location or a branch, and remove a third party's access or arrange for someone else trusted to have third party access¹⁶.

Opening an account or switching to Danske Reward

You can apply for a Danske Reward account directly with Danske Bank, and the bank's current account pages set out the application route⁴. If you already hold a Danske Bank personal current account and want to move an account held elsewhere into the bank, the bank says you can contact it to request a switching pack to get started¹⁷.

The offer opened to applications from 7 September 2026, and the terms require a full switch and the conditions set out in the offer terms¹¹. The bank states that its personal current accounts are offered subject to status, eligibility criteria and its lending policy¹¹.

If you use the Current Account Switch Service, the timeline the bank publishes runs as follows¹:

1. Day 1: eligibility is checked.
2. Day 3 to 5: your regular payments are moved across to your new Danske Bank personal current account.
3. Day 7: your balance is moved to the new account and your old personal current account is closed.

Once the switch is done, changing the date a Direct Debit leaves your account is not something the bank can do for you. Danske Bank states that if you want to change the date a Direct Debit leaves your account you will have to contact the company that takes the Direct Debit⁶. Standing order dates are different: those can be changed through eBanking, the Mobile Banking app or by contacting your branch⁶.

If you are opening an overdraft as well, you can apply at the same time as opening the current account online, in a branch or on the phone, or add one to an existing account through eBanking, in a branch or on the phone⁷.

Managing the account: app, eBanking, branches and Post Office

Danske Bank describes its online banking, mobile app and alert services as allowing customers to manage money 24 hours a day, seven days a week¹⁸. Payments and transfers through eBanking and the Mobile Banking app are available 24 hours a day¹⁹.

The Mobile Banking app is also where several card controls live. The same change can be made by calling the bank or visiting any branch²⁰. Changing the contactless limit does not affect the value of items you can pay for using your card PIN at the point of sale, or spending using cards in a digital wallet²¹.

Cash and counter services are available beyond branches. Danske Bank customers can access a number of banking services at Post Office branches, and personal customers with a Debit Mastercard can withdraw and deposit cash and check their account balance at any Post Office in the UK²². You can also pay money into a Danske Bank account at any Danske Bank branch, or at any participating Post Office in the UK using a debit card²⁰. The bank has also created shared hubs in local communities in partnership with Cash Access UK and other banks⁴.

Alerts are free and managed through eBanking, covering daily, weekly or monthly balance alerts, payment alerts and low balance alerts⁶. The bank also offers an Account Balance Service that can be set up on any Danske Bank current, savings, credit card, loan or mortgage account²⁴.

Complaints, fraud help and how your money is protected

If a card is lost or stolen, Danske Bank has a 24-hour reporting number and states that it should be contacted immediately²⁵. A card can also be blocked using the Mobile Banking app or eBanking to stop further transactions²¹, or by calling the bank or visiting a local branch²⁰. Replacement cards arrive within 3 business days by first class post²⁰. If Mobile Banking is not used, the PIN arrives by post within 3 to 5 days of receiving the new card²⁰. If a cash machine retains a card, the bank's guidance is to call your bank or card issuer immediately so the card can be blocked²⁵.

Online card payments are protected by Strong Customer Authentication, which adds an extra layer of security when you shop online²⁰. Retailers may ask you to approve a purchase using the bank's security app, Danske ID, or a password you create used alongside a six-digit one-time passcode sent by text²⁰. Danske ID is available to personal banking customers who have eBanking and a smartphone or tablet²⁶.

When you make a payment, the bank asks what it is for and provides scam advice based on your response²⁷. If you raise a scam claim, the bank says it will need to share your information with the receiving bank to investigate fully²⁷. Confirmation of Payee checks are also part of the bank's payment process²⁸.

On complaints, the Financial Ombudsman Service is free and independent and can look at complaints about banks and payment firms. It can consider complaints about the bank or payment service provider that received money in a scam, including the steps taken to recover it and whether it should have had concerns about its customer's account²⁹. It can also look at complaints from individuals and small businesses who feel they have been de-banked unfairly, if they are unsatisfied with how their bank dealt with the complaint³⁰. If you are turned down for a basic bank account and are not told why, or feel you were turned down unfairly, you may be able to complain to the ombudsman³¹.

Danske Bank's own complaints routes include an online form, secure mail, a local branch, and phone, with the bank publishing different contact details for different complaint types³². Where the documents give different phone numbers for the same purpose, both are published and the bank's own page is the place to confirm which applies.

Your money in a Danske Bank current account is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which covers eligible deposits up to its limit per person per bank. Danske Bank accounts are provided by Northern Bank Limited, which trades as Danske Bank, is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, and appears on the Bank of England's list of UK banks authorised to accept deposits³³. Its FCA reference number is 122261³³.