What happens to Direct Debits when you switch current account

Yes. If you switch current account using the Current Account Switch Service, every Direct Debit moves to the new account for you. You do not have to contact each company you pay, and the switch is completed within 7 working days, Direct Debits and standing orders included¹.

The service is free and is run by Bacs, the organisation behind Direct Debits and Direct Credits in the UK³. It moves your outgoing payments, your standing orders and your balance, redirects money coming in such as your salary or benefits, and closes your old account¹.

The part that catches people out is the difference between a full switch and a partial one. A full switch carries the guarantee, which includes a refund of charges if a payment fails to transfer properly. A partial switch, where you keep the old account open, does not⁶.

The Current Account Switch Service moves every Direct Debit for you

The rule is simple: all Direct Debits transfer. Virgin Money states it plainly, "We'll transfer over all Direct Debits"³. Halifax puts it the same way: "Your direct debits move over to your new account automatically"⁸. The service also automatically closes your old account, so there is nothing further to do, and it moves across any Direct Debits and standing orders at the same time⁹.

That is why you do not need to ring your energy supplier, your gym or your council. The switch service handles the notification, and any payments made to your previous account are automatically directed to your new one¹⁰. Lloyds describes the same mechanics: payments to the old account redirect automatically, and the sender is contacted with your new account details¹¹.

The service is free, and it can switch your current account to another bank or building society automatically⁷. It is managed and overseen by Bacs, the people behind Direct Debits and Direct Credits in the UK, while the new bank guarantees the switching process itself⁴.

One condition worth knowing: some switching offers require you to have Direct Debits on the old account before you move. Nationwide's switch offer, for example, asks for at least 2 Direct Debits on your old account, which it then moves as part of the switch¹³. If you have none, the switch still works, but an incentive tied to Direct Debits may not pay out.

What else moves: standing orders, incoming payments and your balance

A full switch is not just about money going out. MoneyHelper sets out what the service takes care of: transferring Direct Debits and standing orders, moving your balance, redirecting incoming payments such as benefits or salaries, and closing your old account¹.

The same list appears across providers. Cambridge Building Society says that under the Current Account Switch Service any standing order payment or Direct Debit will be automatically transferred¹⁴. Monzo describes moving your money, Direct Debits and standing orders over⁵. Virgin Money's switch guarantee document covers moving all your payments going out, such as Direct Debits and standing orders, and those coming in, such as your salary¹⁵. Weatherbys uses almost identical wording¹⁶.

In practice this means your salary, your pension or your benefits continue to arrive even though the account details have changed, because payments sent to the old account are redirected. Your balance moves with you rather than being left behind.

If you are managing an overdraft, the timing of payments matters. StepChange suggests shifting Direct Debits and standing orders so they go out at the same time, soon after income arrives¹⁷. That is a budgeting point rather than a switching rule, but it is the reason some people choose their switch date carefully.

The 7 working day switch and what happens to payments along the way

The switch completes within 7 working days, including Direct Debits and standing orders². Ulster Bank, NatWest's Select account, HSBC and NatWest's Reward Silver account all describe the same timescale, with the service doing the work of moving everything across from the old account to the new one².

The process runs to a timetable rather than all at once. Coventry Building Society sets out day 2: details of your Direct Debits, standing orders and bill payments are sent to your new provider²¹. That is the point at which the new bank knows what to expect and the old bank knows what to hand over.

The guarantee behind the timetable is that payments in and out of your new account are switched over in time so that you do not miss any regular bills and payments¹². That is the promise that matters most to a reader: the switch is designed so that nothing bounces because of the move itself.

If you want to apply for the new account first, you can usually do it online, in an app, over the phone or in person, depending on the account you have chosen¹. Most banks ask for a driving licence or passport to prove your identity, or a photo and often a selfie if you apply online¹. You typically need to be aged 18 or over and a UK resident, and the bank will usually run a credit check to see your credit history, including whether you have had problems paying money back¹.

Partial switching or moving one Direct Debit on your own

A partial switch moves your outgoing payments across, such as Direct Debits and standing orders, but leaves your old account open²². AIB offers this as an option in Great Britain and Northern Ireland: move all or some Direct Debits, standing orders and bill payments to the new bank while keeping the current account open at the old one²³.

The trade-off is protection. Which? sets out the main downside: with a partial switch you are not covered by the service guarantee, so you are not automatically refunded for any charges incurred as a result of a Direct Debit or standing order failing to transfer properly⁶. A full switch carries that refund right; a partial switch does not.

If you want to move a single Direct Debit without any switch at all, you have to do it yourself. Santander's guidance is that if you want to move a Direct Debit to be paid from a different account, you need to speak to the company the Direct Debit is with, unless you are moving all of your Direct Debits as part of switching your current account²⁵. Royal Bank of Scotland says the same: to switch a Direct Debit from one account to another you would need to contact the bank, and once switched the Direct Debits show on digital banking for the new account after the first payment has been taken, with only one payment ever taken²⁶.

Whichever route you take, the company being paid has a duty to tell you before it changes anything. The Financial Ombudsman Service states that the business must always notify you before making any changes to payments²⁷, and the Direct Debit Guarantee requires the payee company to notify you in advance if there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit²⁸.

When a payment goes wrong: refunds and how to complain

Under the switch guarantee, the new bank must refund you for any charges incurred as a result of a Direct Debit or standing order not having been successfully transferred to the new account⁶. Refunds applied to your old debit card after switching are sent to your new bank²⁹.

Direct Debits are a regular source of complaints. The Financial Ombudsman Service recorded 113 complaints about Direct Debits in the first quarter of 2026/27³⁰. Current accounts as a whole drew 8,945 complaints in the same quarter³⁰, against 7,800 new complaints in the first quarter of 2025/26, of which 28% were upheld³¹.

The ombudsman has published a case study about a switch that did not go smoothly, involving a customer who was required to transfer two Direct Debits within 30 days of opening the new account³². It illustrates the pattern: the conditions attached to a switch offer are where problems tend to start.

If something goes wrong, the route is the same as for any banking complaint. Contact customer services first, then make a formal complaint; the bank has eight weeks to investigate and give a final response. If you still do not agree, or the eight weeks pass, you can take the complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service¹.

Can I switch accounts if I am overdrawn?

You can switch using the Current Account Switch Service even if you are overdrawn³⁴. What decides whether it works in practice is the new account.

MoneyHelper explains the mechanics: if the new account's overdraft covers what you owe, the funds are sent to your old bank and you owe the overdraft balance on the new account instead. If it is a lower amount, or you cannot get one, you need to arrange to pay off the remainder separately before you can switch or close your old account¹.

Independent Age puts the constraint more bluntly: if you are currently overdrawn, you might not be able to switch bank accounts until you have paid off the overdraft³⁵. Both statements can be true at once, because the outcome depends on whether the new bank will lend you enough to cover the balance.

Two related rules matter here. If you are using your overdraft, you have to pay it back before you can close your account, and you lose access to statements when it closes, so it is worth keeping copies if you need them¹. Overdraft interest is charged daily and is often up to 40% APR until paid back¹. If you are struggling with an overdraft, free help is available from MoneyHelper and from debt advice charities such as StepChange and National Debtline.

Will my Direct Debits show in my new banking app straight away?

Not necessarily, and the delay varies by bank. First direct says Direct Debits that have been transferred to another first direct account will only show on the original account for four months following the transfer³⁶. Royal Bank of Scotland says that once switched, Direct Debits show on digital banking for the new account after the first payment has been taken, and that only one payment is ever taken²⁶.

Your statement is the reliable record. A current account statement shows all deposits, withdrawals, Direct Debits and bank transfers³⁴. If a Direct Debit has not appeared in the app but the money has left, the statement will show where it went.

If you cannot see a payment you expect, the first step is to check whether the company has been notified of the new details, and the second is to raise it with the new bank. Because the switch service contacts the companies for you, a missing Direct Debit after a full switch is the bank's problem to resolve, not yours.

Does switching affect my credit score?

Switching through the Current Account Switch Service does not affect your credit rating³². A full switch closes the original account, which can in turn make a positive contribution to your credit score²⁹.

The qualification is frequency. Switching current accounts should not affect your credit score unless you switch several times in the same year, because some banks carry out a hard credit check when you open a current account²⁹. Each application leaves a mark, and a cluster of them in a short period is what lenders notice.

A partial switch behaves differently from a full one on this point, because the old account stays open. If you want to keep a long-standing account on your credit file, a partial switch preserves it; a full switch closes it.

Who can open a new current account to switch to?

You typically need to be aged 18 or over and a UK resident¹. The bank will usually run a credit check to see your credit history, including whether you have had problems paying money back¹. Most banks ask for a driving licence or passport to prove your identity, or a photo and often a selfie if you are applying online¹.

You can usually apply online, using an app, over the phone or in person, depending on the account you have chosen¹. If a standard account is not available to you, a basic bank account is designed for people who may not pass a credit check or who do not want an overdraft.

If you are switching a joint account, both account holders are affected, and the Direct Debits on the joint account move together. If you are switching while separating from a partner, the rules on joint accounts and on freezing them are different again.