Zempler Pay As You Go

Zempler Bank's personal current accounts are temporarily closed to new applications, so the first thing to know about a Zempler Pay As You Go account is that you cannot open one today¹. The provider states this on its own product pages, and it applies across its personal accounts, including Activeplus and Freedom³.

If you already hold one, it is a personal current account with no monthly fee, no interest paid on the balance, and a set of add-ons you can switch on if you need them: an overdraft, international payments, and a Euro travel currency card¹. Cash goes in over the counter at a Post Office rather than a branch, and cheques are not accepted at all⁵.

This page covers what the account offers, how its charges are structured, who can hold one, how to bank with it day to day, and what protection applies. Zempler's own site carries today's figures for every fee and limit, and those are the numbers to check before you rely on any of them.

What the Zempler Pay As You Go account offers

The account is a straightforward personal current account built around everyday payments rather than interest or rewards. Money comes in by bank transfer, by cash paid in at a Post Office, or as an incoming payment from another bank, and goes out by Faster Payments to any UK bank account, by standing order or by Direct Debit⁵.

Payments can be made in the Zempler Bank app or in Online Banking, and Online Banking supports both immediate payments and payments set up for a future date⁹. Standing orders can be set to run as a one-off future payment, to repeat until a date, to repeat for a set number of payments, or to repeat until cancelled¹⁰.

Incoming payments to Zempler accounts are checked through Confirmation of Payee, an account name checking service that helps make sure money is not sent to the wrong account and protects against authorised push payment scams¹¹. International payments are handled through a partnership with Wise Platform, and any international payment received into the account is converted to sterling¹².

The account does not pay interest, which the provider states directly on its personal current account pages¹. That makes it a place for money moving in and out rather than money being put aside, and a separate savings account is the usual home for a balance you want to grow. For a wider view of how these accounts compare in shape and purpose, see types of current account.

Add-ons: overdraft, international payments and travel currency card

Zempler describes its personal current account as one you can customise with add-ons and features, available if you need them¹. Three matter most.

The overdraft is attached to the current account and acts as a temporary safety net if you run low on funds¹³. It is not automatic: you have to receive an overdraft offer before you can apply, then log in to the app or Online Banking, go to Add-ons in your Account Overview and follow the instructions, reading and accepting the Credit Agreement and Terms¹⁴. Zempler also offers a Creditbuilder add-on, a 12-month product with monthly payments, and it states that you must be able to afford all 12 payments on time because missing one can harm your credit score¹⁵.

International payments let you send money abroad from the app. Once you enter the transfer details, the app shows the exchange rate and the transfer fee before you commit¹⁶. Zempler says it plans to expand its international payment options to include additional currencies in the future¹⁶. Refunds on outbound international payments go back to the Zempler account the payment was made from, and Zempler charges no fee for returned payments, though the sender may receive less than they sent because of fees applied elsewhere¹².

The Euro travel currency card is ordered in a few taps in the app or Online Banking, topped up by transfer from your account, and managed 24/7 with transactions and balances shown in real time¹⁷. Zempler states that spending in euros online and face to face carries no transaction fees, and that cash withdrawals in euros are free abroad but cost €4 in the UK¹⁷.

How the charges and paying in work

Zempler's personal accounts are built around a monthly allowance of free payments rather than a monthly account fee. Receiving money is free and unlimited on both⁴. Cash withdrawals are free in the UK and free outside the UK on Activeplus⁴.

Additional cards are charged to the account, and a consumer account can have up to four additional cards connected to it¹⁸. Zempler's pricing page lists additional cards up to 20, which is the business account limit rather than the consumer one⁶. The provider's pricing page carries the current charge per card.

Paying in works through the Post Office. Zempler has partnered with the Post Office so customers can pay in cash at any of the UK's 11,500 branches¹. Daily and annual limits apply to physical cash deposited this way, and they do not affect payments or transfers into the account⁵. If your account was opened after 30 November 2022, the annual limit renews based on your account start date rather than the calendar year⁵. Cheques are not accepted, so a cheque cannot be used to pay money in⁶.

Personal accounts are temporarily closed to new applications

This is the single most important fact about the account today. Zempler states on its product pages, its Activeplus page, its Freedom page and its switching guidance that personal current accounts are temporarily closed to new applications¹. Nobody who does not already hold one can open one at present, and the provider has not said when that will change.

For existing customers, nothing about the account itself changes: it continues to run, payments continue to work, and the add-ons remain available. The closure affects new applicants only.

It also affects switching. Zempler takes part in the free Current Account Switch Service, which the provider says makes switching stress-free and takes 7 days¹. The service moves the balance from your old account automatically, redirects all BACS and Faster Payments sent to the old account to the new one, and transfers existing Direct Debits, regular payments and standing orders so planned payments go out on the date requested¹⁹. But switching requires an account to switch into, and account opening and switching are separate processes, with the new bank carrying out know your customer checks before a switch date can be agreed³. With personal applications closed, that route is not open to new customers.

Existing customers can still move between Zempler's own pricing plans. If you are on a plan with a Creditbuilder add-on, you cannot move to a Flexiplus account until you have completed or cancelled the Creditbuilder²⁰. Any eligible cashback payments are credited to the new account when you switch plans²⁰. For the general mechanics, see the Current Account Switch Service.

Who can apply and the documents you need

Applications are closed, so the practical answer for a new customer is that no one can apply at the moment¹. The requirements below matter if you already hold an account, if you are adding a third party to one, or if applications reopen.

Zempler verifies identity and address during the application, and if it cannot, it requests documents by personalised email before the account can be opened². Documents must be clearly readable, not blurred or showing glare, valid and current rather than expired, dated within the last 3 months if they are letters, complete including both sides where relevant, and showing your current address. Screenshots are not accepted²¹.

Accepted proof of identity includes a passport from any country (valid, and UK passports need not be signed), a UK driving licence, provisional or full, showing front and back, an EU driving licence, an EEA member state ID card, a firearms certificate or shotgun licence, a Northern Ireland electoral ID card, a construction industry scheme card, or a military ID card²¹.

For third party access, the documents differ by type:

The account holder also supplies a cover letter with the account number or application reference and, for third party authority only, a completed Authority to Discuss form²².

Banking with Zempler: app, Online Banking and card controls

Day to day banking runs through the Zempler Bank app and Online Banking. The app is available on the iOS App Store and Google Play, and Zempler describes it as easy to use with a clear design and navigation¹. From the app you can activate your card, get your PIN, check your balance, view statements, make payments and manage your cards¹. Online Banking adds spending tracking, statements on the go, itemised billing to track expenses, and payment scheduling¹.

Card controls are built in. You can block a card or report it lost or stolen from the app, and Zempler runs 24/7 fraud monitoring with instant card freeze¹. If you forget your PIN, you can change it at most LINK cash machines across the UK, or contact Customer Service and a reminder will be posted out¹.

Payments to a new payee require you to verify yourself, either by re-entering your password or by using biometrics⁹. If you pay an untrusted payee or set up a standing order, two steps of authentication are required each time, including a one-time passcode sent to your registered mobile number⁹.

Zempler also supports customers who need extra help. It publishes dedicated guidance for deaf and hearing impaired customers and for customers with mobility and dexterity needs, covering how to use the app and reach the team¹.

Scams, fraud claims and complaints

Zempler's own warnings describe the tactics used against its customers. In a safe account scam, the caller replicates the Caller ID of the organisation so a call or text appears to come from Zempler Bank²³. In an impersonation scam, the caller claims to be from Zempler Bank or another bank, warns of suspected fraud transactions, and asks for a one-time password from the Zempler Bank app to cancel the transaction²⁴. Zempler's advice is blunt: if you are ever unsure, hang up and call the bank back²³. It has also warned about fake emails claiming to be from Zempler Bank about suspicious activity, and says customers should not call the number in the email but use the contact page instead²⁵. As part of its partnership with Stop Scams UK, Zempler is part of the Dial 159 initiative, which can connect callers to the bank if they receive a suspicious call and cannot find the number²⁵.

If you have paid a scammer, Zempler's published process is to call 0330 024 0924, or +44 207 153 8940 from abroad, as soon as you realise, check your statements, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or through its website, and obtain and provide a crime reference number²⁶. Claims are assessed on evidence of first-party fraud, your vulnerability, evidence of gross negligence, and whether the claim qualified under the reimbursement requirement²⁷. Zempler says claims are processed within 5 working days and reimbursed within that time, subject to a stop the clock provision, though a claim can take up to 35 business days where extra information is needed²⁶. A levy of up to £100 per claim can be deducted from the refund, and customers with a vulnerability that has a material impact on their ability to protect themselves from a scam are not charged it²⁷.

If a complaint is not resolved, Zempler's guidance is to contact its complaints team first and then the Financial Ombudsman Service²⁷. The ombudsman's own figures show 6,800 complaints about fraud and scams were lodged in the first quarter of 2025/26, down from 8,800 in the previous quarter²⁸. Free, impartial help is available from MoneyHelper and from debt advice charities such as StepChange, which publishes guidance on spotting, avoiding and reporting scams²⁹.

How your money is protected

Zempler Bank Limited is authorised by the FCA with reference number 671140, authorised since 5 February 2016, and appears on the Bank of England's list of banks incorporated in the UK authorised to accept deposits⁷. That matters because deposit-taking banks are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, so money held in a Zempler account is protected under the same scheme as any other UK bank. The FCA Register also lists the firm's previous names, including Cashplus Bank and Cashplus, which is why older paperwork and search results use that name⁷. The company behind the brand, Zempler Bank Limited, is active on the Companies House register under company number 04947027, incorporated on 29 October 2003³¹.

On payments, Confirmation of Payee checks incoming payments to Zempler accounts and helps prevent money going astray or to a scammer¹¹. Open banking access is controlled: Zempler checks every company requesting access to your account on the open banking directory to confirm it is authorised and regulated, refuses access to any firm not listed, shares data only through secure APIs, and states that it never shares account, personal or financial information without your explicit consent³².

Where protection stops is worth being clear about. Outside the banking system, protection is patchier: money paid by push payment is not protected unless you paid by credit card or Direct Debit, and PayPal Buyer Protection covers an item paid for through PayPal that was never sent, subject to exceptions and time limits on claiming²⁹. Scams are crimes and a growing problem, and independent guidance stresses that reporting matters even when the money is gone³⁵.

If you need to register a Power of Attorney or a Third Party mandate because someone can no longer manage their account, Zempler accepts both, and an enduring power of attorney can be used in the same way as a lasting one once registered with the Office of the Public Guardian²². Guardianship orders give the guardian power to manage the account, request statements, update details, manage payments and Direct Debits, and open and close accounts³⁶. When someone dies, Zempler freezes the account, cancels the card and stops payments out including Direct Debits and standing orders until it receives documents and confirms the executor or next of kin. For the general position on these arrangements, see power of attorney and third party access.