Atom bank Easy Access Cash ISA

The Atom bank Easy Access Cash ISA is a variable rate cash ISA you open and run entirely through the Atom app. You pay in from a linked UK current account in your own name, you can take money out when you want, and the interest is tax free. Atom bank states there are no charges on the account, no introductory rates, penalties or fees, and no minimum deposit to open one¹.

Two features decide whether it suits you. First, Atom bank does not currently accept ISA transfers in from other providers, so you cannot move an existing ISA into it². Second, it is not a flexible ISA: money you withdraw cannot be replaced without using up ISA allowance again¹. If either of those matters to you, the account will not do that job.

The rate is variable, so it can move. Atom bank's own site carries today's figures, and the summary box on the product page gives the rate and the date it took effect¹.

What it is and who it is for

This is a cash ISA, which means it works like an ordinary savings account except that the interest is always paid tax free³. Atom bank is a privately-owned company with a broad range of shareholders, including BBVA and Toscafund Asset Management, and it runs its accounts through its app rather than branches⁴. Its brand page is at Atom Bank.

The account suits someone who wants a variable rate cash ISA they can reach without notice or penalty, who is starting fresh rather than moving an existing ISA across, and who is comfortable running a savings account on a phone. It is a sole account only: Atom bank states joint accounts are not permitted, and the account is limited to one per customer².

It is not a good fit if you hold an ISA elsewhere and want to consolidate, because transfers in are not accepted². It is also not a good fit if you expect to move money in and out and replace it within the same tax year, because it is not a flexible ISA¹. And it is not a fixed rate product: if you want a rate locked for a set term, a fixed rate cash ISA works differently, usually with an early access charge.

Atom bank has also offered other savings products, including an Instant Saver, which is covered by the same FSCS protection⁵.

How it works

Money moves in one direction only, from your connected account. Atom bank states you can only make payments into the Easy Access Cash ISA from your connected account, which must be a UK current account in your name registered at your address¹. Payments in and out are made using the Faster Payment Service only².

Interest is calculated on your balance daily and added monthly, on the day of the month you opened the account². The rate is variable, and Atom bank states it will give at least 14 days' notice if your rate is going down, confirming what the new rate will be¹. The terms themselves can change on 30 days' notice unless the change is to your advantage².

Money coming out usually reaches your connected account immediately, though Atom bank states it may take up to two hours depending on the other bank's processing times².

The withdrawal rule is the one that catches people out. Because this is not a flexible ISA, any amount you withdraw cannot be replaced and will still count towards your ISA allowance². The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April². If you want to understand how that interacts with the annual limit, see the ISA allowance and flexible ISAs.

Atom bank also states it does not accept Additional Permitted Subscriptions, the extra allowance that can arise when someone inherits a spouse's or civil partner's ISA¹. That is covered in more detail at additional permitted subscription.

How the fees and charges work

There are none. Atom bank's terms state there are no charges applied to the Easy Access Cash ISA, and the product page states there are no introductory rates, penalties or fees¹. There is no minimum deposit required to open the account and no minimum balance you need to keep in it².

That is not the norm across the cash ISA market, so it is worth knowing what other accounts do charge. Others charge for a requested CHAPS electronic payment, and apply charges by way of loss of interest on withdrawals or transfers during fixed rate periods or without the required notice⁶. Fixed rate cash ISAs commonly apply an early withdrawal fee or exit fee if you take money out or transfer away before the term ends⁷.

The cost that applies here is not a fee but a lost opportunity. Because the account is not flexible, withdrawing and replacing money uses up ISA allowance you may want for something else². And because the rate is variable, the return can fall: Atom bank must give at least 14 days' notice of a decrease, but it is not obliged to keep the rate where it is¹.

Who can apply and how to apply

You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident for tax purposes, or a member of the armed forces or a Crown servant, or their spouse or civil partner, if not living in the UK¹. The account is a sole account only and is limited to one per customer².

Applications are made in the Atom app, available from the UK App Store and the UK Google Play store¹. You link a UK current account in your name as your connected account, then complete the set-up in the app¹. There is no branch or postal route, and no phone application.

That app-only model is one of several ways ISA providers operate. Some cash ISAs can be opened online and in branch¹¹, some by phone¹², some by downloading and printing an application form or requesting one by post¹³, and some online only. If you prefer dealing with a person face to face, this account does not offer that.

Once open, the account is managed in the app. Atom bank's terms state that if it takes actions without your consent after a breach of the ISA Regulations, it might not tell you beforehand but will let you know within 30 days². The terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales².

If you are moving money rather than starting fresh, note again that transfers in are not accepted². The general process for moving an ISA is set out at how to transfer an ISA, and the rules on what happens if a subscription breaks the ISA rules are at invalid subscriptions.

How your money is protected

Atom bank is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme². Its terms state each eligible saver is protected up to £120,000, and that this limit applies to the total of all savings you hold with Atom, not to each account separately². Atom bank's own FSCS page states eligible deposits are protected and that your account statement will confirm whether your deposits with it are eligible¹⁴.

The practical point is aggregation. If you hold an Easy Access Cash ISA and any other Atom savings, they count together towards that one limit². The same principle applies across the market: FSCS protection applies per bank and is shared with any money you already hold with that bank¹⁵. Money held in a stocks and shares ISA cash account is treated as a deposit and covered by the same FSCS protection as savings and current accounts¹⁶.

There is a separate protection that does not apply here. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act covers credit card purchases, not savings, so it has no role in a cash ISA. What protects you instead is the FSCS for the money itself, and the Financial Ombudsman Service for how the firm treats you.

Splitting money between two Atom accounts does not double it².

Problems, complaints and getting help

Start with Atom bank. Its terms state you can contact it through the Help & Support button in the app, by calling 0333 399 0050, or by emailing customersupport@atombank.co.uk⁵. If you are unhappy with the response, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to consumers and covers issues such as account closures, disputed transactions, IT failures and problems with switching services¹⁸.

Complaints about cash ISAs are a small but real part of the ombudsman's caseload. In the first quarter of 2026/27 it recorded 620 complaints about cash ISAs, including cash lifetime ISAs and help to buy ISAs¹⁹. In the same quarter it recorded 50 complaints about payment instruments¹⁹. A year earlier, in the first quarter of 2025/26, it recorded 391 complaints about cash ISAs including cash lifetime ISAs and help to buy ISAs, of which 37% were upheld²⁰. For context, in the third quarter of 2025/26 it recorded 311 new complaints about deposits and savings accounts excluding cash ISAs²¹.

The ombudsman has also reported on complaints about reduced in-person services, including access to cash withdrawals because of ATM withdrawal limits, services only available in branch face to face such as removing a security block, verifying identification or depositing cash, and access limited to specific branches with customer advisers²². An app-only account avoids some of those problems and creates others, since there is no counter to walk into.

If a cash machine keeps your card, the Payment Systems Regulator's guidance is to contact your card issuer, and if it does not resolve the matter, to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service²³. Free, impartial help on money problems is available from MoneyHelper, and free debt advice charities can help if you are struggling with repayments.