We currently offer many of you an interest-free overdraft buffer of £25. To help with the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on your finances, from 26 March 2020 until further notice, we won't charge interest on the first £300 of overdraft borrowing for Bank Account, Bank Account Pay Monthly, Current Account and Advance Bank Account. This is a temporary measure and not a change to contractual terms, which remain the same. We’ll keep this under review and we’ll update customers before we make any changes to the interest waiver.

If you have an account with a negotiated rate (where we have separately agreed a non-standard rate for your overdraft), this will not apply to you. For more details, see our Frequently Asked Questions.

HSBC debit card

Convenient everyday banking

Easily manage your everyday finances wherever you are, online, on your mobile or by phone. Our Bank Account makes it simple to check your balance, pay bills and send money to family and friends.

Important information: HSBC Premier, Advance and Bank account switching offers

We’re sorry but we’ve had to end our switching offer earlier than planned. This is to allow us to focus on supporting our customers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. We aim to offer switching incentives in the future once we’re in a position to do so.

Current Account Switch Guarantee logo

If you're an existing customer with an overdraft, you can log on to online banking and manage your current arranged limit.

At a glance

  • Manage your money when you want
    Our phone, online and mobile banking services are there for you 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 1
  • Withdraw up to £300 a day
    Get hold of your money when you need it.
  • Enjoy peace of mind with an arranged overdraft
    You can apply for one when you open your account, giving you a handy safety net in case you ever need it. Overdrafts are subject to status.
  • Get help day or night
    If you need a hand we're always here to help. Online, on our app, by phone and in branch. 1
  • Pay bills and friends with ease
    Set up new payees, standing orders and direct debits in moments with our app.

Take a closer look

Easy mobile banking

Controlling your finances is simple with our Mobile Banking app. 2 Make payments, pay in cheques with a photo, block or unblock your card. You can do it all in moments.

Smile-inducing savings

Help your money work a little harder. As a Bank Account customer you can open a Regular Saver account. Earn 2.75% AER/gross, helping you build a nice little nest egg. 3

Things you should know

Charges and overdrafts 

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Overdrafts and unarranged overdrafts

An overdraft lets you borrow money on your current account. An arranged overdraft is where we agree an overdraft limit with you. This can help in months when you have extra expenses. 

An unarranged overdraft is when you make a payment that takes your account over your arranged limit or overdrawn when you don’t have an arranged overdraft in place.

We’ll always consider an unarranged request and make the payment if we can. Unarranged overdrafts may incur higher fees and result in declined transactions. We report account activity, including overdraft usage, to credit reference agencies. An unarranged overdraft lasting more than 30 days could have a negative impact on your credit rating.

Overdrafts are not suitable for long-term borrowing and usually result in interest.

If you take an arranged overdraft, you can later ask us to increase, reduce or remove your limit at any time online, by phone or in a branch. 

If you end your overdraft you’ll have to repay any overdrawn amount and any interest owed. If you want to reduce your limit, you’ll first need to make sure you bring your borrowing down within the new limit.

To find out more, visit our overdrafts page where you can find out if you’re eligible and overdraft cost calculator.

Overdraft charges

When you open your account, you can apply for an arranged overdraft. The first £25 is interest free. Anything you borrow above that but within your arranged or unarranged overdraft limit will be charged interest at 39.9% EAR4.

If you go over your arranged overdraft limit, you’ll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable on any amount over the limit, up to a maximum of £20 a month. This is known as using an ‘unarranged overdraft’. 

We have some tools to help you avoid going over your arranged overdraft. As long as you've given us your mobile number, we'll send you a text alert if a payment is going to take you into an unarranged overdraft. We'll also send you a text alert if there isn’t enough money available in your account to make a payment.

Representative example: 0% EAR variable on the first £25, 39.9% EAR variable on anything above that, giving a representative rate of 38.9% APR5 variable (assumed arranged overdraft £1,200).

Overdrafts are subject to status.

Overdraft text alerts

We’ll send you overdraft text alerts if you’ve used or are due to use an arranged or unarranged overdraft on your account. This is to help you monitor your usage and let you know what action you can take to avoid interest.

If you don't provide your UK mobile number or let us know when you've changed it, we won't be able to send you these text alerts.

You can opt out of the arranged or unarranged texts at any time by phone, or by going into a branch.

Charges for using your debit card abroad

If you pay for something using your HSBC Visa debit card while you’re outside the UK, you’ll need to pay a ‘non-sterling transaction fee’ of 2.75%. So, for example, if you spent £100, you'd be charged a fee of £2.75.

If you withdraw money from an ATM, you’ll also need to pay a ‘cash fee’ of 2% (minimum £1.75, maximum £5) as well as the non-sterling transaction fee. So if you took out £100, you’d be charged a total of £4.75.

Any transactions you make will be converted into pound sterling (unless you choose to pay in local currency). To make sure your exchange rate is as competitive as possible, you’ll pay the exchange rate set by Visa. 

More about using your card abroad

Who can apply?

You can apply for an HSBC Bank Account if you:

  • are 18 or older and a UK or EU resident
  • are happy for us to do a credit check against your name (if you live in the UK)
  • can provide ID and proof of address if needed 

How to apply

Please make sure you read the important information in the 'Things you should know' section before applying.

Services in our branches are currently limited because of the coronavirus outbreak. Unfortunately we are unable to offer new products or set up appointments at the moment.

We’re also receiving far more calls than usual, so our wait times are longer. Please only call us if it’s urgent, so we can help those most in need.

Apply online

If you live in the UK and don't already hold a current account with us, you can apply online. It just takes a few minutes.

Apply in branch

If you already have a current account with us (or you're an EU resident living outside the UK), you'll need to book an appointment to apply in branch. 

You'll need to bring ID and proof of your address with you (eg your passport and a utility bill). If it's a joint account, both applicants will need to be present. 

Call to book an appointment 

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Existing customers

Activate your card

 

Account all set up? Find out how to activate your card.

Manage your overdraft

 

Find out how to apply for a new overdraft or manage your current overdraft limit.

Use your card abroad

 

If you’re heading off on your travels, don’t forget to pack your HSBC debit card.

Regular Saver

 

Put some money aside and watch it grow with our top savings rate.

You might be interested in

HSBC Advance Bank Account

 

Our fee-free current account with exclusive benefits and rewards.

Credit cards

 

Spread the cost of spending, transfer a balance or earn cashback or reward points.

How to switch current accounts

 

Switching is easy and can be done in just 7 days. Find out how it works.

Additional information 

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1. Our telephone, online and mobile banking services are open 24 hours a day subject to scheduled maintenance periods. To help us offer the best service, we may monitor and/or record your calls with us. Back to 'At a glance'

2. Our mobile banking app is currently available on iPhones and iPads with an operating system of iOS 10.3 or higher and Android devices with an operating system of 5.0 or higher. Back to 'Easy mobile banking'

3. The fixed rate of 2.75% AER/gross over 12 months is available to HSBC Bank Account customers who open a new Regular Saver account. Save between £25 and £250 per month by standing order from your HSBC Bank Account for a fixed term of 12 months. If you do not save £250 in any given month you can carry over any unused subscription to following months. Interest is calculated on the daily balance on your Regular Saver and we’ll pay this into your Regular Saver on the anniversary of your account being opened. For example, if you saved £250 every month for 12 months a total of £3000 will be paid in to your account during the 12 month term. At 2.75% you would earn approximately £44 interest (gross). Partial withdrawals are not allowed during the 12 month term. If you close your Regular Saver before the anniversary, we’ll pay interest at the same rate as we would apply to an equivalent amount held in our Flexible Saver account. You can only hold one Regular Saver account at any time. AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate. This shows what the gross rate would be if interest was paid and compounded each year. All credit interest will be paid gross. Gross is the rate of interest if interest were paid and not compounded each year. Back to 'Overdraft charges'

4. EAR (Effective Annual Rate) takes account of the interest rate, the compounding of interest and how often interest is charged. It doesn’t include any other fees or charges.

5. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the rate at which someone who is borrowing money is charged, calculated over a period of 12 months. It takes into account not just the interest, but also any other charges that may have to be paid and any interest-free amount.