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How to close your bank account

Ways to close an account

HSBC offers a wide variety of products and services. Before you consider closing an account, why not take a look at our current accounts? You may find an account or product more suited to your needs.

When closing an account, it's important to understand whether you'll be:

  • closing individual accounts - closing one or more accounts with HSBC, but keeping others open
  • closing all accounts - closing every account you hold with HSBC

Online Banking

To close your account through Online Banking:

  1. Log on to Online Banking.
  2. Select 'Chat'.
  3. Chat to one of our agents and let them know you’d like to close your account.

    Most accounts will be closed overnight once you've made your request. However, some account closures can take up to 7 working days, so don't worry if yours isn't closed straight away.

Mobile Banking app

To close your account through our app:

  1. Log on to the app.
  2. Select ‘Support’.
  3. Select ‘Chat with us’.
  4. Chat to one of our agents and let them know you’d like to close your account.

    Most accounts will be closed overnight once you've made your request. However, some account closures can take up to 7 working days, so don't worry if yours isn't closed straight away.

Telephone

You can request the closure of an account through telephone banking. Following your request most accounts can be closed overnight, however some account closures can take up to 7 working days before being completed.

If you're registered for telephone banking you can call us on 03457 404404 (03457 707070 for Premier Customers) and we can assist you with closing your account. For credit card closures please call us on 0345 600 7010.

Branch

You can also visit us in any branch and a member of our team will assist you with closing an account. Following your request most accounts can be closed overnight, however some account closures can take up to 7 working days before being completed. 

Find a branch.

Because we don't want to keep you waiting, we recommend that, where possible, you contact us to book an appointment at your convenience.

Whilst we'll always aim to identify you from our existing records, we recommend you bring Identification with you to ensure that we can verify you as our customer. We suggest you bring any cards, credit books, chequebooks and secure keys with you (if applicable) so we can securely destroy them and help you to protect your information. All cards and cheque books will be cancelled on receipt of your closure request.

Account closure form

You can print and complete the Account closure form at home and bring this into branch for us to check before closing an account.

Alternatively, you can send the form to us by post to the following address:

HSBC UK Bank plc

Customer Service Centre

BX8 1HB

 

Or if mailing from outside the UK or by courier, post to:

HSBC UK Bank plc

51 Saffron Road

Wigston

Leicester

LE18 4AG

 

If your signature does not match the one that we hold on file for you, your account will not be closed. We'll write to you requesting you sign a new signature mandate before we can close the account. To avoid any unnecessary delays, we suggest taking the form to a branch or completing the process via secure message. For joint accounts, signatures from all parties are required.

 

Key information

Balance

You can only close accounts with a nil balance. This means that if your account is overdrawn or in credit, you'll need to either deposit or withdraw funds to ensure a zero balance. We can arrange to move funds from/to another HSBC account in your name.

If a credit balance is going to a non-HSBC account please have the account information to hand. Please note that payments over £10,000 or international payments will incur a charge. There is no charge for accounts being closed via the Current Account Switch Service and/or when transferring an ISA to another ISA provider.

Charges and interest

Interest and charges being applied to the account may not have been applied at the time of closure. You remain liable for any debit interest and charges, and we'll require you to repay any money owed to us. This includes the amount of any cheques you've issued, any card transactions you've made that are paid by us after closure and any charges incurred.

Direct debits and standing orders

If applicable, we can transfer all direct debits and standing orders to another HSBC account in your name. Please note that direct debits and standing orders cannot be transferred to savings accounts.

All direct debits and standing orders will be cancelled if you don't transfer them to another HSBC account.

If you're transferring your direct debits to another HSBC account in your name, we'll advise all parties of the changes. Otherwise you'll need to let the direct debit recipients know the new details.

Early closures

With certain accounts there are financial and other consequences to early closure. It's essential that you understand what these are and are aware of the terms before deciding to close the account.

Current account switch service

If you're switching current accounts via the current account switch service, your account will automatically be closed and you don't need to take any further action. However, your other accounts will remain open unless you ask us to close them.

Statements

Once you've closed your account, the online statement history will no longer be available. You may wish to print or download any statements before closing your account to ensure your records are complete.

Transaction history provided at account closure

Once we have closed your account, we will provide your transaction history (free of charge) covering a period of up to 5 years. We are not required to provide transaction history relating to any payment transaction that occurred 5 or more years prior to the date of account closure.

In most circumstances we’ll email this to you within 10 working days of your account closing. If you would like to opt out of this service or request transaction history for less than 5 years, please contact us.

If we do not hold a valid email address on record, we will ask you to provide this or details of an alternative delivery method. Unfortunately, we will be unable to send information if you do not contact us.

Transaction history up to 5 years after account closure

You may request transaction history if you have closed your account within the previous 5 years. We will normally be able to provide you with a transaction history covering a period of up to 5 years. However, we are not required to provide a payment transaction history in relation to any transaction that occurred 5 or more years prior to the date of your request. For example, if you requested your payment transaction history 3 years after account closure, you would only be entitled to the last 2 years of payment transaction information.

If you no longer hold an account with us, we may firstly ask you to send us identification documentation. Once this is received, in most cases we will issue statements by email within 7 working days.

For both payment transaction history at account closure and up to 5 years after account closure, there may be exceptions that prevent us from providing this information. 

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