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Switching bank checklist

Built around the overlap rather than the switch itself — both accounts open at once, long enough that nothing arrives at the old one after it's already closed.

15 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Every direct debit and standing order listed from the old account
  2. Every incoming payment listed: salary, benefits, refunds
  3. A switch date chosen that isn't the same week as a big bill
  4. New account opened and fully set up before anything is moved
  5. Overlap period planned, with both accounts open at onceClosing the old one too soon is how a payment ends up sent into a dead account.
  6. Employer notified of the new account details for salary
  7. Direct debits and standing orders redirected one by oneAn automated switching service can miss anything unusual, like an irregular payment.
  8. Card and app details updated on services paid by card, not direct debit
  9. Overdraft or any linked credit checked and settled or transferred
  10. Regular savings transfers redirected
  11. Old account balance confirmed at zero before closing
  12. Statements or records downloaded from the old account before it closesSome history disappears the moment an account shuts, and it's needed for tax or a future application.
  13. New account details given to anyone who pays money in occasionally
  14. Old account formally closed, with confirmation kept
  15. New card activated and tested with a small payment before relying on it

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

What's most likely to go wrong when switching banks?
A direct debit that gets missed because it wasn't listed, or a payment sent to the old account after it's already closed. Keeping both open for a few weeks covers both.
How long should the old account stay open?
A month or two at minimum — long enough to catch anything that only comes round occasionally, and to confirm the last redirected payment actually landed.
Should I use an automated switching service?
It can move most direct debits automatically, but it's worth checking the list it produces against a real statement — an unusual or irregular payment is the kind it can miss.