Monzo vs Starling: Which Bank Referral Bonus to Claim First (July 2026)

Banking is one of the most lucrative referral categories in the UK — where a food app offers £5 off, digital banks routinely pay £25 in actual cash, because a current account customer is worth far more to them over time. Right now we track two live UK bank referral offers, Monzo and Starling, and both pay the same £25. The difference is in what you have to do to unlock it.

The headline numbers

Monzo pays £25 for a single card payment of any size — no minimum deposit. Starling also pays £25, but asks you to deposit at least £50 within 14 days of opening the account. Same reward, slightly different bar to clear.

Easiest bonus: Monzo

Monzo asks for one card payment — that's the entire condition. No minimum deposit, no switch, no direct debits. If you've never tried an app-based bank, this is the lowest-friction £25 in personal finance.

Same reward, one extra step: Starling

Starling's £25 needs a £50 deposit within 14 days rather than just a card payment — a transfer from an existing account clears it in seconds, so it's not a high bar, just a different one. In exchange you get an account that regularly tops UK current account satisfaction surveys.

Can you claim both?

Yes — these are separate banks with separate schemes, and nothing stops you opening both and collecting each £25 in turn. Neither requires you to close or move your existing main account, so there's little reason not to claim whichever one you haven't tried yet. Just space applications out by a few weeks if you're planning a mortgage application soon, purely to keep your credit file quiet.

Referral vs switch bonus: know the difference

Banks also run public switching bonuses (via the Current Account Switch Service) that are sometimes larger than referral rewards — but you can almost never combine the two on the same account. Before you sign up, check both numbers and take the bigger one. Referral offers win on flexibility: they don't require you to close or move your existing banking.

The small print that catches people

• Both schemes are for genuinely new customers — old accounts disqualify you.
• Monzo's window is 30 days for the qualifying payment; Starling's deposit needs to land within 14 days.
• Both track via link, so always start sign-up from the referral link, not the app store.

Full terms, steps and FAQs are on each offer page — start with whichever bank you were curious about anyway, and don't open accounts you won't use.