First Direct Switch offer 15 February at 11:25AM in Budgeting & bank accounts 33 replies 2.7K views

tracyyi

I had First Direct switch offer back in year 2017 and close my First direct in year 2018.

And now is 2023, are they able to know that I had been with First Direct before, and trying to get the switch bonus.

eskbanker

Yes, they'll be able to know that you've had an account with them before, and will generally refuse to pay a switch bonus on that basis, although, anecdotally, someone on here once claimed to have succeeded a second time round.

Katiehound

First Direct has an exceedingly long memory and generally you won't get a switching bonus if you have ever had one before!

TwiceNightly

I had a First Direct account and credit card in 2019 and opened a new one for the switch offer and was given the money.

However, on calling them (which you have to do for pretty much anything) they said that they have some kind of thing going on behind the scenes where they have two records for me - this new one and an old one - which I would need to link together before I could open a savings account. As that would then take 7 days I never bothered as that's a bit archaic.

tracyyi

eskbanker said:

Yes, they'll be able to know that you've had an account with them before, and will generally refuse to pay a switch bonus on that basis, although, anecdotally, someone on here once claimed to have succeeded a second time round.

someone in this forum able to succeed the second time?

eskbanker

tracyyi said:

eskbanker said:

Yes, they'll be able to know that you've had an account with them before, and will generally refuse to pay a switch bonus on that basis, although, anecdotally, someone on here once claimed to have succeeded a second time round.

someone in this forum able to succeed the second time?

See the post immediately above yours!

tracyyi

eskbanker said:

tracyyi said:

eskbanker said:

Yes, they'll be able to know that you've had an account with them before, and will generally refuse to pay a switch bonus on that basis, although, anecdotally, someone on here once claimed to have succeeded a second time round.

someone in this forum able to succeed the second time?

See the post immediately above yours!

thank you. The post above me does not get second times, I assume.

TwiceNightly

I did get it.

Timeline:
2019 closed my First Direct account
2022 opened a new First Direct account and got my bonus

stuartp2000

I have the switch money and previously had a first direct account but that was some 15-20 years ago so if is definitely not ever having had an account.

TwiceNightly was obviously a lot newer account than me but that looks like more admin error there end if having two records for them.

when I switched I opened the 7% saver and everything was seamless, I did not think I would get the bonus but wanted the savings account so worth the transfer and the switch bonus was an added benefit.

tracyyi

TwiceNightly said:

I did get it.

Timeline:
2019 closed my First Direct account
2022 opened a new First Direct account and got my bonus

" they said that they have some kind of thing going on behind the scenes where they have two records for me "

they link both records, and you still succeeded. 

notquiteskint

account opened all criteria met opened savings account 1st £300 payment made, now got to see if i get the bonus, was with 1st direct many moons ago either way its a win win scenario with the 7% savings