Santander declining CASS to First Direct and to Monzo

lalafruit

Santander is refusing a CASS switch to Monzo and First Direct—has this happened to anyone, and how can I fix it? 

I first tried to switch my Business account from Santander to Monzo - denied with no explanation

Then I tried to switch our Santander select joint account to First direct to get their £175 bonus and excellent regular saver account - denied today!

We have an excellent credit score, no fraudulent activity, never overdrawn, customer for over 20 years - but declined and can’t seem to communicate with anyone online to help!

Now trying to log a complaint and not even getting a response to the chat online. Last week I phoned re: business account decline and the guy was awful, no idea, no reason, can be anything! 

So frustrated - we also have a Santander mortgage linked to our joint account

Zanderman

How, exactly, are these denials happening?  Are you hearing from Monzo and First Direct or from Santander?

A CASS switch will fail if the details don't match - is the account holder name exactly the same on the account at Monzo/FD and the original account at Santander? If not the switch will fail.

Edited to add: a bank cannot, afaik, simply refuse a CASS switch on a whim, however good or bad your history is. A CASS switch, between banks that support it, will proceed. If yours are failing then there must a be a problem with the details - and, as said already, that may a mismatch with account name. Or type of account (business/personal). Your business account with Santander will have to be switched to a business account at Monzo with the same trading name. Your joint account with Santander must be switched to another joint account, with the same names, at FD.

eskbanker

lalafruit said:

Santander is refusing a CASS switch to Monzo and First Direct—has this happened to anyone, and how can I fix it? 

I first tried to switch my Business account from Santander to Monzo - denied with no explanation

Then I tried to switch our Santander select joint account to First direct to get their £175 bonus and excellent regular saver account - denied today!

We have an excellent credit score, no fraudulent activity, never overdrawn, customer for over 20 years - but declined and can’t seem to communicate with anyone online to help!

Now trying to log a complaint and not even getting a response to the chat online. Last week I phoned re: business account decline and the guy was awful, no idea, no reason, can be anything! 

So frustrated - we also have a Santander mortgage linked to our joint account

Is your mortgage conditional on retaining the (or a) current account with them?

retiredbanker1

Are you trying to transfer business to business? Or is it business to personal and vice versa?

If it is the latter then that's your answer - it cannot be done.

lalafruit

Hi folks - all details match, business to business, personal to personal and no, the mortgage is not on condition of holding a current account. However, I have complained and found out that a bank CAN refuse to switch if they find it unprofitable!!!! Having spoken to complaints today, I've just received a message to say I can re-initiate switch and it will be passed this time. I. have no idea why

eskbanker

lalafruit said:

Hi folks - all details match, business to business, personal to personal and no, the mortgage is not on condition of holding a current account. However, I have complained and found out that a bank CAN refuse to switch if they find it unprofitable!!!! Having spoken to complaints today, I've just received a message to say I can re-initiate switch and it will be passed this time. I. have no idea why

I don't believe that to be true and it doesn't make any sense anyway - what does profitability have to do with switching?

EarthBoy

lalafruit said:

 However, I have complained and found out that a bank CAN refuse to switch if they find it unprofitable!!!! 

This doesn't make any sense.  You're leaving Santander so profit is irrelevant to them, and if Monzo or First Direct thought you'd be unprofitable, they wouldn't have let you open the accounts you're wanting to switch to. 

Zanderman

lalafruit said:

Hi folks - all details match, business to business, personal to personal and no, the mortgage is not on condition of holding a current account. However, I have complained and found out that a bank CAN refuse to switch if they find it unprofitable!!!! Having spoken to complaints today, I've just received a message to say I can re-initiate switch and it will be passed this time. I. have no idea why

How did you find out that the switch can be refused if 'unprofitable'? It seems very unlikely to be true. Was this from the bank or some online source elsewhere? If the bank what, exactly, did they say (and, as asked originally, how did they tell you the switches were being refused originally?).

brewerdave

Possibly somebody senior at Santander UK has suddenly become alarmed by the huge flood of customers abandoning ship before 21st August ?
 This comment is tongue firmly in cheek - however as my switch away is due to commence on Monday 11th, I HOPE I'm wrong !!

wmb194

brewerdave said:

Possibly somebody senior at Santander UK has suddenly become alarmed by the huge flood of customers abandoning ship before 21st August ?
 This comment is tongue firmly in cheek - however as my switch away is due to commence on Monday 11th, I HOPE I'm wrong !!

What happens on 21/08?

Nasqueron

wmb194 said:

brewerdave said:

Possibly somebody senior at Santander UK has suddenly become alarmed by the huge flood of customers abandoning ship before 21st August ?
 This comment is tongue firmly in cheek - however as my switch away is due to commence on Monday 11th, I HOPE I'm wrong !!

What happens on 21/08?

It'll be the end of the 123 Lite account and moving to the new one with less benefits, there is a thread on it

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6608329/santander-123-lite-conversion-to-everyday-account-from-21-august-2025/p1