The Top Regular Savers Discussion Thread

TheElectricCow

Tembo

Think I’ve messed this one up… Was intending to use a referral code and open the 8% RS, but the RS account apparently isn’t eligible for the referral bonus. By opening one of the eligible accounts for the referral I’ve inadvertently made myself an existing customer, meaning I’m now ineligible for the 5% RS bonus (can only get the standard 3% rate).

Not sure if both offers could be had by opening the RS first then an eligible account for the referral after, but it’s something to be aware of for anyone else looking to double dip on new customer bonuses with Tembo. Oh well, plenty of other 8% accounts out there recently, may as well hold on to the account for now and ditch once the referral is paid out.

SFindlay

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82183692#Comment_82183692

Thats interesting as did take 1 day for mine to change from Pending Deposit to Deposit, can I ask which bank you made your deposit from? I used Barclays but now wonder if it was quicker for you if you used the same bank as Tembo?

Bob2000

TEMBO PAYMENT METHOD.

So l opened the account today, and the first payment is taken, well pending anyway.

Have l understood the payment method correctly? You can deposit an initial payment via open banking, and then future funds must go by DD, or can l just monthly deposit like the opening payment?

mon3ysav3r

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82185398#Comment_82185398

Tembo - I intend to make the monthly payments using open banking, not DD

welchy9

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82185398#Comment_82185398

id understood you could use open banking or direct debit, but couldn't use a normal faster payment transfer

kermchem

Tembo.
I think the point is that you have to “pull” money into the Tembo account rather than “push” it from your external account. D/d or similar rather than S/o or faster payment.

roked

Tembo

Does anyone know yet what is the fastest method? I used the open banking on Tuesday afternoon and it was still pending all yesterday, just cleared today. Seems a long time, as others have experienced. Thinking DD might be the way to go to avoid the lag

dealyboy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82185046#Comment_82185046

Hi, sure … from a Santander Everyday C/A.

Honestly I don't know why I seem to be the only one, I did expect it to take 1 day … so I asked Gem …

There are a few clear reasons why your deposit went through and earned interest on the same day, while many other MoneySavingExpert (MSE) forum members report a 1- to 2-day "pending" delay:

1. Underlying Speed vs. Platform Safeguards

Open Banking relies on the UK's Faster Payments network. Technically, the money moves between banks in seconds to minutes.

However, savings platforms like Tembo (and their payment gateways/custodial banks) often apply a 1- to 2-day clearing hold for most incoming transfers as a conservative safeguard to prevent fraud and account for potential bank-side reversals before back-end reconciliation.

2. Why Your Specific Deposit Was Instant

When someone experiences same-day clearance while others see pending delays, it usually comes down to three factors:

• Bank Partner Alignment: Payment initiation requests originating from major UK banks (like Santander) sent via Faster Payments during standard daytime operating hours often bypass secondary manual risk checks. If the receiving clearing bank instantly matches the incoming transaction against your account details, Tembo's automated system stamps it as cleared and immediately activates interest accrual.
• Time of Day & Business Days: Making the deposit during early business hours on a weekday allows automated clearing cycles to process in real time. Transactions initiated late in the afternoon, over weekends, or on bank holidays get queued into batch files, causing a 24- to 48-hour delay for other users.
• New Account vs. Standard Top-up Flow: Because your deposit was executed as part of your initial onboarding flow, the payment gateway often processes the funds directly alongside your freshly verified identity check, speeding up back-end reconciliation compared to routine top-ups.

3. Interest Backdating Policies

On platforms like Tembo, interest frequently begins accruing on the day your money reaches their partner bank account—even if the app interface shows a "pending" tag while internal records reconcile.

Many forum users who report a "1-day pending delay" are simply seeing a visual status delay in the app UI, whereas your transfer cleared both the payment rails and the visual UI check on the same day.

Courtesy of Google Gemini in Chat mode, Gemini 3, thinking level: high