Starling Bank referral code
Heads up: Starling is trialling a new refer-a-friend scheme that pays both sides £25, but we don't have a referral code to share yet. We'll add one as soon as we can source and test it.
Starling ran no public refer-a-friend scheme for years. In June 2026 it began trialling a new one: both the new customer and the referrer receive £25, deposited into a Space within 7 days of the new customer's first card payment (which must happen within 30 days of opening the account). I don't yet have a referral code under the new scheme, so there's no code on this page for now; once I have one and it has passed a genuine sign-up, the code and the claim steps will appear here. I opened my Starling account in January 2026 alongside my long-standing Monzo account, mostly for the cheaper overdraft and the generous fee-free ATM allowance abroad, and I keep it as a deliberate secondary: strong on overdraft fees and travel cash, while Monzo wins on flexible-access savings rate, budgeting UX, and feature breadth.
Last tested on by Seb Place.
Part 1
The offer
Starling Bank
App-only UK digital bank with a full banking licence, free personal current account, generous fee-free ATM allowance abroad, and one of the cheapest overdraft rates among UK challenger banks.
Starling Bank referral is paused on this page
Starling is trialling a new refer-a-friend scheme paying both sides £25 (June 2026). We don't have a referral code to share yet; we'll add one as soon as we can source and test it. This page is monitored monthly.
Reward
Get £25 when you join Starling Bank using a refer-a-friend code
How it works
- Download the Starling app and start the signup process for a personal current account
- Enter the referral code when prompted during application
- Make a card payment within 30 days of opening the account
- £25 is added to a Space in your Starling account within 7 days
Part 2
Is it for you?
Starling Bank referral summary
- Reward
- £25 (added to a Space)
- Reward type
- Cash
- Requirement
- Make a card payment within 30 days
- Time to receive
- Within 7 days of the friend's first card payment
Starling Bank referral pros and cons
Pros
- £25 referral reward is guaranteed, not random, so the value is easier to plan around than Monzo's £20, £50, or £100 mystery reward (though the scheme is new and currently a trial)
- Cheaper overdraft than Monzo: 15 to 35% EAR vs Monzo's 39.9% (personally verified, I have a Starling overdraft and prefer it to Monzo's)
- Generous fee-free ATM allowance abroad: £300 per day with no monthly cap, vs Monzo's £200 per month outside the EEA
- Higher headline savings rate available on the Fixed Saver: 3.70% AER if you can lock £2,000 or more for the full term
- Full UK banking licence, FSCS protection up to £120,000, free standard personal current account, no foreign transaction fees on card payments
- Strong third-party recognition: Best British Bank at the Smart Money People British Bank Awards five years running between 2018 and 2022
Cons
- The refer-a-friend scheme is brand new and currently a trial: Starling could change or withdraw it with little notice, and we don't yet have a code to share on this page
- Flexible-access savings rate is only 2.50% AER on the Easy Saver, lower than Monzo's free-tier 2.75% and materially below Monzo Extra, Perks, and Max at 3.25%
- The 3.70% Fixed Saver requires a £2,000 minimum and locks the money in for the full term, with no top-ups and no early withdrawals
- Fewer premium features than Monzo: no double payday, no cashback tier, no investments or pensions inside the app
- Referral cap of 10 successful referrals, giving a £250 lifetime maximum from the scheme
- Referral scheme excludes business, joint, teen, savings, and currency accounts, personal current account only
What is Starling Bank?
Starling Bank is a UK digital bank with over 4 million customer accounts, founded in 2014 and granted a full UK banking licence in 2016. It offers a free personal current account with budgeting Spaces, fee-free spending abroad, and FSCS protection up to £120,000.
Starling Bank is a UK digital bank with over 4 million customer accounts (opens in new tab), founded in 2014 by Anne Boden and granted a full UK banking licence by the PRA in July 2016.
- Banking licence: Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the PRA and the FCA (registration number 730166), with FSCS protection (opens in new tab) up to £120,000
- Features: Personal current accounts, joint accounts, Spaces (Pots equivalent), Bills Manager, the Easy Saver (2.50% AER, flexible) and Fixed Saver (3.70% AER, £2,000 minimum, locked term), round-up savings, and the Connected card
- App: Everything managed through the Starling mobile app, no physical branch network
- Pricing: Free standard personal current account with no monthly fee
Starling has won Best British Bank (opens in new tab) at the Smart Money People British Bank Awards five years running between 2018 and 2022, and is consistently rated among the top UK challenger banks alongside Monzo.
How does the Starling referral scheme work?
Starling's refer-a-friend programme, launched as a trial in June 2026 after years without one, pays both you and your friend a guaranteed £25, added to a Space within 7 days of the new customer's first card payment. The new customer must make a card payment within 30 days of opening the account. The scheme caps at 10 successful referrals per referrer.
Starling's refer-a-friend programme, launched as a trial in June 2026 after years without any public referral scheme, pays both parties a guaranteed £25 cash reward, added to a Space (Starling's pot equivalent) within 7 days of the new customer's first card payment.
- The existing customer (referrer) shares their referral code from the Starling app
- The new customer downloads the Starling app and starts the signup process for a personal current account
- The new customer enters the referral code when prompted during application
- After account approval, the new customer makes at least one card payment (any amount) within 30 days
- Both the referrer and new customer receive £25 in a Space within 7 days of the qualifying payment
Unlike Monzo's mystery £20, £50, or £100 reward, Starling's £25 is guaranteed. The scheme caps at 10 successful referrals per referrer, giving a £250 lifetime maximum, with no reduced rate once the cap is reached.
Because the scheme is a trial, treat the terms as subject to change: Starling could adjust or withdraw it with little notice. We re-check the published terms monthly.
How to get and use a Starling referral code
Starling uses a manual referral code, not an embedded URL: you type or paste the code into the Starling app during signup. We don't have a tested code to share on this page yet. Once approved, make a card payment within 30 days to qualify for the £25 reward, which is added automatically to a Space in your account.
Starling uses a manual referral code rather than an embedded URL: you type the code into the Starling app during signup, not via a click-through link. We don't yet have a tested code to share on this page (the scheme is a new trial and codes come from existing customers' apps), so for now the code has to come from a Starling customer you know.
Joining Starling as a new customer:
- Download the Starling Bank app from the App Store or Google Play
- Tap Open an Account and choose Personal Current Account
- Begin the signup: verify your identity with a photo ID and a short selfie video
- When prompted to enter a referral code, type or paste a code shared by an existing Starling customer
- Complete the application and wait for approval (usually within minutes)
- Add funds and make at least one card payment (any amount) within 30 days
- £25 is automatically added to a Space in your Starling account within 7 days of the qualifying payment
The code is sometimes called a refer-a-friend code, invite code, or referral code. There is no separate voucher code or promo code system: a refer-a-friend code is the only way to claim the £25 sign-up bonus.
Already a Starling customer? Your own referral code is inside the Starling app under Refer a friend (rolling out with the trial). Copy it and share directly with friends or family. Both of you receive £25 when they sign up using your code and make a qualifying card payment within 30 days.
Who is eligible for the Starling referral?
New customers must be UK residents aged 18 or over who have never previously held any Starling account, including business, joint, teen, savings, currency, or closed accounts. The referral applies to the personal current account only. Referrers can refer up to 10 people in total.
New customer eligibility:
- UK resident, aged 18 or over
- Never previously held any Starling account, including business, joint, teen, savings, currency, or any closed account
- Must open a personal current account specifically: joint, business, teen, savings, and currency accounts are excluded from the referral scheme
- Must enter a valid referral code during application
- Must make a qualifying card payment within 30 days of opening the account
Referrer eligibility:
- Must have an active Starling personal current account
- Can refer up to 10 people at the £25 rate
- After 10 successful referrals, the code stops paying out (£250 lifetime maximum)
- Cannot promote the referral code through paid advertising
The referral only applies to the referee's first Starling account; additional accounts opened later do not qualify retroactively.
Common reasons Starling referrals don't work
The most common failure is not entering the referral code during signup. Other issues include missing the 30-day card payment deadline, using a non-qualifying payment type (transfer, direct debit, refund), or having previously held any Starling account, including a closed one.
If your £25 Starling referral reward does not arrive, it is usually one of these issues:
- Code not entered during application: the most common failure. The referral code must be entered at the prompt during signup. If you completed signup without entering it, the referral cannot be applied retroactively.
- Missed the 30-day deadline: you have 30 days from opening your account to make a qualifying card payment. If you miss this window, neither party receives the £25.
- Used a non-qualifying payment type: refunds, bank transfers, standing orders, direct debits, foreign currency transactions, gambling transactions, and e-money transfers do not count. The payment must be a card transaction (contactless, chip and PIN, online purchase, virtual card, or via Apple Pay or Google Pay linked to your Starling card).
- Previously held a Starling account: if you have ever had any Starling account, including a business, joint, teen, savings, or closed account, you are not eligible. This applies even if the previous account was opened years ago.
- Opened the wrong account type: the referral only applies to personal current accounts. Joint, business, teen, savings, and currency accounts are explicitly excluded.
If you believe you met all the criteria and the reward has not appeared within 7 days of your first card payment, contact Starling support through the in-app chat.
Using Starling abroad: ATM allowance, fees, and what to know
Starling is one of the strongest UK accounts for travellers. There are no foreign transaction fees on card payments, and ATM withdrawals abroad are fee-free up to £300 per day with no monthly cap. This is significantly more generous than Monzo's £200 per month limit outside the EEA.
Starling Bank is one of the strongest UK accounts for travellers, particularly for anyone who withdraws cash abroad.
- Foreign transaction fees on card payments: none. Pay by card anywhere in the world at the Mastercard exchange rate, no markup.
- ATM withdrawals abroad: £300 per day fee-free, with no monthly cap. This is significantly more generous than Monzo's £200 per month limit outside the EEA, and there is no monthly ceiling either, so a regular traveller can withdraw cash across consecutive days without hitting a fee threshold.
- Currency conversion: all transactions are converted at the Mastercard wholesale rate at the time of purchase. No additional Starling markup, no guaranteed rates, no fees baked into the conversion.
- Travel notifications: the app tracks your spending location automatically, no need to tell the bank you are travelling.
- Currency accounts: Starling also offers separate Euro and Dollar accounts (alongside the GBP current account), useful if you regularly receive payments in those currencies.
Practical example: if you are on a week-long trip and need to withdraw £400 in local currency from an ATM, Starling charges nothing across two £200 withdrawals on consecutive days. With Monzo, the same £400 withdrawal would push you past the £200 per month non-EEA cap and incur a 3% fee (roughly £6) on the second £200.
The £300 per day ATM allowance is the single most useful Starling feature for a regular traveller, and is the headline reason I opened my Starling account ahead of an upcoming trip abroad.
Who is Starling best for?
Starling works best as a deliberate secondary account alongside a primary like Monzo. It wins on overdraft fees, fee-free ATM withdrawals abroad, and the Fixed Saver rate. It loses on flexible-access savings, daily budgeting UX, and feature breadth like double payday, cashback, investments, and pensions.
Starling is ideal for:
- Travellers: the £300 per day fee-free ATM allowance outside the EEA significantly beats Monzo's £200 per month cap, and there are no foreign transaction fees on card payments
- Occasional overdraft users: 15 to 35% EAR is meaningfully cheaper than Monzo's 39.9%, and in 5 months of running both accounts I have preferred Starling's overdraft mechanics
- Fixed-term savers: the 3.70% AER Fixed Saver outperforms anything Monzo offers, though the £2,000 minimum and locked-in term sacrifice flexibility
- Secondary-account hygiene: keeping a balance off your primary bank in case of fraud or lockout
Starling is less suited to: anyone wanting the best flexible-access savings rate (Monzo's free-tier 2.75% AER beats Starling's Easy Saver 2.50%), or anyone valuing feature breadth like double payday, cashback, investments, and pensions inside the same app. Monzo wins on both.
My own setup after 5 months is to keep Monzo as the primary daily-spending and budgeting account, and Starling as a deliberate secondary for the overdraft buffer, the travel ATM allowance, and a small Fixed Saver balance.
How Starling compares to other banks
Starling competes with Monzo, Chase UK, and Revolut. Starling's new £25 referral (a trial as of June 2026) is guaranteed rather than random like Monzo's, though Monzo's mystery reward can reach £100 and Chase runs no referral scheme at all. Starling wins on cheaper overdraft and a more generous non-EEA ATM allowance. Monzo wins on flexible savings, UX, and feature breadth.
Starling competes directly with Monzo, Chase UK, and Revolut. All four offer fee-free current accounts with app-based management.
| Feature | Starling | Monzo | Chase UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral reward | £25 (guaranteed; new scheme, in trial) | £20 to £100 (mystery) | None |
| Monthly fee | Free | Free | Free |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | None | None |
| ATM withdrawals abroad | £300/day free, no monthly cap | £200/30 days free (non-EEA) | £500/month free, then 1.5% |
| Cashback | None on personal account | None on free account | 1% on groceries, transport, fuel (£15/month cap) |
| Budgeting tools | Spaces + Bills Manager | Pots + Salary Sort | Roundups only |
| Overdraft | 15 to 35% EAR | Up to 39.9% EAR | No overdraft |
| Trustpilot | 4.1/5 (opens in new tab) | 4.6/5 (opens in new tab) | 3.7/5 (opens in new tab) |
- vs Monzo: very similar surface-level feature sets. Starling wins on cheaper overdraft, generous non-EEA ATM allowance, and the Fixed Saver rate (3.70% AER if you can lock £2,000+ for the term). Monzo wins on flexible-access savings rate (2.75% vs Starling's 2.50%), budgeting UX, and feature breadth (double payday, cashback, investments, pensions). Monzo's referral bonus is also long-established, against Starling's new trial. See our full comparison: Monzo vs Starling.
- vs Chase UK: Chase runs no referral scheme but offers 1% cashback on groceries, transport, and fuel during the introductory period. Starling has no cashback on the personal account but is stronger for travel and offers a Fixed Saver Chase does not match.
- vs Revolut: Revolut leans into international and investment features (multi-currency wallets, crypto, stocks). Starling is a fully-fledged UK bank with FSCS protection up to £120,000 and a simpler everyday banking proposition.
Part 3
How it compares
Starling Bank referral at a glance
| Your reward | £25 (added to a Space) |
| Friend's reward | £25 (added to a Space) |
| Reward type | Cash |
| Requirement | Make a card payment within 30 days |
| Time to receive | Within 7 days of the friend's first card payment |
| Referral limit | Up to 10 referrals (£250 lifetime maximum) |
Starling Bank key facts
Part 4
Questions & related
Starling Bank referral FAQ
Does Starling Bank offer a discount code, voucher code, or promo code?
No, Starling Bank doesn't run public discount, voucher, or promo codes. Its refer-a-friend scheme, launched as a trial in June 2026, is the only way to get a sign-up reward: a guaranteed £25 paid to both you and the person who refers you, added to a Space within 7 days of your first card payment (which must happen within 30 days of opening the account). We don't yet have a tested referral code to share. Last verified: 12 June 2026. Compare how this works across every brand we cover in our UK voucher codes guide.What is the Starling referral reward?
The Starling referral reward is a guaranteed £25 cash reward paid to both the new customer and the referrer when the new customer opens a Starling personal current account using a refer-a-friend code and makes a card payment within 30 days. The £25 is added to a Space in your Starling account within 7 days of the qualifying payment. The scheme launched as a trial in June 2026, after years in which Starling ran no refer-a-friend programme at all.How do I use a Starling referral code?
Download the Starling app, tap Open an Account, choose Personal Current Account, and start the signup process. When prompted to enter a referral code during the application, type or paste a code shared by an existing Starling customer (we don't yet have a tested code on this page). Complete the signup, make a card payment within 30 days, and £25 lands in a Space in your account within 7 days.How many people can I refer to Starling?
You can refer up to 10 people in total. The scheme caps at £250 lifetime per referrer; after 10 successful referrals, the code stops paying out, and there is no reduced rate beyond the cap (unlike Monzo's £5-per-additional-referral approach).What is the minimum payment to qualify for the Starling referral reward?
Any card payment of any amount qualifies. A £1 purchase counts. The payment must be made from your Starling personal current account within 30 days of opening it.What card payments qualify for the Starling referral reward?
Any card transaction counts: contactless, chip and PIN, online purchases, virtual card payments, and payments via Apple Pay or Google Pay linked to your Starling card. Non-qualifying activity includes refunds, bank transfers, standing orders, direct debits, foreign currency transactions, gambling transactions, and e-money transfers.Where does the £25 land, my main balance or somewhere else?
The £25 is added to a Space in your Starling account, not your main balance. Starling creates the Space for you automatically. Spaces are Starling's separate sub-accounts within your current account (similar to Monzo Pots), so to spend the £25 you need to move it from the Space into your main balance.What happens if my Starling referral doesn't work?
The most common reasons are: not entering the referral code at the prompt during signup, missing the 30-day card payment deadline, using a non-qualifying payment type (transfer, direct debit, refund), or having previously held any Starling account (including business, joint, or closed accounts). If you believe you met all the criteria, contact Starling support through the in-app chat.Can I use a Starling referral if I've had an account before?
No. The terms exclude anyone who has ever held any account with Starling, including business, joint, teen, savings, currency, or closed personal accounts. The referral is for genuinely new Starling customers only.Why can't I claim the referral on a Starling joint, business, teen, savings, or currency account?
Starling's refer-a-friend programme is restricted to the personal current account product. Joint accounts, business accounts (sole trader or limited company), teen accounts, savings-only setups, and currency accounts are all explicitly excluded from the referral scheme by the official terms.Is there a Starling discount code, voucher code, or promo code?
No. Starling does not use traditional discount codes, voucher codes, or promo codes. A refer-a-friend code is the only way to claim a sign-up bonus, and it gives you a guaranteed £25 cash reward when you make a card payment within 30 days of opening your account. The scheme is a new trial as of June 2026, and we don't yet have a tested code to share on this page.Can I refer someone to a Starling Business account?
No. The Starling refer-a-friend programme explicitly excludes business accounts. You can still open a Starling Business account, but it will not qualify for the £25 referral reward. For business banking referrals with a guaranteed reward, see Tide or Monzo Business.Is Starling a real bank?
Yes. Starling Bank holds a full UK banking licence issued by the PRA in July 2016. It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the PRA and the FCA under registration number 730166. Your deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000.Does Starling charge a monthly fee?
No. Starling's standard personal current account is completely free, with no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirement, and no foreign transaction fees on card payments. The optional Connected card (an additional debit card you can give to someone you trust to spend on your behalf) costs £1 per month, and the Kite card for children aged 6 to 16 is £2 per month.Can I use Starling abroad?
Yes. Starling does not charge foreign transaction fees on card payments. Fee-free ATM withdrawals are capped at £300 per day outside the UK, with no monthly cap (unlike Monzo's £200 per month limit beyond the EEA). This makes Starling especially strong for travellers who need to withdraw cash frequently.How quickly can I open a Starling account?
Most accounts open within minutes through the Starling app. You will need a valid UK address, photo ID (passport or driving licence), and a short selfie video. The virtual card is available immediately, and the physical card arrives by post within a few working days.What are Starling Spaces?
Spaces are separate sub-accounts within your Starling current account, similar to Monzo Pots. You can use them to set aside money for specific goals like bills, savings, or holidays. Each Space has its own balance, can be named, and can have rules like automatic transfers. The £25 referral reward is paid into a Space, which Starling creates for you automatically.What savings rate does Starling pay?
Starling offers two saver products: the Easy Saver at 2.50% AER (flexible, no minimum, withdraw any time) and the Fixed Saver at 3.70% AER (requires £2,000 minimum to open, with the money locked in for the full term). For flexible-access savers, Starling's 2.50% Easy Saver rate is actually lower than Monzo's free-tier 2.75% AER on Savings Pots. The Fixed Saver only outperforms Monzo if you can commit to locking the money in.How does Starling compare to Monzo?
Both have full UK banking licences, FSCS protection, free standard accounts, and fee-free card spending abroad. Starling wins on overdraft fees (15 to 35% EAR vs Monzo's 39.9%), non-EEA ATM allowance (£300 per day with no monthly cap, vs Monzo's £200 per month), and the Fixed Saver rate. Monzo wins on flexible-access savings (2.75% free-tier vs Starling's 2.50%), budgeting UX, and feature breadth (double payday, cashback, investments, pensions). See our full comparison at Monzo vs Starling.What does Martin Lewis say about Starling?
Martin Lewis and MoneySavingExpert have featured Starling in their best bank account guides, highlighting the fee-free foreign spending, generous ATM allowance abroad, and competitive overdraft rates. MSE rates Starling among the top challenger banks alongside Monzo. Lewis has noted Starling's particular strength as a travel card and as a sensible option for anyone who occasionally relies on an overdraft.What does the referrer get from a Starling referral?
Honest disclosure: the referrer (the existing Starling customer who shared this code) receives the same £25 reward that you do, paid into a Space in their Starling account once you complete the qualifying card payment. Starling funds both rewards from its customer-acquisition budget, so the banking services and account terms you receive are unaffected by whether you sign up through a referral code or directly.
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