How do I switch my current account to Lloyds Bank?
A step-by-step guide to switching a current account to Lloyds using the Current Account Switch Service, including Direct Debits, salary and the old account.
Open the Lloyds current account you want first, then request a full switch through the Current Account Switch Service if your old and new accounts are eligible. You choose an agreed switch date. A full CASS switch is designed to complete in seven working days, move regular incoming and outgoing payments and close the old current account on the switch date.
Open the destination account before the switch
Switching and account opening are related but separate. Lloyds must first accept the new current-account application. Once the new account exists, you can provide the old bank details and request the switch. If you need an overdraft on the new account, arrange that separately; an overdraft at the old bank does not automatically transfer to Lloyds.
Before choosing a date, check for rent, mortgage payments, loan instalments or other transactions that would be inconvenient to troubleshoot at the same time. CASS is designed to make switching routine, but choosing a quieter week can make your own checking easier.
What a full CASS switch moves
The service moves regular payment instructions such as Direct Debits and standing orders and transfers the old account balance. Incoming payments such as salary are included in the switching process, and payments accidentally sent to the old account after the switch are redirected to the new account. The guarantee also covers qualifying interest or charges caused if something goes wrong with the switch.
The decisive feature of a full switch is closure: the old current account is closed on completion. That is useful for somebody who wants one clean replacement account, but not for somebody who wants to keep the old account for budgeting, a linked savings product or access to a particular service.
Seven working days does not mean seven calendar days
The Current Account Switch Service works on a seven-working-day timetable after the switch is ready to proceed. Weekends and bank holidays are not working days. Lloyds and the service will agree the switch date with you, so use the confirmed date rather than counting forward from the day you first looked at the application.
Keep enough money available for bills during the transition and avoid manually recreating every Direct Debit while CASS is also transferring them. Duplicating payment instructions can create more confusion than the switch itself. Instead, save a list of regular payments before the move and compare it with the new account afterwards.
What to check after the switch
Verify that your salary or other regular income is reaching the new Lloyds account, inspect the first cycle of Direct Debits and review standing orders. Keep the old account's final statement and the switch confirmation. If a payment appears missing, use the transaction reference and CASS guarantee process rather than immediately sending a second payment.
Also update any organisations that do not rely on account-to-account routing in the same way — for example, card subscriptions linked to the old debit-card number. CASS moves bank-account payment instructions; it does not magically replace a saved card number held by every merchant.
Can you switch without closing the old account?
If you want to keep the old current account, a full CASS switch is usually the wrong tool because full switching closes it. You can instead open Lloyds and move selected payments yourself, or ask whether a partial/manual option is appropriate. The trade-off is that manual migration requires more work and does not provide the same automated redirection and switch guarantee as a full CASS move.
Build a switch checklist from your real transactions
Before you switch to Lloyds Bank, look back far enough to capture more than monthly bills. Include quarterly utilities, annual insurance, memberships, subscriptions and any person or organisation that pays you irregularly. Save the old account's latest statements and note the old debit-card subscriptions separately, because merchants holding the old card number are not the same thing as Direct Debits.
On the agreed switch day, avoid making unnecessary manual changes while both banks are processing the move. After completion, check three things in order: the transferred balance, incoming money such as salary, and the next run of outgoing payments. If something is missing, use the switch confirmation and transaction references when contacting Lloyds rather than recreating the payment immediately.
Switching bonuses are secondary
If Lloyds is running a switching incentive, read its conditions independently from the CASS rules. A bonus may require a particular account, a qualifying full switch, selected Direct Debits or a deadline. The banking relationship can last years; the incentive lasts once. Choose the account first and treat any valid bonus as an extra rather than the reason for moving.
Related UK banking guides
For the next step, see Direct Debits during a switch and Switching while overdrawn.
Choose the switch date around real payments
Pick a date that gives enough room around salary, rent, mortgage and large Direct Debits. During the seven working days leading to a full CASS switch, avoid setting up new payment arrangements on the old account because they may not transfer. Keep the old debit card available until the agreed switch date, then check the new Lloyds account for the first cycle of incoming and outgoing payments. If an overdraft is involved, make sure any borrowing facility has been agreed separately before the switch. The switch service moves payment arrangements; it does not guarantee that a new provider will match an old overdraft.
Related UK banking guides
For related guidance, see What happens to Direct Debits when you switch current accounts?, How do I find my Lloyds Bank sort code? and How do I close my Lloyds Bank account?.
Sources and verification
Emily Clarke — Senior Banking Writer
I consider CASS one of the strongest pieces of UK retail-banking infrastructure because it removes much of the administrative fear that keeps people in unsuitable accounts. But I still recommend doing a small amount of homework before pressing the switch button. Save the latest statement, make a list of Direct Debits and standing orders, note any annual payments that may not appear in the most recent month and identify subscriptions that use the old debit-card number rather than the bank account. Then choose a switch date that is not sitting directly on top of your largest monthly bills. After completion, check the first salary and bill cycle rather than assuming silence means perfection. Most importantly, understand the difference between opening Lloyds and fully switching to Lloyds. You can hold both accounts if you move things manually, but a full CASS switch is designed to close the old account. That single distinction prevents a lot of avoidable surprises. I would keep the final old-bank statement and the CASS completion message together for at least the first few payment cycles. If a payer uses the old details or a Direct Debit behaves unexpectedly, those records make the investigation far easier.
MyBankAnswers uses official provider and UK regulatory sources wherever practical. Information is general and does not constitute financial advice.