I genuinely love First Direct.
The black-and-white aesthetic, the lack of noise, the simplicity — it feels like banking stripped back to the essentials. No gimmicks, no clutter, no trying to sell you crypto or a holiday every time you open the app.
I opened an account in about three minutes. Everything worked instantly. My card was already in Apple Wallet, payments arrived within seconds, and the app loaded immediately.
No lag. No friction. None of that traditional big-bank sluggishness you still get with Santander or Barclays.
But despite all that, I don’t actually think First Direct should be your main bank.
Here’s why.
The Problems
For all its polish, First Direct still has some fairly major gaps:
- Savings rates aren’t competitive enough
- The credit card offering is weak — no proper travel card, cashback, or meaningful perks
- Spending insights are delayed and often inaccurate
If you’re looking for the best place to save, invest, borrow, or optimise rewards, there are better options almost everywhere.
So why do I still think everyone should have it on their phone?
The Perfect “Money Manager” Account
First Direct sits in a really unique position in UK banking.
It has the speed and cleanliness of a fintech app, but the infrastructure and reliability of a legacy bank. You get access to HSBC branches and cash machines, but without the bloated experience, hidden fees, or painfully outdated apps.
And that makes it perfect as a central money management account.
Not your spending account.
Not your rewards account.
Your money handler.
It’s the account that receives your salary and distributes money everywhere else.
Why it works so well:
- Fee-free spending abroad
- Extremely fast and clean app experience
- Minimal distractions — no endless offers, rewards, or financial gamification
- Proper Open Banking support, which is essential if you use modern savings accounts, investing platforms, or budgeting tools
It quietly does its job better than almost anyone else.
How I’d Use It
Imagine you earn £3,000 a month.
Your salary lands in First Direct.
From there:
- £2,000 goes to your personal spending account, maybe Lloyds
- £500 goes into savings, perhaps Marcus
- £500 goes into investments, maybe Vanguard
So the flow looks like this:
First Direct → Lloyds (£2,000)
First Direct → Marcus (£500)
First Direct → Vanguard (£500)
Your everyday spending account stays clean and easy to understand. No salary deposits, no savings transfers, no investment noise — just your actual spending.
That’s where First Direct shines.
Not as the centre of your financial life, but as the system quietly powering it in the background.