Starling Bank is one of the UK’s most established digital banks — fully licensed since 2016, profitable since 2023, and trusted by over 4 million personal and business customers. Unlike Monzo and Revolut, Starling has a single free personal account with no upsell tiers. What you get with a free Starling account is everything the bank offers.
This page covers all key Starling features, limits, and answers. Use the links below to go deeper on any topic.
Starling at a Glance
| Feature | Starling personal account |
|---|---|
| Monthly fee | £0 |
| UK ATM withdrawals | Free — unlimited |
| Foreign spending | Free — Mastercard rate, no fee |
| Foreign ATM | Free — subject to reasonable use |
| UK bank transfers | Free — Faster Payments |
| CHAPS (large transfers) | £25 per payment |
| Transfer limit per payment | Up to £250,000 |
| Sort code | 60-83-71 |
| Overdraft | Available — 15–35% EAR (subject to eligibility) |
| Interest on main balance | 0% |
| Savings Spaces | Yes — variable interest via partner banks |
| Cash deposit | Post Office — free, up to £5,000/day |
| Customer service | 24/7 — phone + in-app chat |
| FSCS protection | Yes — up to £85,000 |
Why Starling Stands Out
No paid tiers. Monzo charges £5–£15/month for unlimited ATMs and better interest. Chase limits foreign ATM use above £500/month. Starling offers unlimited free UK and foreign ATM withdrawals to everyone — no upgrade required.
Higher transfer limit. Starling’s Faster Payment limit of up to £250,000 per transaction is significantly higher than Monzo (£10,000 default) and Chase (£25,000). This matters when moving large sums — paying a deposit on a property, for example.
24/7 telephone support. Monzo and Chase are chat-only. Starling offers a real phone line around the clock — a meaningful advantage for customers who need to speak to someone urgently.
Better for cash. Starling allows free cash deposits at the Post Office up to £5,000 per day and £25,000 per 6 months. Monzo charges £1 per PayPoint deposit and caps deposits at £1,000 per 6 months.
Business banking. Starling’s business account is consistently rated among the best for sole traders. Free, with accounting software integrations, invoicing, and Spaces.
Starling Spaces — Savings Sub-Accounts
Spaces are Starling’s equivalent of Monzo’s Pots. They are sub-accounts held within your Starling account where you can ring-fence money for specific goals.
| Space type | Interest | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Space | 0% | Separate pot, instant access |
| Savings Space | Variable AER | Linked to partner bank, FSCS-protected separately |
You can create multiple Spaces — for emergencies, holidays, bills, and so on — and each appears as a separate balance within the app. Money in Spaces is fully instant access.
Unlike Monzo’s Locked Pots, Starling does not offer a locked/notice account Space — all Spaces are instant access.
Starling vs Monzo vs Chase — Quick Comparison
| Feature | Starling | Monzo (Free) | Chase UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| UK ATM limit | Unlimited free | 1 free/month then 3% | £500/day |
| Foreign ATM | Free (fair use) | £200/month free then 3% | £500/month free then 1.5% |
| Transfer limit | £250,000 | £10,000 (default) | £25,000 |
| CHAPS | Yes (£25) | No | No |
| Savings interest | Spaces (variable) | Instant Access Pot (variable) | 5% AER saver |
| Cash deposit | Free, £5k/day | £1 fee, £1k/6 months | Not available |
| Phone support | 24/7 ✅ | Emergency only | Emergency only |
| Business account | Yes ✅ | No | No |
| Gambling block | No | Yes ✅ | No |
Starling Articles
- Starling Review 2026
- Starling ATM Withdrawal Limit
- Starling Transfer Limit
- Starling Sort Code
- Starling Spaces Explained
- Starling Business Account Review
- Starling Customer Service
- Starling Cash Deposit
- Starling Bank Fees UK 2026
- Starling Bank Gambling Block