Looks like they are at it again. Cashback changes, for the worse, and monthly account fees rise, wef 27 October 2020.
Time to close this account and bring my Household Bills into my Bills pot with Monzo (which is where my main income goes anyway). After all, the regular saver, the main reason why I opened a Santander account a few years ago, offers no value to me after my current one matures this weekend.
I’ve been happy with Santander 123 Lite as my bills account. Has been netting me approx £63 per year in cashback (after fees). These changes will mean my net cashback will go down to approx £50 per year. I’ll now take a look at some other cashback accounts but I suspect there’s a strong chance I’ll stay with Santander.
I use them for the large discount (“offer”) on home/contents insurance each year of extra cashback on insurnace. It by itself is half the price than Aviva, similar level of cover, and operated by Aviva. (Aviva is unlimited, santander is capped, but santander caps are higher than everything that I have).
So the £35 insurance which is £100+ elsewhere is worth keeping the account around for me.
This must surely make the standard 123 account pointless now.
Even with the price cut, it’s twice as expensive as the 123 Lite, but offers an incredibly low interest rate which can be easily beaten elsewhere, even in a simple no-strings easy access account.
There are, as far as I can see, no other differences between the two accounts.