Best and worst UK banks for customer service named

The latest Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) banking satisfaction survey, covering July 2024 to June 2025, has revealed the best and worst banks in Britain and Northern Ireland.

In Britain, Monzo ranked first for both personal and business current accounts, while Chase and Starling Bank tied for second place on personal accounts. Among businesses, Mettle, NatWest’s new online account for sole traders and small companies, entered the survey for the first time and took second place.

At the other end, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) finished last for personal accounts, with Virgin Money and The Co-operative Bank also performing poorly. For business banking, The Co-operative Bank came last, while Barclays, HSBC UK, and Bank of Scotland all tied for 14th place.

Britain – personal accounts (out of 17)

Britain – business accounts (out of 17)

In Northern Ireland, Monzo again led personal account satisfaction, followed by Nationwide and Starling Bank. At the bottom, Allied Irish Banks (AIB) ranked lowest. For business banking, Santander came top, with AIB again in last place.

Northern Ireland – personal accounts (out of 12)

Northern Ireland – business accounts (out of 5)

Customers hold the power

The survey, carried out independently by Ipsos and BVA-BDRC, was introduced under the CMA’s Retail Banking Order to give customers clear, comparable data on service quality. Results must be displayed prominently in branches and online.

Daniel Turnbull, Senior Director of Markets at the CMA, said, “This data puts power into customers’ hands. Whether it’s for a personal or business account, people can see how their bank fares against others – and stay or switch, according to their needs. It also puts pressure on banks to listen to feedback and think about whether the services they provide are really working for customers.” (Gov.uk press release.)

The findings cover factors such as online and mobile banking, overdraft services, in-branch experience, and, for business accounts, the quality of account managers.

For expatriates and digital nomads – especially those relying on international transfers and online services – the rise of digital banks may signal a shift away from traditional high-street names. With Monzo topping satisfaction, the question is: will more customers ditch traditional banks for digital banking apps?

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