Halifax vs Barclays: Fees and features (2025)

Looking for a new account? If you’re thinking of switching banks or providers, you’ll have a lot of options to choose from - including major high street banks, digital banks and building societies too.

To help you make up your mind, we’ll be putting two of the UK’s most popular banks under the microscope. It’s Barclays vs. Halifax, comparing the two on everything that matters. This means account types, features, fees and charges, cards and international transactions.

This should give you all the info you need to pick the right bank for you.

So, let’s get started.

Table of contents
Halifax vs. Barclays - An overview Halifax vs. Barclays - Account types Halifax accounts Barclays accounts Barclays vs. Halifax- Fees Halifax vs. Barclays - Cards Using your debit card overseas - withdrawal fees and limits Barclays vs. Halifax - International money transfer Which is best for you- Halifax or Barclays? Wise: an alternative for managing your money at home and abroad

Halifax vs. Barclays - An overview

Barclays is one of the ‘Big Four’ banks in the UK. It’s a British bank with a long history dating back to 1690, and has a global presence along with a network of UK branches.

Halifax is another British institution, although it has different origins. It began life in Yorkshire in 1852 as a building society, before becoming a bank in 1997 and joining the Lloyds Banking Group. It also has a number of high street branches, but doesn’t operate outside the UK.

Here’s a quick overview of what both banks have to offer in terms of accounts and features:

	Halifax	Barclays
Current accounts	Basic, standard, rewards and premium accounts Student accounts Children’s accounts	Basic, standard, rewards and premium accounts Student accounts Young people’s accounts Foreign currency accounts
Savings accounts	Easy access Fixed rate Cash ISA Children’s savings accounts	Everyday Rewards Cash ISA Children’s savings accounts
Cards	Debit cards Credit cards	Personalised debit cards Credit cards
Other financial services	Personal loans Car finance Mortgages Investments Insurance Overdrafts	Personal loans Mortgages Investments Insurance Overdrafts
Digital banking	Online and mobile app	Online and mobile app
Business banking available	No	Yes
Private banking available	No	Yes
International services	International payments Travel money	Foreign currency account International payments
Customer support	Branch Phone Online or in-app messaging	Branch Phone Online banking chat In-app call or chat Video call
Part of the Current Account Switch Service	Yes	Yes
FSCS protection	Yes - £85,000/person	Yes - £85,000/person

Halifax vs. Barclays - Account types

While Barclays serves both personal and business customers, you can only open a personal account with Halifax.

Below, we’ll take a closer look at the range of current accounts on offer with each bank.

Halifax accounts

The list of Halifax current accounts includes the following:¹

Account	Monthly fee	Features	Eligibility
Current Account	None	Up to 15% cashback on spending Save the change feature Optional arranged overdraft	UK residents aged 18+
Reward Current Account	£3 (waived if you pay in £1,500/month)	Up to 15% cashback on spending Preferential travel money rates Monthly Reward Extras - cash, cinema ticket or digital magazines	UK residents aged 18+ Spend £500/month or keep £5,000/month in your account to qualify for Reward Extras
Ultimate Reward Current Account	£19	Up to 15% cashback on spending Worldwide family travel insurance Mobile phone insurance Home emergency cover No debit card fees abroad Monthly Reward Extras Preferential travel money rates	UK residents aged 18+ Spend £500/month or keep £5,000/month in your account to qualify for Reward Extras

Halifax also has a student account, accounts for under 18s and a basic bank account - this is designed for people who don’t qualify for other standard bank accounts.

As for savings accounts, there’s a long list to choose from at Halifax. Here are just a few of your many options:

• Bonus Saver and Reward Bonus Saver easy access accounts
• ISA Bonus Saver and ISA Reward Bonus Saver
• Everyday Saver
• ISA Saver Variable
• Instant Saver and Instant ISA Saver
• ISA Saver Fixed
• Junior Cash ISA
• Fixed Saver.

Barclays accounts

Like Halifax, Barclays has three main current accounts:²

Account	Monthly fee	Features	Eligibility
Barclays Bank Account	None	Personalised card Money management tools Interest	UK residents aged 18+
Barclays Bank Account + Blue Rewards	£5	Personalised card Money management tools Interest Apple TV+ Cashback rewards	UK residents aged 18+ Pay in £800+/month Register for Barclays app
Premier Current Account	None	Personalised card Money management tools Interest Apple TV+ Cashback rewards	UK residents aged 18+ Pay in £75,000/year or save £100,000+ with Barclays

Barclays also has student and graduate accounts, accounts for under 18s, a foreign currency account and a basic bank account.

Its savings accounts include:

• Rainy Day Saver
• Everyday Saver
• Blue Rewards Saver
• Reward Saver
• Instant Cash ISA
• Reward ISA
• Barclays Children’s Savings.

Barclays vs. Halifax- Fees

Now we come to the important part - cost. This is something you need to look at closely before choosing a bank account, especially if you want to do things like send money overseas or use your debit card on holiday.

So how much does it cost to use each bank? Here are the main fees and charges you need to know about, based on the standard account available at both Halifax and Barclays:

Fee	Halifax Current Account3	Barclays Bank Account4
Monthly fees	None	None
UK payments - card transactions and bank transfers	None	None
Sending international payments	£0 for SEPA (to EEA county in euros) £9.50 for all other payments + correspondent fees of £12-£20 depending on destination	£0 for SEPA (to EEA county in euros) £0 for Barclays International Payments, but overseas delivery charges may apply
Receiving international payments	£2 for under £100 £7 for £100+	£0 for under £100 £6 for £100+
Card payments outside the UK	2.99% + £0.50 (free for EUR within EEA)	2.99%
Withdraw cash outside the UK	2.99% + £1.50 (free for EUR within EEA)	2.99%

Halifax vs. Barclays - Cards

Both Halifax and Barclays offer contactless debit cards as standard with all of their current accounts. With Barclays though, there’s also the option to personalise your card for no extra cost.

You can also apply for credit cards at both banks - here are a few of the most popular:

Bank/credit card	Interest rate (representative APR variable)	Main feature
Halifax:
Halifax Cashback Credit Card5	22.9%	0.25% cashback on card purchases No monthly fees
Halifax World Elite Mastercard®6	55%	Up to 1% cashback on spending No foreign exchange fees for 60 months Travel perks including Priority Pass and Airport Security Fast Track £15 monthly fee
Barclays:7
Amazon Barclaycard	28.9%	£20 Amazon gift card 1% rewards when shopping on Amazon, 0.5% elsewhere
Barclaycard Avios	29.9%	Collect and redeem Avios points
Barclaycard Rewards Card	28.9%	0.25% cashback on everyday spending No fees abroad
Barclaycard up to 22 month balance transfer and up to 19 month purchase Platinum card	24.9%	0% on balance transfers for up to 22 months (transfer fee applies) 0% interest on purchases for up to 19 months

Halifax does have many other credit cards available, but you’ll need to complete an eligibility check to see further details of them. This includes rates and credit limits tailored to you.

Using your debit card overseas - withdrawal fees and limits

Want to use your new debit card when you go on holiday? You’ll need to watch out for foreign currency transaction fees, on both spending and cash withdrawals.

Unfortunately, both Halifax and Barclays have fees for overseas card payments and cash withdrawals.

With Halifax, you can spend and withdraw cash in euros for free (just watch out for ATM fees) if you’re in an EEA country.

But elsewhere, you’ll pay 2.99% + £0.50 for payments and 2.99% + £1.50 for ATM withdrawals when you use your Halifax card abroad.³

Barclays charges a flat fee of 2.99% for using a Barclaycard abroad, no matter where you are in the world.⁴

Limits for spending and cash withdrawals should be the same as in the UK for both banks, but you might need to check the T&Cs on your particular account.

If you want to swerve high fees for using your card abroad, it could be worth checking out a travel-friendly option like the Wise card.

Available for a one-time cost of just £7, the Wise card works worldwide. It lets you spend and withdraw in 40+ for low fees starting from just 0.33%* - and you’re guaranteed mid-market exchange rates when converting currency.

What’s more, you can withdraw up to £200/month (max 2. withdrawals) from overseas ATMs without any fees. You’ll just need to check whether the ATM you’re using has any fees.

Barclays vs. Halifax - International money transfer

Lastly, we come to what can often be the most expensive transfer type with UK banks - sending and receiving international payments.

Let’s start with the good news. Both Halifax and Barclays let you make and receive international transfers, and you can send SEPA payments (to EEA countries in euros) for free with both banks.

For other international transfers though, fees apply.

Halifax charges £9.50 to send international transfers, along with additional correspondent fees which vary depending on where you’re sending money to. These are:³

• £12 for Zone 1 (USA, Canada and Europe (non-EEA))
• £20 for Zone 2 (Rest of the World)

To receive an international payment, you’ll pay £2 to £7 depending on the amount.³

Meanwhile, Barclays claims it doesn’t charge any fees for sending overseas payments - but does caveat this by saying that overseas delivery charges may apply. To receive an international payment, you’ll pay £0 to £6 depending on the amount.⁴

Remember that both banks may also apply their own margin to the exchange rate, which could add an extra cost to the transfer.

Which is best for you- Halifax or Barclays?

Halifax and Barclays offer very similar accounts and features for UK customers, so you may find it hard to choose between them.

It’s likely to come down to what you want to do with the account, whether it’s accessing rewards or cashback, applying for credit cards or spending abroad.

Hopefully after reading this though, you should have all the info you need to make the right choice for you.

Wise: an alternative for managing your money at home and abroad

Of course, a bank isn’t the only way to manage your money, and it may not be the best option if you need to carry out international transactions. There are some great alternatives out there, such as the Wise account.

Open a Wise account online and you can send, spend, hold and convert 40+ currencies all in one place. Get yourself a Wise card to spend worldwide, and take advantage of Wise Interest to earn a return on some of your currency balances. Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed.

Whether sending money, shopping up a storm or converting currency, you’ll only ever be charged low, transparent fees* with Wise. And you’ll always get mid-market exchange rates on all currency conversions.

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

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Sources used:

1. Halifax - Current accounts
2. Barclays - Current accounts
3. Halifax - Bank account guide
4. Barclays - Fee information document
5. Halifax - Cashback Credit Card
6. Halifax - Halifax World Elite Mastercard®
7. Barclays - Credit cards

Sources last checked on date: 06-Feb-2025