The 1|2|3 Student Current Account comes with
A free 4-year Santander 16-25 Railcard
A free 4-year Santander 16-25 Railcard to save 1/3 on rail travel in Great Britain
Travel benefits
No fees for using Santander cash machines when you travel
An interest-free arranged overdraft
An interest-free arranged overdraft of £1,500 in years 1-3, £1,800 in year 4 and £2,000 if you stay on to year 5. An overdraft is for short term borrowing. Anything that you spend from your overdraft must be repaid. Subject to status – see our 'Overdrafts and charges' section below
Santander Boosts
Get cashback, vouchers, prize draws and personalised offers with our free rewards service
How it works
You’re 18 or over and live in the UK permanently
You’re studying or are about to begin an undergraduate course that is at least 2 years in length, or level 4 to 7 apprenticeship. If you’re about to begin your course, you must have an ‘unconditional’ or ‘confirmed conditional’ offer (i.e. you have your exam results) before you apply
You pay in at least £500 into your account every 4 months
You must use this as your main current account
You don’t already have an existing Santander current account. If you have a Santander current account, you’ll need to transfer it
This is a paper-free account – learn more in ‘Key documents and account information'
From early 2024, we’re changing the name of our 1|2|3 Student Current Account to Santander Edge Student current account. Everything from how you use your account to the benefits and interest-free overdraft will stay the same.
Account details
Account fee
There’s no monthly fee to maintain the account.
The Fee Information Document (117 KB) details the main fees and charges on this account. For further explanation of our main terms and services take a look at our Glossary
Arranged overdraft
An arranged overdraft is borrowing through your current account. This is a short-term borrowing method. It can give you a bit of extra money for urgent, unexpected costs that might come up.
Overdrafts depend on your circumstances and you must repay any overdraft when we ask in line with our General Terms and Conditions. We may ask you to repay all or part of your overdraft at any time but we'll try to notify you of this in advance. For more information on overdrafts click here
An arranged overdraft is when we let you borrow up to a pre-agreed limit – you can ask for one when you open your account or at any other time.
An unarranged overdraft occurs when your account goes overdrawn without an arranged overdraft in place or if your account goes over your arranged overdraft limit.
When you try to make a payment that would take you into an unarranged overdraft, we make the decision whether to allow or reject the payment based on your individual circumstances. If we allow a payment, it will take you into an unarranged overdraft. We don’t charge fees for allowing or refusing a payment due to lack of funds.
When you open your account you’ll get an arranged overdraft limit of £250. To increase this to £1,500 you’ll need to:
- register for Online Banking
- pay in £500 and continue to pay in at least £500 into your account every 4 months
- we’ll automatically increase your overdraft limit as shown below at the start of each year of study. You can ask to reduce the limit at any time.
Overdraft
The table below shows you how you’ll be charged for using your overdraft.
How does our overdraft compare? The purpose of a representative APR is to enable customers to compare the costs associated with different credit products.
| Arranged overdraft interest and charges | Representative 0% APR/ EAR (variable) |
|---|---|
| Unarranged overdraft interest and charges | Representative 0% APR/ EAR (variable) |
Overdrafts depend on your circumstances and you must repay any overdraft when we ask in line with our General Terms and Conditions.
Overdraft alerts
You’ll be automatically set up to receive text alerts when:
- your account makes or may make use of an unarranged overdraft
- you have regular payments due on your account and you don’t have the funds to cover them
- where a payment is refused as you don’t have enough funds.
You’ll also be automatically set up to receive an alert when your account goes further into arranged overdraft which may cause the cost to increase.
We’ll send the alerts before your account is charged so that you have plenty of time to pay in money and either avoid or reduce overdraft charges. If we don’t have a valid mobile number for you, we might not be able to reach you.
You can also register for other account alerts to help you to stay on top of your finances. For example, alerts to advise you when your balance has fallen below a set limit, or you have had a deposit into your account greater than a set amount.
For more information visit account alerts
You can manage your alerts settings at any time by using Online Banking. If you require further support please contact us or visit your local branch
If you need support with managing your money or if you’re in debt, please visit our money worries page for further support.
Tips for using your overdraft:
- keep track of your spending through Online or Mobile banking
- don’t go over your arranged overdraft limit
- stay up-to-date with any changes to your current account or overdraft, including fees
- remember that anything you spend from your overdraft will need to be paid back
You’ll get a free Santander 16-25 Railcard which could save you 1/3 on rail travel in Great Britain letting you travel all over England, Scotland and Wales for less. The Santander 16-25 Railcard also gives you access to exclusive deals on holidays, eating out, top attractions and more.
How to get your 16-25 Railcard
- Once you’ve opened your 1l2l3 Student Current Account and registered for Online Banking, a unique code will be sent by secure message to your Online Banking within 5 working days of account opening.
- Use the unique code at our railcard website to order your free 16-25 Railcard.
- Your unique code is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and cannot be re-issued once expired.
- You can choose to have a digital or a plastic Railcard when you order it.
If you choose a digital Santander 16-25 Railcard, you can use it straight away. You’ll get a code and instructions on how to download it on your phone. Rail Delivery Group will send this to the email you registered with on the Railcard website.
If you choose a plastic Railcard, you’ll get it in the post within 5 working days.
For more information on the Santander 16-25 Railcard please see the Frequently Asked Questions in our help and support section or visit the Rail Delivery Group FAQs page.
We won't charge you when you use your 1|2|3 Student Current Account debit card to make withdrawals at Santander cash machines abroad. You'll find our cash machines in Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and the USA. Make sure you choose to pay in the local currency to avoid being charged any other fees.
Key documents
- 1|2|3 Student Current Account Key Facts Document (pdf) (894 KB)
- 1|2|3 Student Current Account Fee Information Document (pdf) (117 KB)
- General Terms & Conditions (289 KB)
- Santander 16-25 Railcard Terms and Conditions
- 1|2|3 Graduate Current Account Key Facts Document (883 KB)
To view these documents you may need to download Adobe Reader
You can apply if
- You’re 18 or over
- You live in the UK for tax purposes
- You’re about to begin or have started an undergraduate course, or degree-level apprenticeship (level 4-7) that is at least 2 years in length.
If you're about to begin your university studies, you must have a ‘confirmed conditional’ offer (this is given once you have received your results) or an ‘unconditional’ offer of a university place. If you have a conditional offer only, please wait until your place has been confirmed following your results before applying.
If you're about to begin an apprenticeship, your place on the apprenticeship must have been confirmed. If your offer is subject to you achieving certain results, please wait until your place has been confirmed following your results before applying.
You can use your UCAS 4-digit status code as proof of study in your application. You can find your code by logging onto UCAS.
If you didn’t apply for university through UCAS, or are studying an apprenticeship you can provide:
- a student ID card
- a letter from your higher education provider, or
- an apprenticeship confirmation from your university or employer.
Santander Boosts
Get rewards to give you a little boost when you bank with us.
All you need to do is sign up for Santander Boosts through your Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking and then you’ll be able to choose the offers you like and earn rewards with your favourite retailers.
- Earn cashback when you shop online at a wide range of retailers
- Receive vouchers and coupons for discounts on a variety of products and services
- Get offers personalised to your individual interests and hobbies
- Enjoy free gifts and enter prize draws
Ways to bank with us
You can access the 1|2|3 Student Current Account anytime, anywhere.
- Online Banking
- Mobile Banking
- Get personalised spend insights with My Money Manager
- Contactless payments with your mobile by linking your Santander debit or credit card to your Apple, Android or Samsung device.
Face-to-face support in branch and UK-based telephone support:
- In branch
- Telephone Banking
- ATM
- Post Office to make withdrawals, balance enquiries, cash deposits and cheque deposits
Paper-free
This is a paper-free account which means:
- Your documents, statements and some of your letters will be sent as e-Documents to your secure inbox on Online Banking (unless you require documents in an alternative format, such as Braille).
- You'll need to provide us with an email address when you open the account as we’ll send you an email to let you know when a document is ready to view.
- Once the account has been open for at least 24 hours, you can update your account settings at any time to start receiving statements and other correspondence by post.
Security
Keep your banking details private and secure.
For more information about our approach to security as well as more useful information to help you stop the threat of fraud visit our Security Centre
Apprenticeships
As your course period may not match a standard university academic year, you may find that your overdraft limit changes earlier than expected (in line with the account’s overdraft structure) and, that your account may move to the 1|2|3 Graduate Account before you finish your course.
At the end of your course
Your account will automatically transfer to our 1|2|3 Graduate Current Account (883 KB) at the end of your course.
From early 2024, we’re changing the name of our 1|2|3 Graduate Current Account to Santander Edge Grad current account. This means when you complete your course, we’ll transfer your student current account to our Santander Edge Grad current account.
If you have a 1|2|3 Mini Current Account and are in, or going into your first year of study on an undergraduate course, you can change your account online. You must be able to provide your UCAS 4-digit status code.
If you have a different current account, or don’t have a UCAS code because you’re doing a level 4-7 apprenticeship, or you’d like any more help, you can change your account in one of our branches. You may need to book an appointment
Boost up your life
With cashback, discounts and special offers that match your interests. All you need to do is sign up for Boosts through your Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking and you’ll be able to choose the offers you like and earn rewards when spending at your favourite retailers
My Money Manager
If you’re trying to be better with your money, My Money Manager is designed with you in mind. Now, as well as banking on the go, our mobile banking app lets you get tailored insights into how you spend.
Digital banking with us
Whether that’s via Online Banking or our Mobile Banking app, we offer a secure way to access and manage your banking needs 24/7.
Switch quickly and easily
We offer a simple, reliable and stress-free way to switch your current account to a new or existing Santander account
Information correct as at 31 October 2023.