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Manage your savings
We're here to help you manage your savings
Need a hand managing your savings account?
From basic tasks like topping up your savings pot or taking money out, to checking your latest interest rate - here's what you need to know to help you manage your Ulster Bank savings account.
To get started, just choose your account from the list below.
Manage your Cash ISA
You've got until the 5th April to make the most of the £20,000 ISA allowance for the current tax year. Don't forget - if you haven't paid into your ISA for a full tax year, you'll need to reactivate it before you can pay into it again.
Paying money in
Manage your savings
Paying into an ISA is called subscribing. There are four different kinds of ISA: Cash ISAs, Stocks & Shares ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs and Lifetime ISAs.
We offer Cash ISAs and Stocks & Shares ISAs, but you might have other kinds of ISAs with other banks or building societies. Our Cash ISAs include Variable Rate ISAs and Help to Buy:ISAs. Our variable rate cash ISA is called Cash ISA.
You can subscribe to one of each kind of ISA in a tax year, as long as the total amount you save across all your ISAs isn't more than your annual ISA allowance of £20,000. Tax years run from 6th April to 5th April the following year.
Is one of your Cash ISAs a Help to Buy:ISA? You can only pay up to £200 a month into a Help to Buy: ISA, but you can pay into an Ulster Bank Cash ISA in the same tax year.
Want to find out more about ISAs? Check out our ISA guide.
You can use mobile or Anytime banking to pay money into your Cash ISA.
If you've got more than one type of ISA, just make sure you're not paying in more than your ISA allowance of £20,000 for the current tax year across all your ISAs. Tax years run from 6th April to 5th April the following year.
For Cash ISAs, you can choose whether you want to pay in lump sums, or set up a monthly standing order to help you save more regularly.
If you've not paid into your Cash ISA for a full tax year, you'll need to reactivate it before you can pay into it again. You'll still earn interest on your balance and be able to withdraw your funds.
You can reactivate your ISA in the mobile app or Anytime Banking – just click the ‘Help’ button and ask to ‘reactivate my ISA’. Your ISA will be reactivated the next working day.
Taking money out
Our Cash ISA is an instant access account, so you can take money out whenever you need to. It's worth remembering that if you take money out of your ISA, you can only pay money back in that same tax year up to your annual ISA allowance of £20,000. For example, if you pay £16,000 into your Cash ISA and take out £500, you can only save up to £19,500 by the end of the tax year.
Don't forget, if you just want to move the savings in your Cash ISA to another ISA account, you'll need to go through the ISA transfer process to make sure you don't lose out on any of the tax free benefits of your ISA account.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
ISA Inheritance Allowance
If you're the spouse or civil partner of anyone who died from 3rd December 2014 onwards and held an ISA at the time of death, you can apply to have their ISA allowance added to your ISA. This is called ‘Additional Permitted Subscription’, or APS.
This isn't inheriting the actual money in the ISA, which follows the normal estate process. If the ISA holder died on or before the 5th April 2018, the value of the allowance is equal to the value of the ISA balance, including all interest at the date of death. If the ISA holder died on or after the 6th April 2018, the allowance can be the higher of the value of the ISA balance including all interest at the date of death, or the value of the ISA balance at the point the ISA is no longer a “continuing account”.
An ISA account is no longer a “continuing account” when the administration of the estate is complete, the ISA is closed, or 3 years have passed since the date of death – whichever is earliest. Please note, if the estate takes more than 3 years to settle, interest earned after this is taxable so will not count towards the APS.
To apply please print, complete and return this form to:
Ulster Bank
Everyday Banking Operations
11-16 Donegall Square East
Belfast
BT1 5UB
We'll check the information you've given us and write to you within 30 days with your exact entitlement, along with details of how to add those funds to your own Cash ISA without using your personal annual ISA allowance.
For further information on we how can help during the difficult period following the death of a loved one, find out about our Bereavement Service.
How to transfer your ISA
When you move your savings from one ISA account to another, it's called a an ISA transfer. There are a few reasons you might want to transfer your ISA, but the main ones are:
- You want to move an ISA you've already got with another bank or building society to a different one
- You want to move your savings from one kind of ISA to another one e.g. move your savings from a Cash ISA to a stocks and shares ISA
If you want to transfer an ISA, it's important to make sure you go through the proper ISA transfer process so you don't lose out on any of the tax free benefits of your ISA account.
First, you'll need to have a Ulster Bank Cash ISA to transfer the funds into. Not got one yet? You can find out more about how to open one on our Cash ISA page.
If you've already got an Ulster Bank Cash ISA, or you've just opened a new one, you can start the transfer process by filling out the online Cash ISA Transfer Request form.
If your current ISA provider isn't listed on the online Cash ISA Transfer Request form you can print this paper Cash ISA Transfer Request form, fill in the details and post it to: Ulster Bank, Everyday Banking Operations, 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast, BT1 5UB
You can transfer your ISA to another bank or building society whenever you like, by following their ISA transfer process. You'll need to check with them how their ISA process works, but once you've kicked it off they'll get in touch with us so we can work with them to get your ISA savings transferred over.
Manage your Loyalty Saver
Ways to pay in
You can pay money in by transferring it from a current account or savings account in your name held with us or another bank. If you have a current account with us, you can manage your account on our mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking. Don't forget, you can use Round Ups with your Loyalty Saver too, so you can top up your savings with the spare change from your debit card spends.
Yes, you can use Round Ups to top up your Loyalty Saver account. You can only do this, if you have a current account with us.
Taking money out
Loyalty Saver is an instant access account, which means you can take money out whenever you want.
The quickest way is to use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer the money into your Ulster Bank current account if you have one. Your local Ulster Bank branch can also help you.
If you don’t have an Ulster Bank current account you can use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer your money. You may need your card and card reader to do this.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
Manage your Easy Access Savings Account
You can't open a new Easy Access Savings account anymore.
Ways to pay in
You can pay money in by transferring it from a current account or savings account in your name held with us or another bank. If you have a current account with us, you can manage your account on our mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking. Don't forget, you can use Round Ups with your Easy Access Savings too, so you can top up your savings with the spare change from your debit card spends.
Yes, you can use Round Ups to top up your Easy Access Savings. You can only do this, if you have a current account with us.
Taking money out
Easy Access Savings is an instant access account, which means you can take money out whenever you want.
The quickest way is to use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer the money into your Ulster Bank current account. Or you can visit your local branch and our staff can help you.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
Manage your urfirst account
Ways to pay in
You can pay money in by transferring it from a current account or savings account in your name held with us or another bank. You can manage your account on our mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking. Don't forget, you can use Round Ups with your urfirst too, so you can top up your savings with the spare change from your debit card spends.
Yes, you can use Round Ups to top up your urfirst account.
Taking money out
urfirst is an instant access account, so you can take money out whenever you want but how you do that depends on whether the account is held in trust by an adult, or by a child.
Account held in trust: Only the adult who holds the account in trust for a child can take money out the account, by using the mobile app, Anytime Banking, Telephone Banking or visiting a Ulster branch.
Account held by child: If the child is 11 years or older, they can register for our Telephone and Anytime Banking services and use them to move money into their Adapt current account if they’ve got one. Children under 11 can only take money out in branch and will need to take some ID with them.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
If you've opened a urfirst held in trust for your child, they are legally entitled to the money in the account when they turn 16 years old if the adult trustee’s address is in Scotland, or 18 years old if the adult trustee’s address is elsewhere.
At that point, the adult trustee should transfer the account into the child’s name so they can access the money.
Manage your Special Interest Deposit Account
You can't open a new Special Interest Deposit account anymore.
Ways to pay in
You can pay money in by transferring it from a current account or savings account in your name held with us or another bank. You can manage your account on our mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking. Don't forget, you can use Round Ups with your Special Interest Deposit too, so you can top up your savings with the spare change from your debit card spends.
Yes, you can use Round Ups to top up your Special Interest Deposit account.
Taking money out
Special Interest Deposit account is an instant access account, which means you can take money out whenever you want.
The quickest way is to use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer the money into your Ulster Bank current account. Or you can visit your local branch and our staff can help you.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
Manage your Help to Buy: ISA
With a Help to Buy: ISA, the UK Government will give you a bonus worth 25% of what you have saved when you are ready to buy your first home. You need to have saved at least £1,600 to qualify and the maximum savings that can qualify is £12,000. This money goes towards the completion cost of buying your first home.
Our Help to Buy: ISA is no longer available to new customers.
How do I pay in to my Help to Buy: ISA?
You can save up to £200 in your Help to Buy: ISA per calendar month.
If you set up a regular payment, otherwise known as a standing order, you don't need to think about moving money each month because it'll happen automatically. You can easily change or cancel the standing order any time you like and you can choose how often you want to save.
Got our mobile app? You can set up a standing order quickly and easily - just choose the account you want the regular payment to come from and select the 'Standing order' section.
If you use Anytime banking, select 'Payments & Transfers' from the main menu and go to the 'Standing orders' section.
If you've not paid into your Help to Buy:ISA for a full tax year, you'll need to reactivate it before you can pay into it again. You'll still earn interest on your balance and be able to withdraw your funds.
You can reactivate your ISA in the mobile app or Anytime Banking – just click the ‘Help’ button and ask to ‘reactivate my ISA‘. Your ISA will be reactivated the next working day.
How do I close my Help to Buy: ISA and claim the bonus?
When you are ready to buy your first home you must request to close your Help to Buy: ISA. You can do this by giving written notice to your branch either by post or by handing it in. Any withdrawals you make before closing your account will reduce the value of the bonus you can claim.
Please note your closing balance must be at least £1,600 in order to obtain a bonus, so opening an account does not guarantee you will be entitled to a bonus. The maximum bonus you can earn is £3,000. Additionally, there is a maximum property price beyond which a bonus will not be payable.
For more information on the Help to Buy: ISA Scheme (including how to claim your bonus from HM Treasury), please refer to the Help to Buy: ISA Scheme Rules at Own Your Home | Help to Buy: ISA - Own Your Home.
Once we receive your request please allow up to 10 working days for your account closure and receipt of your Closing Document, which your conveyancer (or solicitor) will need to claim the bonus from the UK Government.
You have up to 12 months from closing your Help to Buy: ISA to claim your bonus but this should be done as soon as possible to make sure the bonus is received before you are due to complete the purchase of your new home.
Taking money out
Help to Buy ISA is an instant access account, which means you can take money out whenever you want.
The quickest way is to use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer the money into your Ulster Bank current account. Or you can visit your local branch and our staff can help you. However, due to the monthly subscription limit you will only be able to make payments up to £200 a month in total so by making withdrawals you may reduce or take longer to save for your bonus. Please note that you will not be able to claim the Government bonus on any money you have withdrawn from your Help to Buy: ISA.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
Manage your Private Reserve account
You can't open a new Private Reserve account anymore.
Ways to pay in
You can pay money in by transferring it from a current account or savings account in your name held with us or another bank. You can manage your account on our mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking. Don't forget, you can use Round Ups with your Private Reserve too, so you can top up your savings with the spare change from your debit card spends.
Yes, you can use Round Ups to top up your Private Reserve account.
Taking money out
Private Reserve account is an instant access account, which means you can take money out whenever you want.
The quickest way is to use the mobile app, Anytime or Telephone Banking to transfer the money into your Ulster Bank current account. Or you can visit your local branch and our staff can help you.
There are daily limits on the amount you can transfer from your account online, by telephone or mobile banking. The current daily limits and how to withdraw more than them can be found here or by contacting Telephone Banking.
Savings FAQs
You can see all our interest rates here.
Yes, the rate might go up or down. There are a few reasons for this, like a change in the Bank of England base rate. We’ll give you at least 14 days’ notice if the rates are going down and your balance is £100 or more. Otherwise we’ll tell you before or shortly after the change. There is more information on rate changes in our savings terms.
On 6th April 2016 the Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) launched which means every basic rate taxpayer (people who pay 20% tax on income) can earn £1,000 interest per tax year without paying tax on it. Higher rate taxpayers (people who pay 40% tax) get a £500 Personal Savings Allowance. Additional rate taxpayers, who pay 45% tax, don’t get any allowance.
The Personal Savings Allowance is in addition to your ISA allowance.
If your savings account is in your sole name and you have other accounts with us, you can close your savings account via Anytime Banking. This includes your Cash ISA provided you do not want to transfer the funds to another ISA product or provider.
Please make the balance nil before requesting to close your account by transferring the balance to another account.
To close a savings account online:
- Log in to Anytime Banking at www.anytimebanking.ulsterbank.co.uk (opens in a new window)
- On the 'Account summary' page select the account you wish to close
- At the bottom of your mini statement for that account, select 'View account details'
- Below the account details, select 'Need to close your savings account?'
- Complete the information asked for on the form and submit
- Once you've submitted the form your account will be closed within 5 working days.
Please note: You will lose access to your complete online statement history for this account from the point of closure, so please think carefully before you do this. You may wish to print or download any statements before proceeding. You can download up to one year at a time in a number of different formats using the 'Statements' option.
If your savings account is in joint names or you have no other accounts with us then you can write to us at the address below. If you are closing a joint account which requires both account holders to give permission, you’ll both need to sign the letter.
Ulster Bank Everyday Banking Operations
11-16 Donegall Square East
Belfast
BT1 5UB
When writing to us, please sign and date the letter and also indicate where any remaining funds in the account should be transferred to.
All requests are subject to additional security checks and consequently we may need to contact you for additional identification to verify the request.
If you prefer to visit a branch, we will only be able to help you close your account if you bring ID, either your debit card or another form of ID. If you are closing a joint account which requires both account holders to give permission, you’ll both have to visit the branch with ID.
If you close or switch your current account with us in future, you might only be able to take money out of your savings account by visiting a branch.
Once you've removed someone from a joint account, they won't be able to access the account or any of the funds in it anymore. You can remove someone from your account if you hold a joint Current account or joint Savings account.
Before you apply to remove a party from your savings account, please make sure you've read the following criteria:
- To remove a person from your account, you'll both need to provide consent and 1 form of ID along with a selfie from the front and side profile.
- Proof of identity is required from both parties. Forms of identification accepted online will be a valid driving licence, passport, European ID or Biometric Residence Permit along with a selfie photo from the front and side profile.
- The party being removed from the account will then be invited to complete the application through our online form, which we'll send to them via email.
If the account you want to remove a party from has more than 2 account holders you can't use the online service and you'll need to visit your local branch.
Once you've completed the online process, you and the party being removed from the account will receive a confirmation email from noreply@digidocs.ulsterbank.co.uk.
Your eligible deposits held by a UK establishment of Ulster Bank are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK's deposit protection scheme. Any deposits you hold above the limit are unlikely to be covered.
See FSCS Protecting Your Money (PDF, 3.7 MB) for more information about the scheme and how it protects your money.
We have recently converted many accounts. You may have had your account converted to another account. We wrote to tell you about this in December 2023.
Tools to help you save
Round Ups
Switch on Round Ups, and we’ll send the spare change from your debit card spend to your savings account. It's saving, made simple.
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Savings Goal Tool
Our savings goal tool could help you save towards your goal and track your progress – whatever you’re saving for.
Information Message
Round Ups is available to customers who have an eligible current account, an eligible instant access savings account and are registered for the Ulster Bank Mobile App. App available to customers aged 11+ with compatible iOS and Android devices and a UK or international mobile number in specific countries.
Savings terms and important information
Need to download a copy of the latest Savings terms or other important information about your savings account? You'll find them here.
Important information about our Savings Interest Rates
More information for savings accounts that are no longer available to open
Want to open another savings account?
If you're thinking about opening another savings account, take a look at all the options we've got to see which one might be right for you.
Banking My Way
Banking My Way is a free service that you can use to make sure we know about any support or adjustments you might need to make banking easier.
The Banking My Way service is available to customers aged 16 or over in the mobile app or Anytime Banking. For customers under 16, parental consent is required and information must be recorded in branch or over the phone.