Independent · Written by a Chip saver
Savings apps made easy: UK rates, bonuses and honest reviews
Plain-English help with UK savings apps: what they really pay once the boost ends, who holds your money, and which sign-up bonuses are worth chasing.
Our pick is Chip, because it is the app Chris actually saves with. Every rate on this site sits next to its standard rate and the date we checked it, and we say plainly when another app or a plain bank account is the better choice.
Current offer · Chip
£50 each when you save £1,000 for 90 days
Current offer runs 1 October to 31 October 2026.
Chip referral code
CHIP-XUD314Takes you to getchip.uk · Referral link. The link applies the code for you. Signing up on another device? Type the code in the app within 14 days of downloading. You get £50 after depositing £1,000 into an eligible account and keeping it there for 90 days.
- New to Chip only: you must have never held a Chip account before.
- Easy Access does not count. Use the Smart Cash ISA, the Instant Access Account or the Prize Savings Account.
- 90 days in a row: if your balance drops below £1,000 at any point, the 90-day countdown starts again from zero.
Referral: if you qualify, you and we each get £50, paid at Chip's discretion. The full rules · How we make money
Chip’s savings rates today
Chip’s rates track Bank Rate, which is 3.75%. The headline figures include a new-customer boost, so each card shows the standard rate you drop to afterwards. Rates are variable. New-customer boosts last 12 months, then the standard rate applies.
Instant Access Account
Counts for £503.51%AER
for 12 months, then 3.00% AER
unlimited withdrawals with no penalty
Variable. Checked 16 October 2026. New-customer boosts last 12 months, then the standard rate applies.
Easy Access Saver
Not for £503.81%AER
for 12 months, then 3.50% AER
3 penalty-free withdrawals in each 12 months; from the 4th the rate drops by 2.10% AER
Variable. Checked 16 October 2026. New-customer boosts last 12 months, then the standard rate applies.
Smart Cash ISA
Counts for £504.68%AER
for 12 months, then 3.50% AER
unlimited withdrawals; flexible, so you can put money back in the same tax year
Variable. Checked 16 October 2026. New-customer boosts last 12 months, then the standard rate applies.
Prize Savings Account
Counts for £50Prizes
no interest: monthly prize draw instead
access your money any time
Variable. Checked 16 October 2026.
The Easy Access Saver pays more than Instant Access, but it allows only 3 penalty-free withdrawals in a 12-month period before the rate is cut, and it does not count towards the £50. The Instant Access vs Easy Access guide works through which one to pick. Chip savings are held with ClearBank and eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person, shared across all your money at ClearBank.
First-hand
What saving with Chip has actually been like
Most savings app pages are written by people who have never opened the app. This one is written by a customer. The box sets out exactly what Chris has used and found. Everything else on the site is researched from primary sources and labelled as such.
The full first-hand reviewThe Chip £50, explained in a minute
Join through a friend’s link or code, put £1,000 into an eligible account and leave it there. Two things catch people out: the Easy Access Saver does not count, and if your balance drops below £1,000 at any point, the 90-day countdown starts again from zero. The Chip referral code page covers every condition, and the bonus checker tells you in five questions whether you qualify.
Step 1
Join through a friend
Use a referral link or code. You must have never held a Chip account before.
Step 2
Hold £1,000 for 90 days
In an eligible account, every day in a row. Easy Access does not count.
Step 3
£50 each
Paid to you and to the friend who referred you, once all the conditions are met.
£50 in four steps
Current offer runs 1 October to 31 October 2026.
- 1Open our link on your phone, enter your email and download Chip within 30 days. Or type CHIP-XUD314 in the app within 14 days.
- 2Deposit £1,000 or more into the Smart Cash ISA, the Instant Access Account or the Prize Savings Account. You can split it between them.
- 3Keep at least £1,000 there for 90 days in a row. Dip below and the countdown starts again.
- 4The £50 is added to your Instant Access account once all the conditions are met.
- Easy Access does not count. It pays more than Instant Access, but it is not on Chip’s eligible list. Neither is the Chip Pension.
- New to Chip only. If you have ever held a Chip account, neither of us gets paid.
- 120 days in total. Everything, including the 90-day hold, has to be done within 120 days of being referred.
Referral link: if you join Chip through our link or code and qualify, you and we each receive £50 from Chip. That is our only income and it does not change what we write. How we make money.
Chip, piece by piece
Chip is an app, not a bank: your savings are held with partner banks. The Basic plan is free, with autosaves charged at 45p per autosave; ChipX is the paid plan and includes unlimited autosaves. These guides take each part in turn.
- ReviewA first-hand Chip review from a UK saver: rates, autosave, withdrawals, the Smart Cash ISA, what it costs on the free plan and the honest downsides.
- Referral code (£50)Chip referral code and link for October 2026: £50 each when you save £1,000 for 90 days. Which accounts count (not Easy Access) and the reset rule.
- Interest ratesChip's rates for Instant Access, Easy Access, the Smart Cash ISA and Prize Savings: the new-customer boost, the standard rate underneath and when it ends.
- Smart Cash ISAThe Chip Smart Cash ISA explained: boosted and standard rate, flexible withdrawals, ISA transfers, who holds the money and whether it counts for the £50.
- AutosaveHow Chip's autosave decides how much to save, the 45p per save charge on the free plan, and first-hand experience of adjusting and pausing it.
- Is Chip safe?Is your money safe with Chip? Who actually holds your savings, how the £120,000 FSCS limit is shared, what Chip is regulated for and the risks to know.
- WithdrawalsHow withdrawing from Chip works for each savings account, how quickly money has reached our bank, the Easy Access penalty and ISA rules.
- Is ChipX worth it?Whether ChipX pays for itself if you only save: the subscription cost against 45p autosaves on the free plan, and the break-even point.
How Chip compares
Each comparison is built from the providers’ own pages, with the date we checked them. Where Plum, Moneybox, Trading 212, Monzo, Chase or Premium Bonds win, we say so.
Tools that give you a number
They run in your browser and nothing you type is stored.
- £50 bonus checkerAnswer five questions to see whether you qualify for the Chip referral bonus, and which savings apps to look at if you do not.
- Interest calculatorEnter an amount and see the interest at Chip and other UK savings apps, with the 12-month boost ending and the £50 bonus included.
- ChipX calculatorEnter how often Chip autosaves for you to see whether the free plan or ChipX costs less over a year.
Savings, made easy
Short guides to the things savings apps assume you already know, from what AER means to how the FSCS limit works when an app holds your money at a partner bank.
- What is AER?What AER means, how it differs from gross and tracker rates, and how to compare savings accounts that pay interest monthly or annually.
- Flexible ISAsHow a flexible Cash ISA works, the same-tax-year rule, and how it differs from a standard ISA when you take money out.
- Cash ISA allowanceThe ISA allowance this tax year, how it splits across ISA types, transfers, and the changes announced for future years.
- FSCS and savings appsHow FSCS protection works when you save through an app: partner banks, the shared £120,000 limit, and what is not covered.
- How autosave worksHow UK autosave and round-up apps decide what to move, how they connect to your bank, what they charge and how to avoid going overdrawn.
- Boost rates explainedWhy savings apps lead with boosted rates, how to find the standard rate underneath, and what to do when your boost ends.
Latest news
All news- Chip savings rates in October 2026: where they sit against Bank Rate
Bank Rate is 3.75%. Chip’s savings rates track below it, with 12-month boosts for new customers. Each account’s boosted rate, standard rate and tracker margin.
- Chip’s October 2026 referral offer: £50 when you save £1,000 for 90 days
Chip’s refer-a-friend offer for 1 to 31 October 2026 pays £50 each side. Why Easy Access does not count, and how a dip below £1,000 restarts the 90 days.
About this site
- : launched with Chip guides, comparisons, savings guides and three tools.
- Chip figures checked against getchip.uk and Chip’s referral terms on 16 October 2026.
- Written by Chris. Read the editorial policy.
- Chris also writes Energy Made Easy, a separate guide to switching energy. All our sister sites.
Honestly
Chip isn’t for everyone
It is a good fit if you like an app nudging small amounts aside and want easy access. It is a weaker fit if:
- You have had Chip before. The £50 is only for people who have never held a Chip account before.
- You want a rate you can bank on. Chip’s rates are variable trackers and the boosts last 12 months. The Smart Cash ISA drops from 4.68% to 3.50% AER after that. A fixed-rate account may suit you better.
- You would rather keep savings with your bank. If you already use Monzo or Chase, their savings may be the simpler choice.
- You want government backing. Premium Bonds are backed by HM Treasury, whereas Chip’s Prize Savings Account pays no interest and relies on the FSCS.
- You need quick human support. In Chris’s experience, in-app support has been slow to reply.
Sources
- Chip Refer a friend terms and conditions (£50 Referral Bonus, 1 October 2026 to 31 October 2026)
- Chip Group Terms of Business (2 April 2026)
- Chip Instant Access Account
- Chip Easy Access Saver
- Chip Smart Cash ISA
- Chip Prize Savings Account
- Chip membership plans and pricing
- How Chip protects your money
- Bank of England: Bank Rate
Figures last checked 16 October 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.