first direct ISA rates

How first direct's ISA rates compare

first direct's highest easy access rate is 2.75% AER, on its Cash ISA. The highest easy access rate in our tables on 30 October 2026 was 4.86% AER.

Rates are set by each provider and can change. Compare every provider in the easy access, fixed rate and notice tables.

Taking money out of a first direct ISA

Fixed Rate Cash ISA, 1 year

No partial withdrawals. Getting money out early means closing the account and paying an early closure fee of up to 90 days' interest.

Cash ISA

Withdraw instantly by transfer to your 1st Account, with no limit or fee. Not a flexible ISA: withdrawn money still counts towards your allowance.

Transferring an ISA to or from first direct

All 2 of first direct's adult Cash ISAs accept transfers in from other providers.

How to move an ISA to first direct

• The Cash ISA and the Fixed Rate Cash ISA are only available to customers who hold a first direct 1st Account.
• For the Cash ISA you complete an ISA transfer form, and for the Fixed Rate Cash ISA you must tell first direct about the transfer as part of your application.
• The Cash ISA accepts cash and stocks and shares ISA balances from other providers, but the Fixed Rate Cash ISA does not accept transfers from stocks and shares, Lifetime or Innovative Finance ISAs.
• Previous years' allowances do not need to be transferred in full and can be split between providers, but any amount from the current tax year must be transferred as a whole.
• The Fixed Rate Cash ISA needs a minimum of £500 paid in or transferred in, and there is no maximum limit for previous tax year transfer in balances.

How long a transfer takes

For the Fixed Rate Cash ISA, first direct must receive the £500 minimum or transfer instruction within the first 30 days, and the money from your previous ISA within the first 70 days. Once another ISA manager sends a request, first direct makes the transfer within 5 working days. gov.uk says ISA transfers should take no longer than 15 working days between Cash ISAs, and 30 calendar days for other types of transfer.

Moving an ISA away from first direct

Money paid in during the current tax year can only be transferred out in full, while money paid in over previous tax years can go in whole or in part. Transferring a Fixed Rate Cash ISA out before the fixed term ends brings an early closure fee: the interest earned, but never more than the interest earned in the account's first 90 days. Any withdrawal from the Fixed Rate Cash ISA must be in full and closes the account, and an early closure fee may apply if you close it after the 30-day cancellation period. You can move a Cash ISA from first direct to another provider at any time. Ask the new provider to arrange the transfer: if you take the money out yourself, it leaves the ISA and paying it in again uses your allowance. A fixed rate ISA usually charges for leaving before the end of its term. See how ISA transfers work.

Transfer details checked on first direct's own website on 9 October 2026.

Is the first direct ISA flexible?

None of first direct's adult Cash ISAs is a flexible ISA, so money you take out and pay back in counts towards your allowance again.

Good to know before you open one

Fixed Rate Cash ISA, 1 year

For first direct 1st Account holders only. There is a 30-day deposit window before the term starts. Only cash ISAs can be transferred in.

Cash ISA

For first direct 1st Account holders only; new customers must open a 1st Account first.

About first direct

Legal name

HSBC UK Bank plc (trading as first direct)

Country of incorporation

England and Wales

Principal place of business

Birmingham, UK

Regulatory status

HSBC UK Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN 765112)

Deposit protection

FSCS, up to £120,000 per person per banking licence, shared with HSBC UK and M&S Bank

Complaints

Financial Ombudsman Service

This page covers first direct's Cash ISAs only. We have no commercial relationship with first direct, and the order of the table is set by rate alone. See how we compare and how we make money.