How to change the bank account your salary is paid into
Changing the account used for salary is usually simple, but payroll cut-off dates and the difference between a manual change and a full current-account switch matter.
If you are simply changing where your employer pays your salary, give payroll the new sort code, account number and any form they require before its cut-off date. If you use the Current Account Switch Service, incoming salary payments to the old account are redirected to the new account, but it is still sensible to update your employer directly.
Manual salary change or full bank switch?
There are two different jobs that people often describe as “moving my salary”. You can keep the old bank account and ask your employer to pay future wages into a different account, or you can use the Current Account Switch Service to move an eligible current account and close the old one. A manual salary change affects only payroll. A full switch also moves regular incoming and outgoing payments handled by CASS and closes the old current account on the agreed switch date.
If you want to keep both accounts, use the manual route. Ask payroll or HR what details they need and when their payroll file is locked. Large employers can have cut-off dates several days or weeks before payday, so a change submitted “before payday” can still be too late for that month. Do not close the old account until you know where the next salary will be sent.
What to give your employer
Employers commonly need your name, new sort code and account number. Some use a secure HR portal; others require a signed form. Never send online-banking passwords, PINs or one-time passcodes. If an email asks for more than ordinary payment details, verify the request using a known HR contact because payroll-change fraud is a real risk for both employees and employers.
Check the account name and number carefully before submitting the change. If the employer uses Confirmation of Payee or another validation process, a mismatch can prompt a warning. If your legal name has recently changed, make sure payroll and the bank hold consistent records; our guide to changing your legal name with your bank explains the banking side.
How CASS handles salary payments
With a full Current Account Switch Service switch, regular incoming payments such as salary are part of the service. The switch takes seven working days, the old current account is closed, and payments sent to the old details are redirected to the new account. The service also contacts senders with the new details where possible. This gives useful protection if an employer has not updated its payroll record immediately.
CASS is not a reason to ignore payroll, however. Updating your employer reduces reliance on redirection and prevents old account details remaining in company systems indefinitely. If your salary date falls close to the switch date, keep enough money available for bills and check both the new account and your payslip after the first payment.
Avoiding a missed-pay problem
The safest sequence is to open and verify the new account, tell payroll, note the employer’s cut-off date, and only then decide when to close or switch the old account. Keep a copy of the change confirmation. If payroll says the update missed the current cycle, leave the old account able to receive the payment. A failed salary payment can create avoidable rent, mortgage or Direct Debit problems even when the underlying bank change is legitimate.
If you are also switching Direct Debits, coordinate the dates rather than treating each item separately. A full CASS switch handles eligible regular payments as one process; a manual move requires you to update each organisation yourself. See what happens to Direct Debits during a switch.
What to do if the salary goes to the wrong account
If the old account is still open, the money will normally remain there and you can transfer it yourself. If a CASS switch has completed, the payment should be redirected under the service. If the payment has been rejected or sent to incorrect details that are not part of your switch, contact payroll first to confirm exactly what account details and payment reference were used, then contact the relevant bank if a trace is needed.
Do not ask the employer to send a duplicate salary until it has checked the status of the original payment. A second payment can create an overpayment that must later be repaid. If the problem was caused by a CASS failure and you incur charges or lose interest as a result, the Current Account Switch Guarantee provides a route for correction through the new bank.
Frequently asked questions
Will CASS redirect my salary?
Yes. Regular incoming payments such as salary are covered by the full Current Account Switch Service, and payments sent to the old account are redirected to the new one.
Should I still tell my employer after using CASS?
Yes. Redirection provides protection, but updating payroll directly keeps the employer’s records current and reduces reliance on the old account details.
When should I close the old account after a manual change?
After you have confirmed the employer has updated payroll and any other incoming payments or bills that still use the old account have been moved.
Before the first payday on the new account
After payroll confirms the change, note which pay cycle will use the new details and check the next payslip for the same employer name, net-pay amount and payment date you expect. Keep enough money in the old account for any bill that may still be collected there during the transition. If the employer uses an outsourced payroll bureau, the HR team may update its own record before the bureau’s payment file changes, so ask for the effective pay period rather than only confirmation that your form was received. If the first payment is late, establish whether payroll sent it, whether the bank rejected it and which account details were used before anybody sends a replacement.
Related UK banking guides
For related guidance, see Can you turn a sole bank account into a joint account?, How to change your legal name with your bank and How to change your address with a UK bank.
Sources and verification
- Current Account Switch Service — about the service
- MoneyHelper — open, switch and close a bank account
Emily Clarke — Senior Banking Writer
I would treat a salary-account change as a payroll project first and a banking project second. The biggest avoidable mistake is closing the old account based on the date you submitted the change rather than the date the employer actually updated its payroll file. Ask for the cut-off date and keep the old account available until the first salary has landed correctly. If you are doing a full CASS switch, the redirection and guarantee make the process much safer, but I would still update HR directly. That removes stale bank details from the employer’s system and makes future payroll queries easier. Security also matters: a genuine employer needs payment details, not your PIN, login password or security code. If something does go wrong, establish the status of the original payment before anyone sends a replacement. Most salary problems are easier to resolve when you can show the old and new account details, the date payroll was notified and the payslip for the affected month. After the first successful payday, check the payslip and bank reference and keep the payroll confirmation. That gives you a clean record if a later payment is unexpectedly sent to the old details.
MyBankAnswers uses official provider and UK regulatory sources wherever practical. Information is general and does not constitute financial advice.