Best cash ISA rates
The top tax-free savings rates on the UK market right now, by product type — so you can see instantly whether locking your money away is worth the extra interest.
Last checked 3 September 2026 · Next review 10 September 2026 · Bank of England base rate 3.75%
Best easy access
4.61% AER
Withdraw any time
Best fixed rate
4.87% AER
5 year fixed rate ISA
2026/27 allowance
£20,000
Across all your ISAs
Rates compared
Market-best AER for each product type, and what £20,000 of savings would earn in a year at that rate.
| Product | Best AER |
|---|---|
| Easy access cash ISA | 4.61% |
| Notice cash ISA | 4.25% |
| 1 year fixed rate ISA | 4.72% |
| 18 month fixed rate ISA | 4.45% |
| 2 year fixed rate ISA | 4.77% |
| 3 year fixed rate ISA | 4.80% |
| 5 year fixed rate ISA | 4.87% |
Figures are the best available AER for each product category across the whole UK market, not offers from a single provider. Individual deals come with their own minimum deposits and eligibility rules — always confirm on the source table before applying. Noviqen does not sell financial products and this page is information, not advice.
How to pick
- Need the money within a year? Take the best easy access rate and accept the variability.
- Confident you can lock it away? Fixed rates currently pay more, and protect you if the base rate falls.
- Split the pot: an emergency fund in easy access, the rest fixed.
- Check whether the ISA is flexible — flexible ISAs let you replace a withdrawal in the same tax year without using more allowance.
- Watch for bonus rates that drop after 12 months, and diarise the end of any fixed term.
Where these rates come from
We cross-check independent UK comparison tables rather than provider marketing, and re-verify on a weekly schedule.
- Moneyfacts — best ISA rates
Whole-of-market tables, updated hourly.
- MoneySavingExpert — best cash ISAs
Top picks with eligibility notes.
- Which? — best cash ISAs
Independent analysis of providers.
- NS&I interest rates
Government-backed Direct ISA and savings rates.
Cash ISA or Premium Bonds?
Both are tax-free, but a cash ISA pays a guaranteed rate while Premium Bonds pay a prize fund rate that most savers never actually achieve. If certainty matters more than the chance of a jackpot, the ISA usually wins on maths.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cash ISA?
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A cash ISA is a savings account where all the interest you earn is free of UK income tax. It works like a normal savings account, except the tax-free wrapper stays in place year after year for as long as the money remains inside an ISA.
How does a cash ISA work?
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You open the ISA with a UK bank or building society, pay in up to your annual allowance, and the provider pays interest at the advertised AER. Nothing is deducted for tax and there is nothing to declare to HMRC. The allowance resets every 6 April, and the base rate (currently 3.75%) heavily influences the rates providers offer.
How much can I put in a cash ISA?
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You can pay in up to £20,000 across all your ISAs in the 2026/27 tax year. Interest earned inside a cash ISA is free of UK income tax, no matter how much your balance grows.
How many cash ISAs can I have?
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You can hold as many cash ISAs as you like, including ones built up in previous tax years. The limit is on new money, not accounts: total contributions across every ISA you pay into must stay within the £20,000 annual allowance.
Can I have 2 cash ISAs with different providers?
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Yes. Since the 2024/25 rule change you can pay into more than one cash ISA in the same tax year, with different providers, as long as your combined contributions do not exceed £20,000. This makes it easier to split money between an easy access ISA and a fixed rate deal.
Can you have a cash ISA and a stocks and shares ISA?
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Yes. You can pay into a cash ISA and a stocks and shares ISA in the same tax year, and split the £20,000 allowance between them however you choose. Many savers keep short-term money in cash and invest the rest for the long term.
Easy access or fixed rate?
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Easy access ISAs currently top out around 4.61% and let you withdraw any time, but the rate can be cut without notice. Fixed rate ISAs pay up to about 4.87% and lock the rate in, at the cost of penalty-free access.
Is my money safe?
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Cash ISAs from UK-authorised banks and building societies are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per person, per banking licence. NS&I products are backed 100% by HM Treasury.
Can I transfer an existing ISA?
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Yes. Always use the new provider's official ISA transfer form rather than withdrawing the money yourself, otherwise the cash loses its tax-free status and eats into this year's allowance.
How often do these rates change?
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Constantly. Market-leading deals can be pulled within days, and rates typically move after Bank of England decisions — the base rate currently sits at 3.75%. We review this page weekly and always link to the live source tables.