What the Defaqto Banking Award badge signifies to savers
When you see the Defaqto Banking Award badge on a savings product, it means that the bank or building society offering that product has been independently verified* as having a consistently competitive interest rate over a full 12-month period.
Of the 2,114 savings products Defaqto's experts assessed, only 29 made the cut.
Qualifying wasn't straightforward. Each savings product had to rank in the top 15 in its category every single month for 12 months, hold up across four separate time windows, and still be competitive in the final quarter. One period of underperformance and it was out.
Congratulations to our
Defaqto Banking Award recipients 2026
2026 Instant Access Savings
- Cahoot
- Charter Savings Bank
- Hodge Bank
- Kent Reliance
- Spring Savings
- Tesco Bank
- The Family Building Society
2026 Fixed Term Savings
- Chetwood Bank
- GB Bank
- RCI Bank
- Vanquis Bank
2026 Instant Access Cash ISAs
- Charter Savings Bank
- Cynergy Bank
- Kent Reliance
- Tesco Bank
- Vida Savings
2026 Fixed Term Cash ISAs
- Aldermore
- Castle Trust Bank
- Charter Savings Bank
- Hodge Bank
- Kent Reliance
- UBL UK
- Vanquis Bank
2026 Regular Savings
- Coventry Building Society
- First Direct
- Kent Reliance
- Lloyds Bank
- The Loughborough Building Society
- The Co-operative Bank
What the badge means for you
When you see the Defaqto Banking Award badge on a savings account, that account has been independently checked — using rate data tracked every month for a full year across the entire UK savings market. No nominations, no judging panel. Just data.
How to use it
Use the badge as a consistency check alongside today's best-buy tables. It is an unequivocal signal that a provider's accounts have stayed near the top, over 12 months, in that category.
Always check the category and the year on the badge to make sure it applies to the account you're looking at.
FOR PROVIDERS OF SAVINGS PRODUCTS
Talk to us about licensing your Banking Award
For a walkthrough of our assessment methodology, or to find out how your product performed:
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Call 01844 295 546
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Email sales@defaqto.com
For other ways to get in touch...
* Defaqto has been independently analysing UK financial products for over 30 years. The badge cannot be purchased without qualifying first.