Best Cash ISA Rates UK March 2026: 4.68% Easy Access and 4.35% Fixed Before the Deadline

Easy access cash ISAs let you withdraw without penalty, making them the default choice if you're unsure how long you'll keep the money locked away. The standout deals right now:

Trading 212 leads at 4.68% AER — but that includes a 1.08% bonus for 12 months on new money only. The underlying rate is 3.6%, which tracks 0.15% below the BoE base rate. Transfers of previous years' ISA cash don't get the bonus. It's a flexible ISA, meaning withdrawals and re-deposits in the same tax year don't eat your allowance.

Plum pays 4.66% (2.54% base + 2.12% bonus for 12 months), but the bonus is even more front-loaded — after a year, you're left with just 2.54%. The transfer-in rate is lower at 4.07%. Not a flexible ISA.

Atom Bank offers 4.25% with no bonus gimmick — a straight variable rate — but doesn't accept transfers. Cynergy Bank pays 4.05% with no bonus and does accept transfers, making it the cleanest option for consolidating old ISAs.

According to MoneySavingExpert, ISA season competition is the fiercest it has been since 2023. The catch with bonus rates is obvious: you need to diarise the expiry and be ready to switch. Trading 212's post-bonus 3.6% is acceptable — it's still close to the base rate. Plum's post-bonus 2.54% is not. If you won't remember to switch in 12 months, Atom Bank or Cynergy Bank are better bets.

For reference, the best non-ISA easy access savings account pays around 4.55%. A basic-rate taxpayer needs to earn over £1,000 in interest before tax kicks in, but with £20,000 at 4.55%, that's £910 — uncomfortably close to the threshold if you have any other savings. Higher-rate taxpayers exceed their £500 personal savings allowance — see our tax guide for full thresholds. They with just £10,000 in savings. The ISA wrapper matters.

Fixed-rate ISAs guarantee your rate for the term — useful when rates are falling. The BoE base rate has come down from 5.25% in mid-2023 to 3.75% now, but today's geopolitical uncertainty has paused the cutting cycle. Markets are pricing a possible rate hike as soon as June if 'Trumpflation' from the Iran conflict pushes energy prices higher.

That makes the fixed vs floating decision genuinely difficult right now. Here's what's available:

One-year fixes: Virgin Money tops at 4.22% (60-day early access penalty), with Tandem Bank matching at 4.22% (90-day penalty). AlRayan Bank via Meteor pays 4.25% but is only available through the savings marketplace.

Two-year fixes: Tandem Bank leads at 4.31%, followed by NatWest at 4.30% (but requires a £25,000 minimum). Castle Trust Bank pays 4.23% with a £1,000 minimum.

Three-year fixes: Tandem Bank again at 4.15%. Secure Trust Bank at 4.14%. Nationwide at 4.05% if you want a high-street name.

Five-year fixes: Tandem Bank at 4.35% — the highest fixed rate available. Castle Trust Bank at 4.34%. Nationwide at 4.25%.

The inverted pattern — five-year rates exceeding one-year rates — tells you the market expects rates to fall further over time. A five-year fix at 4.35% is a bet that the BoE will cut below that level for most of the next five years. Given that base rate was 0.1% as recently as early 2022, that's not an unreasonable position.

From April 2027, the cash ISA allowance for under-65s falls from £20,000 to £12,000. That makes the 2025/26 tax year the last chance to shelter the full £20,000 in cash.

According to HMRC ISA rules, once money is in an ISA, it stays sheltered — the reduced allowance only affects new contributions. So £20,000 deposited by 5 April 2026 remains entirely tax-free in perpetuity, regardless of future rule changes.

The compound impact is significant, as MoneyHelper explains. £20,000 in a cash ISA earning 4% generates £800 in tax-free interest annually. A higher-rate taxpayer would owe £320 in tax on that same interest outside an ISA. Over a decade, that's £3,200 in saved tax — without lifting a finger.

For anyone with savings approaching their personal savings allowance (£1,000 for basic-rate, £500 for higher-rate taxpayers), using this year's full ISA allowance isn't optional. For those weighing investing instead, our investing hub covers stocks and shares ISA options too. It. It's the last time you'll get this much tax-free capacity in cash.

The BoE is expected to hold at 3.75% today, with geopolitical uncertainty from the Middle East conflict making cuts politically impossible even as UK pay growth slows to a five-year low. Oil near $120 a barrel and gas prices surging 25% overnight create a stagflationary backdrop — weak growth but sticky inflation.

For cash ISA savers, this creates an unusual window. Easy access rates at 4.68% represent a 93-basis-point premium over the base rate — an ISA season bonus that will shrink once April passes and providers pull their promotional rates. Fixed rates above 4% similarly won't last if the BoE does resume cutting later this year.

The risk of waiting is real. If the BoE holds through summer and cuts in autumn, the best easy access ISA rates will have already dropped by then. The bonus rates from Trading 212 and Plum will expire for anyone who opened in early 2025. And the transfer window for consolidating old ISAs narrows every day — transfers typically take 15 working days, so initiating one after mid-March risks missing the deadline.

If you're weighing ISAs against other options, our analysis of Premium Bonds at 3.30% covers the alternative. For more on how base rate decisions affect your savings, see our savings hub and the detailed BoE rate decision analysis. See our analysis on easy access vs fixed rate ISA: which is right for you.

You have new money to shelter and won't touch it for a year: Trading 212 at 4.68% or Plum at 4.66%. Accept the bonus rate, diarise the expiry, plan to switch next March.

You want to consolidate old ISAs paying rubbish rates: Cynergy Bank at 4.05% (no bonus, accepts transfers, no caveats) or Moneybox at 4.26% (accepts transfers, but limits withdrawals to three per year).

You want rate certainty for 1-2 years: Tandem Bank at 4.22% (1yr) or 4.31% (2yr). Only available via app. Both accept transfers.

You want the highest guaranteed return over 5 years: Tandem Bank at 4.35%. This is a bet that the BoE will average below 4.35% over five years — a reasonable bet based on where forward rates are pricing.

You want a big-name provider: Virgin Money at 4.15% easy access (two withdrawals per year limit) or 4.22% one-year fixed. Nationwide at 4.05% for a three-year fix or 4.25% for five years.

You have over £120,000 in savings: Split across providers for FSCS protection. The £120,000 limit applies per financial institution. Check banking group structures — Tesco Bank shares FSCS cover with Barclays, for example.

Our ISA calculator can model how different rates compound over time. Whatever you choose, the deadline is 5 April. Transfers take up to 15 working days. If you're moving existing ISA money, start now — not next week.

For a broader comparison of ISA types, including stocks and shares, see our ISA hub. And if you're weighing cash ISAs against regular savings, our guide to cash ISA transfers covers the mechanics.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. You should seek independent financial advice before making investment decisions.