Make saving effortless and easy with round up apps that automatically save your money without you noticing. Here are the best ones to use when saving little and often.
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Round up savings is a clever way to save a bit of money every time you spend.
Each time you buy something, these accounts and apps round up your purchase automatically and put the change into a savings account – without you needing to lift a finger.
For example, if you spend £3.80 in your local shop, the app rounds up to the nearest pound and automatically saves it for you – so 20p will be added to your savings account.
It’s like collecting your loose change in a jar, but it’s all done digitally. This is really handy if you usually struggle to save, as it does it without you needing to think about it.
You may be thinking, what’s the point of saving 15p? But it adds up fast — believe me, I’ve been saving this way for years!
The only issue or downside I can see is if you use a zero budgeting method, as you won’t be expecting the change to disappear from your account.
But, as a massive bonus, if you run out of money towards the end of the month, your savings are easy to access, so it won’t leave you worried about having spare cash.
Want to start saving this way? Here are the best round-up apps.
Plum
Plum is an app that automates your savings.
Along with other savings features, it offers the round-up rule.
Connecting Plum to your bank account rounds up transactions and saves the change for you.
Plus, Plum gives you the option to invest this money and add it to a Pocket (regular savings account), or you can currently get 4.97% with an easy-access Plum Interest account.
Moneybox
Moneybox specifically focuses on rounding up your everyday purchases to the nearest pound and lets you invest the change.
However, rather than saving for whatever you want, Moneybox allows you to save for a Lifetime ISA (LISA) to buy your first home or your retirement. They also have a simple savings account, enabling you to get 5% AER.
This can be a great way to save while potentially growing your money over time. On average, users save around £12.37 a week with Moneybox.
However, rather than saving each time you spend, it totals up your “round-ups” and saves the money once a week on a Wednesday. You can adjust how much they transfer if you feel it’s too much.
Chip
Chip is an app that rounds up your transactions and uses AI to analyse your spending habits to calculate how much you can afford to save.
It then automatically transfers this amount into your Chip savings account, which can earn interest over time.
Chip also offers a Prize Savings Account. This is similar to NS&I Premium Bonds.
Instead of earning guaranteed interest on your monthly round-ups, you are entered into a draw to win up to £50,000!
You also have the option to open an investment account or a Stocks and shares ISA with them.
There is a 45p per autosave charge when you have a standard Chip account. However, if you sign up with ChipX (£4.99/month), you get autosavings for free.
Online banks
Many newer, app-only banks offer a roundup service as part of their accounts.
If you want to save slowly and are tempted with a new account, here are the ones that offer it.
Monzo
Monzo is a popular digital bank that offers a feature called ‘Savings Pots‘.
You can turn on the round-up setting when you create a new Pot, and Monzo will automatically round up your card transactions to the nearest pound, putting the spare change into a savings pot of your choice.
You can pick from a regular, savings, or investment pot.
Some features, such as advanced roundups, are only available if you pay for banking with them (have a Monzo Extra, Perks, or Max account). These are where you add in 2, 5, or 10 times as much spare change.
Starling Bank
Starling is an online bank that helps you save effortlessly. The roundup feature is available for personal, joint and business accounts.
Their round-up tool, Saving Spaces, rounds up your spending to the nearest pound and adds the difference to your chosen space.
You can multiply your savings to reach your goal faster by 2, 5 or 10.
Revolut
Revolut offers a spare change rounded-up savings option as part of its many features.
You can activate the feature from the Accounts section, scroll down, and then add “spare change” to round up your everyday card payments to the nearest whole number.
Revolut will stash away the difference in your Revolut Pocket or savings account.
You can speed up how much you put aside by picking x1, x2, x3, x4, x5 or x10 times your saving.
If you pay using crypto, there’s a roundup savings option for you, too.
High street banks
As well as apps, many of the high street banks now offer a roundup service.
You may need to go into your settings to turn this on.
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank offers a “Save the Change” feature, where every purchase you make with your Lloyds debit card is rounded up to the nearest pound.
The difference is transferred into a Lloyds savings account of your choice.
NatWest
Similar to Lloyds, NatWest also has a Round Ups programme.
Each time you use your NatWest debit card, the amount can be rounded up, and the spare change goes into your NatWest instant access savings account. This makes saving just a little bit easier every day.
Halifax
Halifax offers a “Save the Change” feature, again, similar to Lloyds, as both are part of the same banking group.
This feature rounds up your card purchases to the nearest pound and transfers the difference into your Halifax savings account.
How to choose the right one
When picking an app or bank for round-up savings, consider whether your bank already offers this or if you want to use a standalone service to do the saving for you.
Also think about:
- The ease of setting up and using the app
- Any fees that might apply
- Other features that might be useful, such as goal tracking, budget tracking or investment options
To be fair, you don’t need to pick just one – I’m currently using 6!
These tools are fantastic for anyone who finds it difficult to save.
They quietly work in the background, turning everyday spending into future savings.
Naomi knows the burden of living on very little and became debt free by following her own money saving tips and tricks. She is an expert on saving money at the supermarket and side hustles.
