As app-first accounts have matured, a growing question is whether a Revolut account bank setup can now do the job of your main current account, the one your salary lands in and your bills come out of. For years the honest answer was “not quite”, because the account lacked a few essentials of everyday banking. That gap has narrowed, and for many people it can genuinely serve as a primary account today, though a handful of needs may still point back to a traditional bank. This article walks through what a main account has to do, where the app now measures up, and what you might keep elsewhere. It is general information, not financial advice.
What a main account has to do
A main account is not about features so much as reliability for the dull, essential jobs. It has to receive your salary, pay regular bills by direct debit, run standing orders, handle card spending and cash access, and be there without fuss when money moves in and out every month. Fall short on any of these and the account cannot be your hub, however good its budgeting tools look. The useful test, then, is not whether an app is impressive, but whether it quietly covers this plumbing. The sections below check a modern account against each requirement, starting with the one that matters most: getting paid.
Getting your salary in
The first hurdle is receiving wages, and here the account clears it. A UK account of this kind comes with a standard sort code and account number, so an employer can pay your salary into it exactly as they would any bank. Incoming transfers and faster payments work normally, and you can share your details for anything from a refund to a friend settling a bill. This was not always a given for app-first providers, but it is now routine. The table below summarises how a modern account stacks up against the core main-account jobs, so you can see at a glance where it is ready and where to look twice.
| Main-account job | How a modern account handles it |
|---|---|
| Receiving salary | Yes, via sort code and account number |
| Direct debits | Supported, check your providers |
| Standing orders | Supported in-app |
| Overdraft or borrowing | Limited, expanding with licence |
Direct debits, standing orders and bills
Paying bills is where a main account earns its keep, and modern accounts now support direct debits and standing orders, so recurring payments for utilities, subscriptions and the like can run from the app. If you are moving from another bank, the practical task is making sure every direct debit is recreated against the new details, since the automatic switch services do not always cover newer providers in full. It is worth listing your regular payments and checking each one has moved before you close anything. Done carefully, the everyday bill-paying that defines a current account works here, but the move rewards a methodical approach rather than assuming it all transfers by itself.
Overdrafts and borrowing
One area where a traditional account has traditionally led is borrowing. An arranged overdraft, a buffer for the odd tight month, is a standard current-account feature that app-first providers were slower to offer. This is changing as a provider gains a full banking licence, which lets it offer credit products such as overdrafts and loans directly, but availability can be phased and is not guaranteed for every customer. If an occasional overdraft is part of how you manage a main account, it is worth checking what is actually offered to you rather than assuming parity. For people who never dip into the red, this matters little; for those who rely on a safety-net overdraft, it is a real thing to confirm.
What you might keep elsewhere
Even as a capable main account, a few needs may still point to a traditional bank. Mortgages and some longer-term or specialist products usually sit with established lenders. Regular cash handling and cheque deposits favour a bank with branches. Many people also like to keep a second account at a different institution as a backup, so a technical glitch or a frozen card never leaves them with no way to pay. And for large balances, it is sensible to hold money where deposit protection is settled and familiar. None of this rules out an app as your everyday hub; it simply means a main account does not have to be your only account, and often should not be.
Who it suits as a main account
Whether to make the switch depends on how you live with money. If your banking is mostly digital, your income arrives by transfer, and you rarely need cash, branches or an overdraft, a modern account can comfortably be your main one, with the budgeting and travel features as a bonus. If you handle cash often, lean on an overdraft, or want a long track record behind a large balance, you may prefer to keep a traditional bank at the centre and use the app alongside it. There is no single right answer, only a fit between the account’s strengths and your particular habits and needs.
A balanced view
So can a Revolut account be your main bank account? For a lot of people, yes, it now covers the essentials, with a few sensible caveats to check first:
- Confirm your salary and all direct debits move across cleanly.
- Check whether an overdraft or borrowing is offered to you.
- Keep a backup account at another bank for resilience.
- Hold large balances where deposit protection is settled.
- Match the decision to how much you rely on cash and branches.
For background, see the overviews of direct debit and the overdraft. This is general information, not financial advice; check the current features and protections that apply to your account.