- Just 33 of the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs have no bonuses, withdrawal limits or other restrictions
- Almost half restrict the number of withdrawals savers can make
- One in six include a short-term bonus rate, averaging 1.64% and typically lasting 12 months
Two-thirds of the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs come with restrictions or short-term bonus rates, new analysis commissioned by savings app Spring has found.
Research by Moneycomms found that just 33 of the 100 leading Easy Access Cash ISAs could be classed as ‘clean’, with no short-term bonus rates, withdrawal limits or other account restrictions.
Clean accounts are scarce at the top of the market, with just three of the top 10 Easy Access Cash ISAs offering no bonuses or restrictions.
The findings suggest that savers looking to make the most of their tax-free savings should look beyond the headline rate when choosing an account.
Across the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs:
- 47% restrict the number of withdrawals a saver can make
- 16% include a short-term bonus rate
- The average bonus rate is 1.64%, with bonuses lasting 12 months on average
- 9% have another account restriction, such as requiring savers to hold a current account with the provider to qualify
Bonus rates are particularly prevalent towards the top of the market, with eight of the top 20 accounts, or 40%, including a short-term bonus.
The average interest rate across the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs analysed was 3.69%.
Derek Sprawling, Head of Money at Spring, said:
“Cash ISAs provide savers with a tax-efficient home for their money and, for those choosing an easy access account, being able to access their savings when they need them is likely to be an important part of that decision.
“However, our analysis shows that savers need to look beyond the headline rate. Almost half of the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs restrict how often customers can withdraw their money, while others rely on temporary bonuses or require customers to meet additional conditions.”
He added: “A competitive headline rate can be attractive, but savers should understand what sits behind it. That means checking whether the rate includes a bonus that will expire, how often they can access their money and whether they need to hold another product with the provider to qualify.
“With only a third of the top 100 accounts offering a clean proposition, shopping around and checking the terms can help savers find an account that provides both a competitive return and the flexibility they expect from easy access savings.”
Andrew Hagger, Personal Finance Expert at Moneycomms, said:
“The easy access cash ISA market mirrors the age-old situation we see with traditional savings products, with many accounts not truly ‘clean’ easy access accounts.
“ISA customers should be careful not to plump for an account just because it’s near the top of the best buy tables – if they look more closely, they may find that the rate is boosted by a temporary bonus or there are restrictions on the number of withdrawals they can make – so not truly easy access as providers and comparison sites would have you believe.”
Effortless saving
Open a Spring Easy Saver Cash ISA today. The Spring app uses open banking to connect to your current account, making saving seamless and simple.
To get started, download the app.
Notes to editors
- Moneycomms analysed the top 100 Easy Access Cash ISAs on 27 and 28 July 2026.
- For the purposes of this analysis, a ‘clean’ Easy Access Cash ISA is one without a short-term bonus rate, restrictions on the number of withdrawals or other account restrictions.
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