What's changingRights, refunds & scams
Halifax is closing its app and moving customers to Lloyds. What changes and how to spot a scam
Your sort code, account number and direct debits stay the same. The move starts inside your Halifax app, never from a link.
Published 29 October 2026Last checked 29 October 2026England, Wales, Northern Ireland, ScotlandFrom Lloyds Banking Group (Halifax)
Illustration generated with AI
What's happening
Halifax has started closing its app and online banking as it moves customers to the Lloyds Bank app. Your sort code, account number, card, PIN and direct debits stay the same. The move starts with an invite inside your Halifax app or online banking, so a text, email or call asking you to click a link is a warning sign.
The question: What do Halifax customers need to do as the Halifax app and online banking close, and what stays the same?
This applies to you if…
- You have a Halifax current account, savings account, credit card or mortgage
- You use the Halifax app or Halifax online banking
- You have had, or are waiting for, an invite to move to the Lloyds app
Not for you if…
- People who only bank with Halifax in a branch or by phone. Halifax says you can carry on doing that
- Customers of other banks
What it's worth
Halifax says moving does not change your account or its features and benefits today. The value is keeping access to your accounts and not falling for a scam that uses the change as cover.
How to do it
- 1
Wait for the invite inside the Halifax app or online banking
Halifax is moving customers in stages over the next few months. It also sends email reminders, but the move itself starts inside the app or online banking.
- 2
Download the Lloyds Bank app if you do not already have it
Use the official app store on your phone, not a link sent to you.
Takes about About 5 minutes
- 3
Confirm who you are using your Halifax app
Halifax says you confirm your identity through the Halifax app as part of the move.
- 4
Log in with your existing details
You use your existing Halifax username, or your Lloyds username if you already have one. Halifax says you do not need a new password or memorable information.
Takes about A few minutes
- 5
Accept the Lloyds online banking terms and check your accounts
Check that your accounts, regular payments and payees look right. You can set up fingerprint or face log-in if you want to.
Deadline
No single date published
Halifax and Lloyds say the Halifax app and online banking will eventually stop working, and that the move happens over the next few months. Once you move, your Halifax app stops working. MoneySavingExpert has reported that the Halifax app closes at the end of October 2026, but the banks' own pages did not show a date when we checked on 29 October 2026. If you have not moved yet, log in to Halifax online banking now to look for your invite.
The catches
Scammers may use the change
Halifax says any action will always start in your app or online banking, not from a link, message or call. It says it will never ask you to log in using a link or QR code, ask for personal details by phone, text or email, or ask you to move your money.
Your old app stops once you move
After you move to the Lloyds app, the Halifax app stops working for you. Keep using the Lloyds app from then on.
Cards change later
Halifax says a Lloyds-branded credit card will come in the future. Your PIN stays the same. Keep using your current card until a new one arrives.
Branches
Lloyds says most Halifax branches will change to Lloyds, and it is not changing branch plans it had already announced. Check your local branch if you rely on it.
Illustrative example
Pat, who pays bills from a Halifax current account
Pat has a Halifax current account and a Halifax savings account, and uses the Halifax app every week.
- Pat gets a text saying the Halifax account will be frozen unless Pat clicks a link to move to Lloyds today.
- Pat ignores the text, because Halifax says the move starts inside the app, not from a link.
- A few weeks later an invite appears inside the Halifax app. Pat downloads the Lloyds app from the app store and logs in with the usual Halifax username.
- Pat checks that the direct debits for council tax and energy are still there.
Pat's sort code, account number, card and direct debits stay the same. Pat now banks in the Lloyds app.
Illustrative example based on the steps on Halifax's brand change page.
What this means for…
- State Pension age or over: If you find apps hard, Halifax says you can still manage accounts in a branch or by phone. Be wary of anyone offering to help you move.
- Saver: Savings rates and features do not change because of the move. FSCS cover stays per banking licence.
Common misreadings
You might hear: I need a new sort code and account number.
Actually: Halifax says account numbers, sort codes, card details, PINs, standing orders and direct debits all stay the same.
You might hear: Moving to Lloyds means my savings now share one protection limit with any Lloyds savings.
Actually: Halifax says Bank of Scotland FSCS protection still applies to Halifax savings, just as it does today. Lloyds Bank plc is a separate licence. The FSCS protects up to £120,000 per person for each banking licence.
You might hear: I must move today or lose my money.
Actually: Your money stays in your account. Halifax is moving people in stages and contacts you through the app or online banking. Any message pushing you to act at once through a link is a warning sign.
Where the UK nations differ
- England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Lloyds says it is bringing its brands together in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Scotland
- Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc, which is registered in Scotland. The Lloyds page does not mention Scotland, so customers in Scotland could check the Halifax change FAQs or ask Halifax what applies to them.
What you could do
use the Halifax app or online banking
get a text, email or call about the move that asks you to click a link or share details
Do not respond. Contact Halifax using the number on your card, and report scam texts to 7726.
have more than £120,000 in total across Halifax, Bank of Scotland and other banks
Check which banking licence each account sits under on the FSCS website.
Timeline
1 July 2026
Brand change announced
Lloyds Banking Group said Halifax would become Lloyds (reported by MoneySavingExpert in July 2026).
29 October 2026
Move in progress
Halifax says it has started closing its app and online banking and is moving customers over the next few months.
The detail
The rules
- Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland plc, registered in Scotland.
- FSCS protection is up to £120,000 per person per banking licence. Brands that share a licence share one limit.
- Halifax says Bank of Scotland FSCS protection applies to Halifax savings, as it does today. New Lloyds accounts are protected under Lloyds Bank plc.
- Genuine Lloyds messages will contain your name and the last four digits of your account number, according to Lloyds.
References
- Halifax brand change page: How the move works and what stays the same
- FSCS banking licences page: Which brands share a protection limit
Words explained
- Sort code
- The six-digit number that identifies your bank branch. It stays the same.
- FSCS
- The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which protects savings if a bank fails.
- Banking licence
- The permission a bank has to take deposits. Brands under one licence share one FSCS limit.
- Phishing
- A fake message that tries to get you to click a link or hand over details.
In short
Halifax is moving its customers to the Lloyds Bank app in stages. Your account numbers, card and direct debits stay the same. Wait for the invite inside your Halifax app or online banking, download the Lloyds app from the app store, and ignore any message that asks you to click a link.
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Sources
- Halifax brand change, Halifax (2026-10-29)
- Brand change FAQs, Halifax (2026-10-29)
- Savings FAQs, Halifax (2026-10-29)
- Credit card FAQs, Halifax (2026-10-29)
- Halifax brand change, Lloyds Bank (2026-10-29)
- Banking licences, FSCS (2026-10-29)
- Halifax app deadline (news pointer), MoneySavingExpert
This is guidance, not regulated financial advice. Check figures against the linked official source before you act. Written with AI assistance and checked against primary sources. How Kitty works. For free, impartial help, try MoneyHelper or Citizens Advice.