New. Huge FREE £300 just by switching bank... now thankfully for employees AND the self employed

- We got Barclays to rewrite its terms to include self-employed & pensioners

- Ends Wed. Santander's FREE £240 bank switch offer (no min monthly pay-in)

- High Earner? You can now switch & get a FREE £600

Martin: "When I first heard about the new Barclays £300 deal, I thought great, then I read the terms and it frustated me. It's the best-paying deal this year, barring high-earner free cash. OK, you must stick with it for six months to get the full benefit, yet that's no biggie, as over half of it will be in your pocket by Christmas. Overall it's a strong offer for those who can get it. 

"Now to what was the problem. You need pay in a min £2,000/mth - that's not too unusual (though many best buys don't), but on Monday when the offer went live, its site said this must "be received via BACs from an employer" - effectively excluding those with only self-employed, pension, or other income. For me, that's a poor precedent. So we contacted it and, in a nutshell, it said that wasn't the case: "It does not matter if it is not from an 'employer'. Payments via other methods are also accepted."

"Yet the terms on its site still contradicted that. And I didn't want to put it to you unless they changed. The good news: after some to-ing and fro-ing, Barclays agreed and did that just before we sent this email. Now, thankfully it says salary payments must be received via BACs from an employer, state or private pension, or transfers from a UK business account (even if in same name). This should cover most who earn enough. 

"Though it does stop the 'gamifying' trick, where you pay money into another account then move it back to hit the minimum pay in. Anyway, I thought I'd let you know the background - now the team I'll run through the deals."

Banks partly judge profitability by a 'cross-sell' ratio - how many different products they can sell you. And if they get your current account custom, they've often a better chance of selling you more. That's one reason they're willing to (legally) bribe you to switch, especially in the run-up to Christmas. So grab the cash, but don't let it buy your loyalty... when picking cards, loans, savings, or investing, always focus on the best product for the job from across the market (use our guides).

Switching's usually quick & easy: To get the bonuses, you need to use the bank's seven-working-day switch service. It'll close your old account for you, move your money over, and shift Direct Debits & standing orders. Payments to the old account are auto-forwarded too. The vast majority find it a piece of cake, though you'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. So let's first go through the standard accounts, then the high earners...