Goodbye Halifax

Millions of Halifax customers will see their accounts moved to Lloyds after Lloyds Banking Group confirmed on Wednesday (1 July) that it is scrapping the Halifax brand.

The group said existing Halifax customers will start using the Lloyds app in the coming months and will see their accounts rebranded to Lloyds over time.

Halifax will stop opening new accounts as part of the change, and Lloyds will become the group’s lead brand in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Halifax, founded in West Yorkshire in 1853, has been part of Lloyds Banking Group since 2009. The move ends a brand that has served customers for more than 173 years, and follows reports in May that the group was considering phasing out Halifax as a standalone brand.

The decision is understood to be rooted in simplifying the group’s portfolio.

Bank of Scotland, also owned by the group, is unaffected and will remain the lead brand exclusively for customers in Scotland.

What is changing

Lloyds set out how the switch will work for Halifax account holders:

• Halifax accounts will be rebranded to Lloyds over time, with customers invited to move to the Lloyds app and online banking in the coming weeks.
• The Halifax brand will stop opening new accounts.
• Halifax branches will be rebranded to Lloyds, keeping one of the largest branch networks in the UK.
• Halifax mortgages will remain available through intermediaries until 2027, when Halifax Intermediaries rebrands to Lloyds Intermediaries.

Lloyds said it will contact customers directly through trusted channels, including the Halifax app, online banking, email and by letter.

Sort codes and account numbers will stay the same, and there is no change to Financial Services Compensation Scheme protection, with balances in existing Halifax accounts kept separate from any new Lloyds accounts.

The group also issued a scam warning: customers will never be asked to move money, transfer funds or share security details as part of the change, and anyone asking them to do so is running a scam.

The Lloyds products Halifax customers get

Once Halifax accounts are managed through Lloyds, customers gain access to Lloyds propositions for renewals, upgrades or downgrades without changing their sort code or account number. These include:

• Club Lloyds – Interest on credit balances, no debit card fees abroad and added perks.
• Lloyds Premier – A premium current account with cashback, a BUPA GP service, no debit card fees abroad and exclusive offers.
• The Lloyds app – With added features including an AI financial coach and more personalisation options.
• Lloyds Rewards – a wider range of rewards and loyalty offers.

“As Halifax changes to Lloyds, our Halifax customers will keep everything they know and love today – the same fantastic app design, the same friendly faces in our branches – even the same sort code and account number. But as Lloyds customers, they’ll get the best innovation and experiences we offer.”

Branches and jobs

Lloyds said there are no changes to previously announced branch plans and no role reductions as part of the announcement.

Throughout 2027, Halifax branches will either rebrand to Lloyds or, where another branch is nearby, customers will be served by an existing Lloyds branch in the same community.

The group also reaffirmed its commitment to the town of Halifax and the wider Yorkshire and Humber region, pointing to a £116 million investment in its Trinity Road office in Halifax town centre, where 3,000 colleagues are based.

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