Sources & Methodology
This page explains how BankOfferScout researches UK banking products, how we treat time-sensitive information and how comparison pages are structured.
Source hierarchy
For product facts we prioritise first-party provider material: product pages, tariff documents, account terms, eligibility pages and official help content. For rules that sit outside a single provider, we prefer the relevant official or regulatory source. Secondary sources can help identify questions or changes, but they should not replace a primary source when the primary source is available.
How we compare products
A comparison starts with the product's intended job and then records the variables that can materially change value. For current accounts this can include fees, overdrafts, rewards, cash access and account-use requirements. For savings it includes AER, rate type, access, balance bands and interest timing. For Cash ISAs it also includes transfer and maturity rules. Switching pages add eligibility, qualifying actions and deadlines.
Headline value versus ongoing value
Promotional rates, cash bonuses and introductory rewards are separated from the ordinary account position. We consider what the product looks like after the promotion ends and whether the actions required to earn the headline benefit are realistic. This avoids comparing one provider's temporary incentive with another provider's long-term economics as if they were the same thing.
Handling changing information
Rates, fees, eligibility and promotional offers can change quickly. BankOfferScout therefore avoids treating a durable provider dossier as the authoritative home for a short-lived rate. Time-sensitive facts belong on the most relevant product page and should include a clear update context. Readers should always verify live details directly before acting.
Editorial interpretation
An editorial view explains trade-offs rather than issuing a universal winner. A restriction that is harmless for one reader can be decisive for another. Our conclusions therefore focus on the conditions under which a product may be more or less useful, while leaving the individual decision to the reader.
Internal linking and research trails
Articles link back to category hubs, provider dossiers and related guides so readers can see the source context around a topic. This also allows durable explanatory pages to remain useful when a particular offer expires, because the reader can return to a live comparison hub rather than relying on an old promotional figure.
Corrections and review
When a material error is identified, we review the relevant source, correct the affected page and update related pages where the same fact appears. Significant corrections may receive a note when that context would help readers understand the change.
Evidence standards by claim type
Not every sentence requires the same kind of source. A live product rate, switching deadline, eligibility rule or tariff fee should be checked against the provider’s current official material. A rule about tax, deposit protection or a regulated payment process is better supported by the relevant official or regulatory source. A general explanation may be informed by several primary sources and then written in durable language that does not pretend a temporary product detail is permanent.
Where two sources appear to conflict, BankOfferScout should not silently choose the more attractive figure. The first step is to determine whether the sources refer to different product variants, dates, customer groups or stages of an application. If the conflict cannot be resolved confidently, the page should use cautious wording, identify the point that needs verification and avoid presenting the disputed detail as settled.
How comparison criteria are selected
Criteria are selected according to the job the product is expected to do. Current accounts are assessed around everyday money flows, fees, borrowing, access and service features. Savings research separates rate from access and examines balance rules, bonus periods and maturity where relevant. Cash ISA research adds the tax-wrapper and transfer layer. Switching research places unusual weight on eligibility, sequence, deadlines and the long-term quality of the destination account.
This means two pages can legitimately emphasise different criteria even when they mention the same provider. The methodology is not a single weighted score applied mechanically to every product. It is a decision framework designed to expose the conditions most likely to change value for the use case described by the page.
Important note
Banking products, provider terms and relevant rules can change. Product-specific information should be checked against the current provider material and, where appropriate, the relevant official source before action.