Starling vs Santander: most-reported complaints compared
Most-reported issues at Starling and Santander, according to reviewers on Trustpilot — classified by our automated reader and backed by verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. This is a side-by-side of what reviewers report, not a score, rating or recommendation for either company.
Starling
TrustScore 4.3 · 47,903 reviews on Trustpilot.
981 reviews analysed, 2026-06-18 to 2026-09-23.
Complaint rate (recent window): 10%
96% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“starling restricted my account for that is that even normal it's 300 pound hardley anything massive amount of money”
Santander
TrustScore 3.5 · 12,437 reviews on Trustpilot.
1,554 reviews analysed, 2025-02-02 to 2026-09-23.
Complaint rate (recent window): 22%
50% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“I spent 2 hours on phone with no joy trying to unblock my card”
Reported on both
Issues with an evidenced category (at least two verbatim quotes) on both sides.
| Issue | Starling | Santander |
|---|---|---|
| Account/app problems | 59% | 35% |
| Support unhelpful | 36% | 39% |
| Support unreachable | 12% | 36% |
| Billing errors | 8% | 7% |
| Other | 6% | 6% |
Method: reviews are classified into a fixed complaint taxonomy by an automated reader; every category shown is backed by at least two verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. Figures are census classifications, not official statistics, and reflect what reviewers reported — not findings of wrongdoing by either company. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Trustpilot A/S, Starling or Santander.