Comparison

first direct vs Yonder Rewards Cards

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

first direct

Manage your finances on the go with this intuitive mobile banking application. Easily check balances, view transactions, and transfer funds to friends and family. This app simplifies everyday money management, with more enhancements planned for the future.

Highlights
  • Check account balances
  • View transaction history
  • Pay family and friends
  • Simplified money management
  • Mobile banking convenience
Features
Read full description

Your everyday just got a whole lot easier. Even better banking has arrived. At the coffee shop, deciding if it’s a skinny soy latte or a cup of tea. In a taxi stuck in traffic, wondering how much you’ve saved for your trip to Machu Picchu. On a rollercoaster, planning the decorations for your dog’s third birthday party… Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, our new and improved mobile app makes banking even simpler. From checking your balances and viewing transactions to paying family and friends, mobile banking takes all the hassle out of everyday money stuff. You can now do more than ever from the comfort of your own phone - and if that’s not exciting enough, this is just the start of our mini digital revolution, with loads more improvements on the way. So go on. Get yourself up to date. Update now >> • Free to use, but providers may charge for download and usage • Use in accordance with local laws and check charges if using abroad • Use in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.

About

Yonder Rewards Cards

Earn points on every purchase with award-winning debit and credit cards. Redeem points for travel, dining, entertainment, and shopping experiences worldwide. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees.

Highlights
  • Earn points on purchases
  • Redeem for travel
  • Redeem for dining
  • Redeem for entertainment
  • No FX fees
  • Premium brand experiences
Features
Read full description

Built for people who’ve stopped settling for cashback crumbs. Yonder is the rewards card that actually pays out — in your city, and everywhere after it. No expiring points, no gate-kept airlines, no catalogue that peaks at a meal deal discount. Just rewards for the life you’re already living. Available as a debit card or credit card. A REWARDS CARD THAT KEEPS UP • Earn points for paying your rent or mortgage with Yonder • Discover the best independent restaurants near you, not the chains everyone already knows • New rewards and experiences added every month across UK cities and beyond • Travel like a local, with no FX fees, and access to hotels, eSIMs and lounge access • Exclusive premium member-only benefits AN APP THAT’S ACTUALLY GOOD TO USE • A virtual card, ready to use straight away • Freeze and unfreeze your card in-app, instantly • Real-time spend notifications — always know where your money’s going • Buy and install eSIMs in-app before you fly • Customer support, 7 days a week • Powered by Mastercard, accepted pretty much everywhere Download Yonder and see what your money’s really worth. 18+ and UK only. Membership fee may apply. T&Cs apply. Credit subject to approval.

Screenshots

first direct4 screens
Yonder Rewards Cards4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: first direct at 4.9 against Yonder Rewards Cards's 4.4. first direct also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 47%) and ratings volume (2K vs 26). Yonder Rewards Cards's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

first direct holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of first direct's written reviews are positive against 47% of Yonder Rewards Cards's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

first direct ships an update monthly, Yonder Rewards Cards weekly. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
first direct versus Yonder Rewards Cards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterfirst directYonder Rewards Cards
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2K ratings) — better4.4 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better47.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2K — better26
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size271 MB132 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developerfirst directYonder Technology Ltd

Customer experience

first direct

All ratings1,964 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews996 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.5%

Yonder Rewards Cards

All ratings26 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive47.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative52.0%

User reviews

first direct

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and accurate
  • 🔒 Excellent security
  • 💡 Helpful customer service
  • 👍 Consistent and reliable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app crashes
  • 🔒 Overly complex security measures
  • 💡 Outdated and basic design
  • 🔒 Frustrating authentication process
  • 🐛 Buggy cheque deposit feature

Yonder Rewards Cards

From 26 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and sleek app design
  • 🚀 Quick and responsive customer support
  • 💳 Premium metal card appearance
  • 🎁 Unique experience-based rewards system
  • 🌍 No foreign exchange fees

Room to improve

  • 🚫 Extremely low initial credit limits
  • 💸 Hidden fees and misleading pricing
  • 🔒 Poor fraud protection and security
  • ⏱️ Slow customer service response times
  • ❌ Frequent account closures without explanation

Bugs and requests

first direct

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezing and crashing
  • Issues with cheque deposit functionality
  • Problems with multi-device authentication
  • Inconsistent behavior when updating payee details

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved transaction history and insights
  • Ability to edit scheduled payments and payees
  • Streamlined payment flow
  • Better categorization and budgeting tools

Yonder Rewards Cards

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes during payment attempts
  • Login treated as new application after logout
  • Persistent 'something has gone wrong' error messages
  • Application process stuck at ID verification
  • Glitchy signup process with unfillable fields
Show 6 more
  • Points redemption not working properly
  • Transaction history syncing issues
  • Magic link sign-in code validation failures
  • Chatbot conversation window closes after 24 hours
  • Card blocking due to location changes
  • Account freezing with unexplained reasons

Requested features

12 requests
  • Phone support option instead of chatbot only
  • Direct debit functionality
  • Supplementary/additional cards
  • Apple Watch notifications
  • Apple Wallet transaction sync
Show 7 more
  • Budget tracker integration
  • Online website login alternative
  • Pro-rata refunds for unused points
  • Spare change points collection pot
  • More varied monthly experiences
  • Ability to choose custom PIN
  • Cancellation option within app

In-app purchases

None

first direct

No in-app purchases

None

Yonder Rewards Cards

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is first direct free?
first direct is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Yonder Rewards Cards free?
Yonder Rewards Cards is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, first direct or Yonder Rewards Cards?
first direct is rated higher. first direct averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Yonder Rewards Cards averages 4.4 from 26 ratings.
Do first direct or Yonder Rewards Cards have ads?
Neither first direct nor Yonder Rewards Cards shows ads.
Which is updated more often, first direct or Yonder Rewards Cards?
first direct ships an update monthly, and Yonder Rewards Cards weekly. Most recently, first direct was updated on October 20, 2026 and Yonder Rewards Cards on October 20, 2026.

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