first direct vs Fresh Cash UK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Check account balances
- View transaction history
- Pay family and friends
- Simplified money management
- Mobile banking convenience
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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in accordance with our App terms and conditions • Use in accordance with Apple terms and conditions • This app may be withdrawn at any time, but we’ll always keep you in the loop.
Fresh Cash UK
This personal finance app simplifies applying for payday loans in the UK. It connects users with over 70 major lenders, allowing them to apply once and receive instant cash directly to their bank account if approved. A built-in calculator helps estimate interest payments.
- Apply for payday loans UK
- Connect with 70+ major lenders
- Instant cash credited to bank account
- Built-in loan interest calculator
- PIN security for data protection
- Assistance for bad credit history applications
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Fresh Cash UK – Apply Fast for Payday Loans Fresh Cash UK is a personal finance app to help you apply fast for payday loans UK. With Fresh Cash UK you can fill the application form once and instantly get access to 70 UK Major Lenders who is specialized in providing payday loan services. If your application is approved, you will receive instant cash which will be directly credited to your bank account. Fresh Cash UK is completely FREE to download and use, and we do not charge our users with any fee. You can apply for online loans from £100 to £1000. Fresh Cash UK is the number one app for personal loans UK. We are partnered with over 70 major payday lenders in UK. They provide the service for short term loans in UK. Applying for payday loans UK can be a complicated process and we strive to simplify it for you. Payday loan is a type of short term debt that you need to pay as soon as you receive your paycheck. Fresh Cash UK is a UK online loan application that helps you apply for loans. It is also useful for your personal finance because you can use our built in calculator to calculate the amount of interest you need to pay if you borrow a certain amount of money. Fresh Cash UK is secured with PIN, so you can be certain there will be no unauthorized access to your data. No one can access your data or apply on a loan using your device without your permission. You can see through our guide below that applying for to borrow money online is extremely easy and straightforward with Fresh Cash UK. Our licensed credit broker will also help your application to be approved. Even if you have bad credit history you can apply for payday loan with Fresh Cash UK.* ------------- How to Apply for Payday Loan with Fresh Cash UK: ------------- 1. Download our personal finance app for FREE. 2. Enter your data into the required field. Select the amount of money you want to borrow. Enter your email address, then enter your Post Code. 3. (Optional) Use our loan calculator to calculate the amount of interest you need to pay and the total UK cheque you need to send to your lender to pay for your debt. 4. Tap the Get Started Button and fill in all the required fields. 5. Our Pay Day will set to work to find you lenders that best match your requirements. The app will then display the result. 6. If you agree with the terms and condition, proceed to add required documentations. 7. If your application is approved, you will receive instant cash on your bank account. *Each lender has different policies concerning credit history. IMPORTANT NOTE: • Here is an example of payday loan scheme: For representative APR 1192%, if you borrow £100 for 30 days, then total amount repayable is £124.00. The interest rate is 292% p.a. (number may vary). • We do not personally give or guarantee your loans. When you apply with us, we will refer you to one of licensed credit broker to help your application approved by one of our payday lenders partners. • You are under obligation to pay back the money to the company who is lending you the money. • Manage your personal finance well. Payday loans should not be used in long term, and you should pay your debt on time or you will get into a huge financial problem. • We are not responsible for our lender’s decision to accept or decline your application. • Some lenders might need to verify and perform offline credit check. They may contact you in person and request additional documentation and information. • We may receive referral fee/commission and for completion of your loan application. Feedback from our users is very valuable for us. Please contact us through our contact form on our website www.freshcash.uk. Reviews and ratings will be greatly appreciated.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: first direct at monthly against Fresh Cash UK's every 8 months. first direct also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 50). Fresh Cash UK's advantage is iOS requirement (9.1 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for first direct against 4.7 for Fresh Cash UK. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: first direct has 2K ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two.
first direct ships an update monthly, Fresh Cash UK every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | first direct | Fresh Cash UK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (2K ratings) — better | 4.7 (50 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 50 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 271 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | first direct | Rainbow UK Ltd |
Customer experience
first direct
Fresh Cash UK
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
Fresh Cash UK
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
first direct
No in-app purchases
Fresh Cash UK
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is first direct free?
Is Fresh Cash UK free?
Which has better reviews, first direct or Fresh Cash UK?
Do first direct or Fresh Cash UK have ads?
Which is updated more often, first direct or Fresh Cash UK?
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