Tandem Bank review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Tandem Bank is a direct lender for UK homeowners who already own a home, offering a variable-rate mortgage with amounts of £10,000 to £250,000 and a maximum loan to value of 90%. Cost is the weak point: an APRC of 9.1% sits well above the site's median of 4.9%.

Key facts

Best for
Owners remortgaging or renovating who want a direct lender and will take a variable rate.
Initial rate
8.75% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APRC
9.1% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Fixed period
2 to 5 years (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Maximum loan to value
90% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage, Buy-to-let (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Tandem Bank Limited t/a Tandem (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
tandem.co.uk

Loans

APR
9.1% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
£10,000 to £250,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Term
36 to 360 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Soft prequal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Representative example
£150,000 mortgage over 25 years at 8.75% variable: 300 monthly payments of £1,208, total payable £362,400, 9.1% APRC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rate type
Variable (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free early repayment
Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
UK resident aged 21 or over who owns their own home (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Personal, Debt-consolidation, Secured (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Tandem Bank Limited t/a Tandem (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2014 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaTrustpilotLinkedInXapps.apple.comfacebook.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The credit check is soft prequalification (soft prequal), so a reading on borrowing capacity arrives before a full application.
  • Authorised and supervised by the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK, and a UK-headquartered lender (GB) founded in 2014.
  • Support comes through email, phone and help centre, and as a direct lender you deal with the bank rather than a broker.
  • Owners can borrow against a 90% maximum loan to value, ranking 74 of 293 brands on that measure.

Cons

  • The rate is variable, so payments shift with base rate moves, and a fixed window of 2 to 5 is short against the 10 across the site's mortgage ranking.
  • An APRC of 9.1% places the brand at 126 of 145 on the site's APRC ranking.
  • Eligibility (UK resident aged 21 or over who owns their own home) asks for a home already owned, so borrowers renting or saving for a first purchase fall outside, and borrowing caps at £10,000 to £250,000.
Tandem Bank

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Scored 8.5 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Homeowners with a property in their own name, since eligibility (UK resident aged 21 or over who owns their own home) turns on already owning a home.
  • Owners planning renovation work, since home improvement is the named use case (home improvement).
  • Borrowers comfortable with a variable deal and a direct lender, with email, phone and help centre support on the other end of it.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Prestalo readers chasing the cheapest headline rate, since its initial rate of 2.36% sits well below the 8.75% here.
  • Sofkredit readers, since this offer is limited to UK residents who already own a home (UK resident aged 21 or over who owns their own home).
  • Creditilia ES readers wanting a longer fixed stretch, where the rate is variable and fixed periods run 2 to 5.

How Tandem Bank compares

Where Tandem Bank is available

Available
United Kingdom
Licence in United Kingdom
Prudential Regulation Authority (204479), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What rate does Tandem Bank offer on a mortgage?+

The offer is a variable rate, with an initial rate of 8.75% and an APRC of 9.1%. Fixed periods run 2 to 5, so you can hold the rate for a short stretch before it returns to the variable rate.

How much can I borrow from Tandem Bank?+

Borrowing runs £10,000 to £250,000, and the maximum loan to value is 90%, so a mortgage stops short of the full property value. Repayment terms run 36 to 360, longer than the 60 typical of the site's mortgage ranking.

What credit check does Tandem Bank use?+

Applications start with a soft prequalification check (soft prequal), which is lighter than the hard checks that dominate the site's mortgage ranking (78.2%). You can read your borrowing capacity before committing to a full application.

Who can apply for a Tandem Bank mortgage?+

Eligibility (UK resident aged 21 or over who owns their own home) narrows the field to UK adults who already own a home, so first-time buyers without a property are outside the criteria. The offer is aimed at existing owners, whether they are buying, remortgaging or letting.

Who regulates Tandem Bank?+

Tandem Bank Limited t/a Tandem (Tandem Bank Limited t/a Tandem) is a UK-headquartered lender (GB) authorised and supervised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Founded in 2014, it lends as a direct lender, so the bank is the counterparty rather than a broker.

What can I use a Tandem Bank loan for?+

Mortgages run for purchase, remortgage and buy to let purposes, and home improvement is the named use case (home improvement) for the secured range. The lending also covers personal, debt consolidation and secured loans, so the same lender handles a consolidation or a renovation project.

Can I overpay a Tandem Bank mortgage early?+

Free early repayment is available on these loans, so paying more than the agreed monthly amount attracts no charge. On terms of 36 to 360 that flexibility is worth having, especially if you expect to sell the property or want to cut the term rather than the payment.

What does the Tandem Bank representative example show?+

A representative example is published with the rate, spelling out the monthly payment and the total repayable for a stated mortgage amount and term, so the full cost is visible rather than a headline percentage alone. The example is drawn at the 8.75% variable rate, with 9.1% as the APRC figure.

Sources

  • intermediary.tandem.co.uk/faq checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Maximum loan to value

    “What is the maximum LTV? 90%”

  • tandem.co.uk/about checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded, Purpose, Licences

    “Launching in 2014, Tandem was one of the UK's original digital challenger banks, providing access to simple, honest, and fair mortgage and savings products.”

  • tandem.co.uk/borrow/home-improvement-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Use cases

    “Home Improvement Loans for Energy-Efficient Upgrades ... A Home Improvement Loan can help you finance upgrades that could lower your energy consumption”

  • tandem.co.uk/borrow/home-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, Lender type, Loan types, Term

    “With a Tandem Home Loan, you could borrow anything from £10,000 to up to £250,000”

  • tandem.co.uk/borrow/mortgage-rates checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: APR, APRC, Initial rate, Rate type, Representative example

    “Representative Example: A mortgage of £150,000 over 25 years, with a variable interest rate of 8.75% for the full term ... The overall cost for comparison is 9.1% APRC.”

  • tandem.co.uk/borrow/mortgages checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity

    “registered office address Viscount Court, Sir Frank Whittle Way, Blackpool, United Kingdom, FY4 2FB”

  • tandem.co.uk/faq/home-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Credit check, Eligibility

    “When you apply for a Tandem Home Loan, we conduct a soft credit search, which will not affect your credit score. However, if you are approved in principle for a loan and you accept your quotation, we...”

  • tandem.co.uk/faq/mortgages checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Fixed period, Support channels

    “Fixed-rate mortgages lock in your interest rate for a specified term, typically ranging from 2 to 5 years”

  • tandem.co.uk/faq/personal-loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Free early repayment

    “Can I settle my loan early? Yes! Just get in touch with our helpful support team.”

Compiled from 9 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Tandem Bank

Tandem Bank

Owners remortgaging or renovating who want a direct lender and will take a variable rate.

8.5/10See alternatives

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