[1] It was awarded Most Trusted Financial Provider by Moneywise in 2019, and was ranked top in the February 2020 Competition and Markets Authority bi-annual survey for overall service quality.

Secondly, there were two different adverts running concurrently on ITV and Channel 4, one offering a negative view showing the aspects of normal banking (with a blues song mimed by Steve Punt) and the other a positive view of First Direct (with a gospel song mimed by Jeremy Swift), with the two crossing over at a key point.

In January 2004, the bank launched First Directory, a service whereby additional services were added to current accounts such as free text message banking, annual travel insurance and mobile phone insurance for a fixed monthly charge.

[5] In February 2007, First Direct became the first bank in the United Kingdom to introduce a fee for basic financial transactions, fuelling concern for the future of fee free banking in the country for personal customers.

In March 2017, it was announced that First Direct had extended its naming sponsorship of Leeds arena for a further five years.