It started as the UK's first fully digital bank in 1999,[1] offering full-service current accounts, savings, ISAs, investments and credit cards.

In 2002, Smile also launched Sharedealing[4] to help experienced and new investors build an online portfolio, with 24-hour access.

As part of this community outreach, Smile sponsored the Cape2cape[6] challenge in 2004, where a team flew from the tip of Chile to the coast of Canada in a single plane.

[7] In 2008, Smile launched an ethical policy[8] vote, giving customers the opportunity to change the things that matter most to them.

[9] They also launched a series of web shorts, all aimed at promoting smile's automatic cancellation from the customer's previous bank.