35,000 people start to switch their current account The Payments Council said customers could help improve the service by giving their new bank or building society an up-to-date bank statement with their current address and have their existing debit card with them to help the new bank run security checks. Nationwide also said it had seen a 79pc week-on-week rise in the number of people initiating a switch of their current account to the building society, while First Direct, which often comes out on top of consumer service surveys, said the number of calls from people looking to switch was running at double the levels it usually saw. The Telegraph has already tested the pledge to switch in seven days, from HSBC to its First Direct offshoot, and found that even moving accounts within a bank would take up to a month. The new customer pledge was launched on September 16 and aims to improve competition in the current account market. As well as cutting the length of time it takes to switch accounts, the pledge means all outgoing and incoming payments automatically move over to the new account and the new provider is held responsible if anything goes wrong. Any new payments accidentally made to the old one will automatically be captured by a central service and redirected for 13 months. The Payments Council has not put a target on the number of people expected to switch and the success of the scheme will be measured on how much it raises levels of consumer awareness. Kevin Mountford, head of banking at Moneysupermarket, said: "Despite the current account switch service still being in its infancy, the signs are encouraging judging by the number of people who are looking to switch current accounts. It is definitely not the case that all current accounts are the same. There are some great deals available with a number of accounts currently offering credit interest rates that beat even the best savings accounts. For people who often have money sitting in their current accounts, Nationwide's FlexDirect account pays annual interest of 5pc on credit balances of up to £2,500 for customers paying in £1,000 a month for the first year, with the rate reverting to 1pc after this period. Meanwhile, Halifax's Reward account pays £5 a month to customers who put £750 a month into their account and remain in credit throughout the previous month and Santander's 123 account offers cashback on household bills paid through the account and up to 3pc in-credit interest. First Direct is currently offering £125 if people switch to its 1st account, while Halifax is offering £100 to those switching to its Reward account, Ultimate Reward account or Current Account. This week Lloyds Bank increased the interest rate on its monthly saver account from 2pc to 3pc for new customers. But people can only take out this deal if they also hold a current account with Lloyds. Experts predict that more banks are likely to follow suit by improving products which are tied to their current accounts to produce an overall "package" of deals which will encourage consumers to switch.