Does a deposit with upfront return earn more because I get the return from day one?

Not necessarily. An upfront return means the return reaches you at the start of the term instead of being spread over it or coming at the end, and the payout schedule is part of how a product is priced, so timing alone is not a gain. There are two things to confirm. First, the basis: the published figure for an upfront return can be a rate per year or a total for the term. A hypothetical example per 100 pounds over two years with a published 10%: if it is annual you receive 20 at the start; if it is a total you receive 10. Second, breaking: if you break the deposit early, the usual method is that the bank recomputes the return for the period held at a lower rate and deducts the excess from the principal. A hypothetical example: a twelve-month deposit that paid 12 upfront and is broken after 6 months at a break rate of 6% a year, so only 3 was earned, the excess 9 is deducted, and you get back 91 of every 100. Ask the bank whether the figure is annual or a total for the term, and how breaking is calculated, and check the deposit's key-facts statement, which explains the break-penalty calculation with an example.