Online Banking Recommendations - not First Direct

[CAMRAMan]

I am royally pissed off with TSB. Not only have they shut my local branch, but they are sending me round in circles when I try to contact them over the phone.
So, I think it;s time for a change. I first thought of First Direct, but they aren't taking any new customers at the moment, so does the panel have any other recommendations for a reliable online bank that has UK call centres?

[Regulator]

I bank with Nat West.  Their online banking is excellent and, as far as I am aware, their call centres are UK based.  I now they're not everyone's favourites but they're the best bank I;ve dealt with overall.

[Quisling]

Anyone but Barclays!

Whilst a conventional building society, Nationwide have reliable online services for individuals but probably not as innovative as some of the newcomers.  Works for me, and I can see mortgage balance and my various accounts in one place in their app.  It has some limitations (can't set up a new payee easily on the mobile) but basically works okay.  UK call centre is at Swindon HQ I think, though some calls are currently being routed through to local branches to tackle the high workload due to people avoiding branches during lockdown.

[Jurek]

Another + for Nat West.

[Ham]

Probably worth reading this https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/

[FifeingEejit]

Anyone but Barclays!

Whilst a conventional building society, Nationwide have reliable online services for individuals but probably not as innovative as some of the newcomers.  Works for me, and I can see mortgage balance and my various accounts in one place in their app.  It has some limitations (can't set up a new payee easily on the mobile) but basically works okay.  UK call centre is at Swindon HQ I think, though some calls are currently being routed through to local branches to tackle the high workload due to people avoiding branches during lockdown.

I'm also with Nationwide and find them fine, website and app are good.  Only problem I had recently was when my code doofer failed and I had to get someone else to pay a bill for me. Took a week to replace it. I hadn't been using it because they've switched log in to a text based system which suits my laziness so I dont' have to find the doofer or debit card.
Only issue I had was they got the years wrong on my account transferred from the Dunfermline so I got a slightly worse rate on one of my transient money accounts, think it was the Car money pit fund so not really a big deal.

Their Dundee branch were also willing to do normal branch banking for me despite my account supposedly being "online only".

Mum on the other hand hates them and their systems.

[yoav]

I've been with RBS for 40 years and their online service, app and call centre have all been fine. I also have a Monzo account which is also good if you are happy with app-based banking.

[citoyen]

Probably worth reading this https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/

Nationwide seem to come out very well.

I used to have a Nationwide account and I was very happy with them, but I stopped using it. Can't remember precisely why, but I have a feeling it might have been because they didn't have an online presence at the time, and there was no local branch. This was some years ago though.

I've been with Co-op/Smile since forever. Switched my personal account to Co-op for ethical reasons in the 90s. Then we got a joint account with Smile. I've been very happy with them, though they may not be the best bet for purely financial reasons, and probably aren't even the best bet for ethical reasons these days either. Co-op and Smile used to be quite distinct but they've aligned their operations in recent years so the only obvious difference now is the colours on the login page.

Their call centres are still based in Skem, as far as I know. Haven't had any need to call them for a while.

[fuaran]

Also happy with Nationwide. They seem to be one of the most ethical options for high street banks anyway.
Online banking works fine for me. I quite like the card reader thingy, works OK, maybe adds a bit more security.
The app is also fine, use fingerprint login on my phone. Only annoyance is can't pay in cheques with the app. Especially just now, when I am avoiding going into town.

[robgul]

Ditto Nationwide - although I have been First Direct customer pretty much since they started . . . and have accounts with Smile & Halifax as well as a joint account with Lloyds.

If I had to choose just one it'd be FD, with NW in second place

Rob

[Greenbank]

Like most things you'll get horror stories for all banks and recommendations for all banks.

I use Barclays and Lloyds. No problems with either. Website use for the last 15 years or do most of it on their apps on a phone now, very quick and painless. Never really have to ring them up. Only been into a branch once in the last 2 years and that was to pay in a cheque that was beyond what you can pay in with the app (a nice problem to have).

[citoyen]

I have been First Direct customer pretty much since they started . . .

I worked at FD in the early days (to top up my meagre ration of beer tokens when I was a penniless student oaf in Leeds), though not in the main call centre - so you wouldn't have spoken to me unless you'd tried to pay a dodgy cheque.

Also happy with Nationwide. They seem to be one of the most ethical options for high street banks anyway.

I know they offer regular banking services but they're still strictly a building society rather than a bank, aren't they? That's always been one of the biggest points in their favour as far as I'm concerned.

[SoreTween]

I use Lloyds for business, NatWest for personal and have used NatWest for business in the past.  The only thing that keeps me with NatWest is laziness.  They closed every branch for miles around, Lloyds I have 3 near by branches.  Lloyds online security feels secure, always has done.  NatWest isn't as bad as it was 9 months ago but they only got their shit together when kicked by the EU.  Lloyds send me proper business invoices, NatWest's were a joke.  NatWest are constantly switching off paper statements, Lloyds leave my settings as I set them.  Must get around to moving....

Can't comment on apps, don't trust 'em, trust the platform even less, won't use 'em.

[orienteer]

Another here for Smile, have stuck with them through all the Co-op's troubles. Main advantage is that they are relatively small and therefore lack the arrogance of the major banks, most of which I had used in the past for personal or business accounts.

I also have a Metro account, mainly started as a back-up in case the Co-op floundered. Haven't had any problems with them, with the advantage of a local branch (they operate mainly in and around London) for drawing larger amounts of cash.

[Ben T]

I recently switched to Starling and find it pretty good. You get a notification as soon as you get a payment or have a payment go out which is why I switched to it and it works well.

I won’t name names but I would personally avoid banks which use text messages, I have a friend who was frauded by a text message scam. It is easy for anybody to send a text from a web service which has a 'name' as the recipient and there is no authentication of that in the same way as there is with domain names and SSL certificates etc. He got it back, eventually, but was a worrying time for him in the meantime when he wasn’t sure whether he would.
would.

[Ben T]

I recently switched to Starling and find it pretty good. You get a notification as soon as you get a payment or have a payment go out which is why I switched to it and it works well.

I won’t name names but I would personally avoid banks which use text messages, I have a friend who was frauded by a text message scam. It is easy for anybody to send a text from a web service which has a 'name' as the recipient and there is no authentication of that in the same way as there is with domain names and SSL certificates etc. He got it back, eventually, but was a worrying time for him in the meantime when he wasn’t sure whether he would.

in fact sod it I will name names: TSB - avoid

[Ben T]

I have been with FD for years, and to start with, they seemed to have a policy of empowering the first person you spoke to, to be able to do everything and anything you wanted to do, which was why I liked them, but over the years they seem to have abandoned that - they pass you around between departments now just as much as any other big company.

[CAMRAMan]

Today's final TSB straw was that my card was declined in a toothy comestibles emporium what I regularly use, your Honour. I phoned up and went through the security procedures then spoke to a human being who then put me through to a voicemail what cut me off. Rang again and the same thing happened, despite me asking not to be put through to a voicemail what cuts me off. Not the first time that sort of thing has happened. All in all it was 30 minutes wasted, and I still don't know why my card was declined. TSB also think it's fine that my nearest branch is now in Stratford-u-A, 10 miles away rather than 100 metres.

[Oscar's dad]

Ditto Nationwide - although I have been First Direct customer pretty much since they started . . . and have accounts with Smile & Halifax as well as a joint account with Lloyds.

If I had to choose just one it'd be FD, with NW in second place

Rob

Ditto, I've been with First Direct almost since the word go.  When I joined I couldn't believe they were actually there 24/7 so I purposely got up in the middle of the night and phoned, they were there!  Shame they aren't taking new customers, I wonder why?

[citoyen]

When I joined I couldn't believe they were actually there 24/7 so I purposely got up in the middle of the night and phoned, they were there!

I remember being told when I started working there, that they would have people phoning up on Christmas Day just to check they really were there.

They were!

[Oscar's dad]

When I joined I couldn't believe they were actually there 24/7 so I purposely got up in the middle of the night and phoned, they were there!

I remember being told when I started working there, that they would have people phoning up on Christmas Day just to check they really were there.

They were!

 

I think of all the big companies I have dealt with over the years, financial sector, insurance, utilities etc , FD have consistently been the best.   They have fooked up on one or two occasions, the last being so long ago I can't remember the details, but they have always sorted the problem quickly. 

My Mum had a FD account and they were really good when she died and we had to close her account.  Not all the companies my sister and I dealt with a executors of Mum's will were quite so helpful.

[CAMRAMan]

I've gone for Nationwide. Easy online process and i can even transfer my balance over. The one bugbear is that the nearest branch is in Leamington 2.5 miles away, but easily reached. There are very few financials left in Warwick now.

[Mrs Pingu]

I had an account with FD in the days when every penny was a prisoner. When I found out that my pay didn't go into my account until midnight of the day after I actually got paid, I saw red and took my business to RBS in a fit of pique.
(I subsequently moved from RBS to Santander, or A&L as they were then, purely on the basis of a free £100. ICBA doing that sort of shit anymore.)

Most of our other accounts are with Nationwide. I like them except:
a) their credit card is not very good at alerting you when there's a problem. (I.e. you don't get a heads up they've stopped your account)
b) again with their credit card, when I want to look at my statement often it pops up that there is a problem going to that page. It usually works eventually, it just never seems to do so first time.

[ian]

HSBC. I think I shouldn't like them, but I've never really had cause for complaint, which may or may be a recommendation (probably not, but they're banks, you're not supposed to like them). We also have accounts with Natwest and Santander (a hang-over from Alliance & Leicester). Hmm, and credit cards with Barclays and MBNA.

I can't say I've ever called them. The phone apps are my only point of contact.

It validates their strategy of grabbing students though, umpteen years and several hundred thousands of pounds later, that free £50 that the Midland Bank gave a thirsty student (me) has probably been a good investment.

[robgul]

I've gone for Nationwide. Easy online process and i can even transfer my balance over. The one bugbear is that the nearest branch is in Leamington 2.5 miles away, but easily reached. There are very few financials left in Warwick now.

... I believe that one of the, shall we say "prominent"?, members of this forum will be pleased . . . . . 


Note: If you get a regular payment in, say salary, I think they include quite good travel insurance for free.

Rob