[Closed] which online bank will I like most / piss me off least

... and awaaaaay !

First Direct have been absolutely faultless in over ten years of service for me. I’d recommend them.

First Direct +1

First Direct +3, only gripe I had was paying in the odd cheque and lo you can now do that on your phone within the app. I prefer using the PC, wife likes the phone app but I'm coming around to that as well.

I've been with First Direct for 20+ years. Find them really good. Friend recently moved to Monzo, says they're good as well. Think the app and online banking is a bit more inovative.

If you want something as ethical as it gets in banking, have a look at Triodos Bank. I have been very happy with them as a business user for almost 20 years now. I think their internet banking interface is one of the best out there (at least it was until the recent revamp which has made it tablet friendly and gone all Fischer Price). It is still good, just too simple now. Anyway, check them out.

https://www.triodos.co.uk/

Starling.

Thier app is so much better than the other two banks (Barclays and HSBC) that I have to deal with.

I've a Starling account and it seems to work very well but I don't use it as my main account and haven't tried setting up any direct debits or the like. Easy to transfer money into and the lack of currency conversion fees make it ideal for overseas trips (when they can restart).

Account was opened in 5 minutes and activated about 5 minutes after that, bank card arrived next day and the app worked immediately.

I used to be with first direct but moved to Monzo, banking is just so much simpler and I can better control how I manage my money, I know that I spent too much on takeaways this month for example.

When you spend money you get instant notification if using the mobile app that money has come out of your account, saves waiting days or how ever long your bank takes to update. You can categorise and view your spending and view summaries too.

You can create a pot and have all your bill money transferred to it, then assign DDs to come out of that pot, or create a pot and set a goal and lock it for a period of time, perhaps a holiday, when I used first direct I would have had to create a separate savings account, that may have changed.

Monzo allow you to connect to other banks, so if you have a credit card or account with one of the supported banks the balance is displayed in the app. They recently gave me a summary for the month without me having to check my other account, the first time I had seen this and realised I had too many takeaways yet again!

20 years at First Direct too. No reason to move for me but if i did i guess one of starling/monzo/revolut

Much as I love Monzo, it's got no PC browser functionality (well it might have an oh shit, I lost my phone and I'm in bother reporting page, but that's it) so no good for the OP.

Starling here, it is great. There's a reason it wins all the awards.

I’ve been with first direct for 20+ years also and they remain my “proper bank”. Call centre is always first class - the guy who answers the phone knows how to deal with more or less everything. I’ve never had a less than perfect experience with them. Their staff training must be brilliant. Also their products are always first class so mortgage, insurance, loans etc can be in one place and you know you’re getting a good deal. I think of them very much like John Lewis - you know they’re not going to be sh**

Ive also been with monzo for a few years. Signed up for the favourable FOREX at the time but I now use it more or less exclusively for spending money. Load it up £500 a time, it makes sending and receiving money simple and I like the “fire brake” between the world and my real money

Also I get the reluctance to use your phone, but if you’ve got a modern smartphone with biometric on it, there’s really no safer way to operate. The chances of getting some dodgy tracking software on a laptop is much much higher

Another Firstdirect recommendation from me - been with them since the early 90s and have never had a single reason to complain. The website is easy to use, so is the app, and if you ever need to call them they are great (as has been said above).

hmmmm, thanks - 1st Direct or Starling pulling ahead strongly so far, then (sorry WFarmer but Triodos isn't showing any PC banking on their site).

[strong][/strong] wrote:

hmmmm, thanks – 1st Direct or Starling pulling ahead strongly so far, then (sorry WFarmer but Triodos isn’t showing any PC banking on their site).

I have only ever used it as PC-based internet banking. I don't have any banking apps on my phone.

Tick.

8 mortgage payments to go, then I'm finally binning RBS, canny bloody wait.

I'm in the market for a new bank, was looking at Triodos and possibly Starling (mainly because of the Adam Buxton advert 🙂 ).

Paying in cheques to Triodos means posting them to Brizzle which seems a little old school and is the main reason I'm hesitating...

Recently moved to Nationwide for my main account, all seems pretty slick compared to my previous Virgin One/RBS Account.

First Direct. I think once in about 15 years they forgot to answer my call within three rings which is the low point...! Helpful and polite on the phone, they never seem to be short of time to deal with you.

Been with Coop for ever (25 yrs ?), never had any problems. Don't think I have ever needed to ring anyone so can't comment on customer service

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Opened a Starling account so my 12 yo could do cashless during the pandemic (and I can do contactless on my Garmin) seems to work really well.</span>

I moved to Bank of Scotland when Santander decided to make themselves unattractive. The BoS phone app is way better than Santander's was, notifications of spend, spending breakdown by month etc all available. I've also got a Revolut account for travel (ha!) with 2 cards that we also use as a joint account for household shopping etc, and think the BoS app is more of a straightforward 'show me the money' type bank account whereas Revolut is a bit keen on pushing rewards and referrals and suchlike.

I use Barclays and don't have any issues, far better than HSBC were. Caveat, I have a premier account so can sort any problems quickly via email or a call directly to the branch.

Paying in cheques to Triodos means posting them to Brizzle which seems a little old school and is the main reason I’m hesitating…

Do check whether you can pay in by app.

NatWest. App and website are simple and comprehensive. Seem hassle free.

They have branches, not sure I've ever been in one.

I'm pretty sure you can pay cheques in through the app by taking a photo. Takes a little longer than in branch to clear.

No interest in savings but that seems common. Base rate more than anything.

First Direct customer for 20+ years - I was on the brink of moving away, and in fact opened a Starling account to check it out. The reasons were that the phone service went down the tubes and it was taking ages to answer the phone, no international transfers online, app was way behind the curve, and to top it off they royally screwed up a mortgage application. I was impressed by Starling and still use it for day-to-day stuff, but FD really pulled their socks up - the app is now loads better, and the phone service has improved. Plus they sent me a nice hamper when I told them I was thinking of leaving!!

Another first Direct customer. very happy, use it on my phone almost exclusively, and when not the call centre folk are really good (I'd echo what the poster up there said) very knowledgeable, very friendly, training must be first class.

Definitely first direct.

I would also think about your desire to use PC over a phone. Most phone banking requires a fingerprint to log on, which is much more secure than a pasword, which is all a PC needs. Passwords can be hacked or stolen, and if a scammer gets access to your email and/or phone number can be easily changed. Much harder to get your finger!

First Direct for 10 years pretty faultless. You'll need a savings account elsewhere though because the rates are shocking. Though in reality FD are 0.05% Vs best alternative of 0.7% so savings are bobbins everywhere.

I have a few. Natwest remains my main current account. App and web interface are good. I have 2 accounts on Starling - 1 business, 1 personal, and navigating between them in the single app always confuses me, but I guess most folk only have 1 account so it's not an issue. Monzo is good. Neither Starling or Monzo have web interfaces, only phone apps.

Blatant plug for current employer, an, ahem, nationwide building society. Get's very good customer satisfaction scores, certainly the best of the 'high street' banks, has a highly rated internet bank and banking app, and also has a commitment of actually staying on the high street. And it's owned by it's Members (i.e. customers), not nasty shareholders, with a strong corporate culture of, well, doing good (building sustainable housing, campaigning against homelessness, etc etc)

Went from hsbc (because they seem to like helping suppress human rights, and like money laundering) to monzo and i really like it. The app is great and much simpler to move money around, i wish i had seen triodos though but maybe will change again in future

Starling has been great for me over the last 3 years. Great app, nothing to dislike.

Blatant plug for current employer, an, ahem, nationwide building society.

Their homespun poetry ads evoke such a powerful reaction round here that they are on the permanent blacklist!

I use Barclays and don’t have any issues, far better than HSBC were. Caveat, I have a premier account so can sort any problems quickly via email or a call directly to the branch.

I have a Barclays Premier account but don't pay anything for it / never chose it, I just assumed that was what they called their normal current account?

I just do everything online, their Phone App is excellent.

It can be a normal bricks n mortar and be good online. I have nationwide account(s) and I do everything online that you seek. But with the advantage that I can go down and pay in a check or cash at the fancy machine in the branch.
We also have a natwest business account which is bloody good.

First Direct ++

They've been great all the times I needed awkward things - temporary big overdraft, or when I needed a load of cash they just upped my withdrawal limit so I could get a few grand out of a (HSBC branch) cashpoint rather than faff with counter service. Always super quick to answer the phone, and that person can deal with it rather than pass you around.

I have a Monzo account too (used to be great for holidays) which I use for general spending money. I've held off jumping across wholesale just because of the occasional cheque which have you have to post to them to pay in. I suspect the pandemic has probably killed off cheques now so may review that next year.

The challenger banks have definitely made the rest up their game - first direct app is way better now, and they're pulling in more info about card transactions. Categories starting to come in too.

MrsSpud and I have had Smile (CO-OP) accounts since the late 90s, never had an issue with them.

Triodos can be used online via browser as well as app. The cheque thing is true but who on earth still uses cheques?

^^ my parents, and I suspect a fair few of the older generation, especially in the last twelve months due to shielding etc...

I'm a smile customer and have never had any problems, the site doesn't have loads of super-fancy functionality but I've never needed any of that and it will do all you need.

First Direct has topped every customer satisfaction survey ever on Money Saving Expert for years. But their weak point historically was always a poor online / app experience. Has that changed now?

their weak point historically was always a poor online / app experience. Has that changed now?

It is certainly much better than it was (and they are improving it regularly). Not sure it matches the best to be honest, but the back up of a phone call which is answered by a real person in a couple of seconds pretty much all the time makes it worth it.

But their weak point historically was always a poor online / app experience. Has that changed now?

I'm relatively new online, but seems to work fine. They send you a little keycode generator. App seems straightforward as well.

The First Direct phone app has improved significantly in the last 6 months. Now auto categorises transactions, I expect there's a view somewhere that gives you a month by month breakdown.

Can also pay in cheques by taking a photo.

Oh also I got a new phone and moving the app over to the new phone was a 5 minute job.

But their weak point historically was always a poor online / app experience. Has that changed now?

They were pretty slow getting online and apps sorted, that's for sure. But I think the current iterations of both the website and the app are very usable. The only other apps I have direct experience of are MBNA, Partnershipcard and Halifax - and First Direct is much better than any of them.

I am happy with Nationwide, I have cause to pay in a cheque about once a year and it can be done via their cashpoints. It would be good if they introduced paying in a cheque via a image. Now that clearing between banks is done via images it is the next step.

Monzo allow you to connect to other banks

It's called open banking and most banks are signed up to this.

Neither Starling or Monzo have web interfaces, only phone apps

Err, Starling do have a web app you have to use your phone to give access to a laptop, but after that its all via desk/laptop.

https://oauth.starlingbank.com/oauth?response_type=code&redirect_uri=https://app.starlingbank.com/oauth/redirect&state=14412971-da53-467a-a065-a3afc3e45948&client_id=Vc2uoXZD0uz8TG0roWaV

It’s called open banking and most banks are signed up to this in one form or another