Which of these three banks for a new bus account?

[So]

We've just opened another company and need a bank account. We use HSBC and CoOp for the other businesses but won't use either this time.

The short list is:

Nat West - they seem keen for the business. They tell me their online banking app does what we want, it uses iPhone fingerprint recognition and we can view transactions between dates we choose.

Santander - local branch awful. Like a foreign exchange counter staffed by oddballs.

TSB - I went in by mistake, but the girl behind the counter thought they might do business accounts.

For no reason other than Nat West seems slightly more keen and the branch is smarter I might try them. Tell me I am wrong.

[sgrimshaw]

Been with Santander for over 10 years.

Never needed to use a branch office, everything done online - no cash or cheques to deposit.

[So]

sgrimshaw said:

Been with Santander for over 10 years.

Never needed to use a branch office, everything done online - no cash or cheques to deposit.

Good to deal with?

Have they got a banking app and is it finger print access on iPhone?

Also can you on the online banking, for example, select date a date range from 1 September 2017 to today and view all transactions?

[LDN]

From experience, NatWest has actually been the worst. So there might be a reason they seem so keen... that being that they don’t get as much business as other banks do. NatWest online banking and app is years behind the Barclays one; to the point my partner just closed up her Natwest acc. purely for that reason alone.

[So]

LDN said:

From experience, NatWest has actually been the worst. So there might be a reason they seem so keen... that being that they don’t get as much business as other banks do. NatWest online banking and app is years behind the Barclays one; to the point my partner just closed up her Natwest acc. purely for that reason alone.

Perhaps I should look at Barclays too.

[sgrimshaw]

So said:

Good to deal with?

Have they got a banking app and is it finger print access on iPhone?

Also can you on the online banking, for example, select date a date range from 1 September 2017 to today and view all transactions?

Never needed to contact them.

Don't know about a banking app, I do everything using their online banking.

Yes, you can select a date range and view the transactions.

ETA - just had a look and it seems they do offer Mobile Business Bank:

https://www.santander.co.uk/uk/business/help-suppo...

Just checked for myself, and from the reviews it doesn't seem to be a very good app.

Edited by sgrimshaw on Wednesday 21st February 17:59

[So]

sgrimshaw said:

So said:

Good to deal with?

Have they got a banking app and is it finger print access on iPhone?

Also can you on the online banking, for example, select date a date range from 1 September 2017 to today and view all transactions?

Never needed to contact them.

Don't know about a banking app, I do everything using their online banking.

Yes, you can select a date range and view the transactions.

ETA - just had a look and it seems they do offer Mobile Business Bank:

https://www.santander.co.uk/uk/business/help-suppo...

Just checked for myself, and from the reviews it doesn't seem to be a very good app.

Edited by sgrimshaw on Wednesday 21st February 17:59

Thanks for checking it out for me. I think I will cross them off the list.

[surveyor]

I've used RBS (Natwest in all but name) and Santander. The latter is streets ahead.

RBS did everything in their power to piss me off. Opening the bank account took weeks and reams of paperwork. Obtaining online banking involved more paperwork, and if it is wrong, they don't send you the form to sign the bit you missed - they tell you to start again...

Santander took a week to get the account setup. All paperwork done online. No contact with the local branch. Their app will do what you want, with the exception of fingerprint access, but it's not difficult to remember a password and pin number.

[pharmvrs]

I use Lloyd’s bank, app has express login (fingertip) on the iPhone.

Statement searches cover any 90 Day range or you can use the search function.

I’m online business only; no cash, cheques or visits.

18months free then £6.95 or thereabouts....

Not had any issues in 20 months usage except for twice when the “system” was down and couldn’t log in.

[Tebbers]

I use Lloyds bank and Barclays iPhone apps as I work with a couple of businesses. I would probably recommend Lloyds. Barclays’s app is good, a bit clunky in places (e.g. I have to select the account from which I want to make a payment from, despite there only being one account) and they seem incapable of making SMS notifications work. Lloyd’s app is smoother and faster. It seems more polished. Both have fingerprint login.

Avoid HSBC like the plague is my other advice. Their mobile banking is like something out of the 1990s.

[DSLiverpool]

I’ve been with Nat West over 20 years, I don’t use an app but extensively use online banking and it does all I need.
More importantly to me when Amazon decided they wanted to hold a months money pending god vouching for my ID they put an emergency overdraft in place within a day. Other banks might do the same but it’s bonded me to them and that was 8 years ago.

[pincher]

Have you looked at Metro Bank? I think I’ve seen them mentioned favourably a few times.

No personal experience though, other than using one of their cashpoint machines a while back which I don’t think counts as qualified opinion

[So]

Tebbers said:

I use Lloyds bank and Barclays iPhone apps as I work with a couple of businesses. I would probably recommend Lloyds. Barclays’s app is good, a bit clunky in places (e.g. I have to select the account from which I want to make a payment from, despite there only being one account) and they seem incapable of making SMS notifications work. Lloyd’s app is smoother and faster. It seems more polished. Both have fingerprint login.

Avoid HSBC like the plague is my other advice. Their mobile banking is like something out of the 1990s.

I've tried Lloyds twice and it didn't go well. What's the expression? "Fool me once...". The main problem being that it's nigh on impossible to speak to anyone and "someone will call you back within 2 hours". If you miss the call, that's you stuffed for another two hours potentially because you cannot call straight back to the individual concerned.

HSBC's banking app is more from the 1980s and requires a soft reset of my phone to make it work at all.

[LDN]

So said:

Tebbers said:

I use Lloyds bank and Barclays iPhone apps as I work with a couple of businesses. I would probably recommend Lloyds. Barclays’s app is good, a bit clunky in places (e.g. I have to select the account from which I want to make a payment from, despite there only being one account) and they seem incapable of making SMS notifications work. Lloyd’s app is smoother and faster. It seems more polished. Both have fingerprint login.

Avoid HSBC like the plague is my other advice. Their mobile banking is like something out of the 1990s.

I've tried Lloyds twice and it didn't go well. What's the expression? "Fool me once...". The main problem being that it's nigh on impossible to speak to anyone and "someone will call you back within 2 hours". If you miss the call, that's you stuffed for another two hours potentially because you cannot call straight back to the individual concerned.

HSBC's banking app is more from the 1980s and requires a soft reset of my phone to make it work at all.

As well; you can call Barclays direct, from the APP; the fact that you are logged into the APP is all the security they need; it's brilliant being able to tap the in APP call button and actually speak with someone.

[So]

LDN said:

So said:

Tebbers said:

I use Lloyds bank and Barclays iPhone apps as I work with a couple of businesses. I would probably recommend Lloyds. Barclays’s app is good, a bit clunky in places (e.g. I have to select the account from which I want to make a payment from, despite there only being one account) and they seem incapable of making SMS notifications work. Lloyd’s app is smoother and faster. It seems more polished. Both have fingerprint login.

Avoid HSBC like the plague is my other advice. Their mobile banking is like something out of the 1990s.

I've tried Lloyds twice and it didn't go well. What's the expression? "Fool me once...". The main problem being that it's nigh on impossible to speak to anyone and "someone will call you back within 2 hours". If you miss the call, that's you stuffed for another two hours potentially because you cannot call straight back to the individual concerned.

HSBC's banking app is more from the 1980s and requires a soft reset of my phone to make it work at all.

As well; you can call Barclays direct, from the APP; the fact that you are logged into the APP is all the security they need; it's brilliant being able to tap the in APP call button and actually speak with someone.

Worth looking into

[Nick928]

Be aware, NATWEST are closing branches as fast as you can find them.
They keep sending letters saying they’re closing particular branches due to lack of demand however there are often queues out the door.
The record so far has been three letters in one day informing us about different local branches closing.

[Nick928]

So said:

Good to deal with?

Have they got a banking app and is it finger print access on iPhone?

Also can you on the online banking, for example, select date a date range from 1 September 2017 to today and view all transactions?

When I started, Santander did a free online only business account.
An utter disaster.
Came to a head coming up to Christmas one year where they buggered up the card/pin and we couldn’t pay cheques in for a few weeks leading to a serious cash flow issue and us not being able to pay staff wages over Christmas.
Their answer was “it’s free, what do you expect”.
It always felt like they were in competition with us instead of on our side.
Closed the account straight after, business can be tricky at the best of times without your bank trying to fk you up as well.

[Jockman]

I’m about to open a Lloyd’s linked to my generic hsbc one. This is for a specific project.

Good to hear some positive reviews.

[48k]

Had a Santandar business account since 2008 and just opened another one with them. They've been absolutely great, zero hassle and I do everything online.