Who do you bank with?

[Masood]

This has been done before, I know, but things change, so...

I am currently with Co-Operative Bank, happy enough in all aspects except that they don't have many branches as it is, and are closing my nearest one. So it's time to move.

I get "free" banking as a member of Federation of Small Businesses (which costs £150/year so in reality I pay about £12/month for my banking). I am OK with paying a monthly fee, but would prefer it to be a fixed fee so I can budget more easily.

Decent branch network with Saturday opening (half day is fine), Internet banking are both must-haves.

So - who are you with, would you recommend them, and (if you don't mind saying), how much do you pay per month. I'm a Ltd company if that makes a difference.

Cheers! 🙂

 

[rpm]

Think you can use the post office with the Co-Op bank mas.

 

[1Steven]

That's handy, thank you.

 

[leek]

Masood, we are with Natwest. Found them pretty helpful at branch level and there is a helpline for more general enquiries. We have just gone from sole to ltd so opened a new account and go back to 2 years of free banking, but when we were paying fees there was a tarriff that was capped, cant remember exactly how much but £25 a month rings a bell. To be honest my main consideration was location, I need to be able to easily pop in when I have to pay in. Cant be bothered with messing about with parking etc.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Business with RBS. Personal with Handelsbanken. Check the latter out, very old fashioned approach to service.

 

[T & H Plumbing]

Business with RBS. Personal with Handelsbanken. Check the latter out, very old fashioned approach to service.

Sounds dodgy ray you chucking all ya money offshore m8??
I bank with HSBC I'm still on my free 18 months but they do add what you would pay in the statements so if you don't like I'm sure you can pull the plug

 

[gasmanrob]

Thought we'd discovered we were all to much small fry for handlesbanken? Or are the accepting of Ray being a multi millionaire in the making since his hostile takeover??

When I was running I used Barclays couldn't complain about them really

 

[hammers4spanner]

Arnt Natwest cranking down the amount of high street branches they have?

 

[leek]

I think you may be right, the one up at Westerham has gone but it seems as the one nearest us is ok for now. If it was to go I would probably have to change.

 

[gasmanrob]

A lot of their older branches are being slowly closed but only where there regular repeat customers are below 100 a week but you can pay into natwest via your local post office

 

[leek]

Ah well that's good to know, so if all else fails I still have the post office. Prefer the branch though, the queues in the post office can be painful.

 

[Rckape]

I'm with Santander. The monthly fees are very cheap, I think something like £4.

The downside is they've been closing branches too. It's always been more of a postal account than anything but I don't get too many cheques these days. Cash, I pay into my personal account with Natwest then transfer it across using the banking app on my phone.

I chose santander over Natwest purely because of the cheap fees.

 

[rpm]

, the queues in the post office can be painful.

I find between 4-5pm is the best time to go.

 

[JBR*]

I'm with First Direct. I can pay cheques into any Midland Bank (sorry, HSBC) branch but, unfortunately, my local one closed last year.
Now, on the rare occasion I receive a cheque, I post it to their head office in Leeds.
No bank charges, btw, and always very helpful and prompt when I telephone.

 

[Ray Stafford]

what service do you guys need a local branch for?

 

[leek]

I use the branch for paying in cash & cheques, everything else gets done online. Its not often I need to do it but its convenient having one close by. Probably would be ways round it if I could be bothered to give it more thought...

 

[lame plumber]

what service do you guys need a local branch for?

paying in my filthy lucre

 

[Ray Stafford]

paying in my filthy lucre

You can pay cheques in by post way more easily than fighting your way into town. Jus keep a few stamped addressed envelopes in the van.

Do that many people pay cash these days?

 

[leek]

Not that many now to be honest, and normally older people. But it's still handy to be able to pop into a branch to lay it in. Even with cheques, I can't seem to trust that what I pop in the post will get there. Think I'm just a Luddite.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Business account is with Lloydes and costs £5 a month, obviously get charged to bank cash/cheque and charged to withdraw cash.
As for service I have an account manager who is excellent and always available when needed, I can also pay cheques in through the machines which is quicker but as far as I'm aware the machines are only inside the branches but I might be wrong on that.

Hope that helps.

 

[JBR*]

As Leek says, I don't have the confidence in Royal Snail that I once had and would prefer to pay cheques into a bank in person.

 

[Masood]

The queues in my local post office are generally 10 times longer than in the bank, and parking is a nightmare. And I also would be worried about cheques getting lost in the post. I don't normally take cheques but a couple of older customers insist, and I do get a fair amount of cash work...

 

[Ray Stafford]

The queues in my local post office are generally 10 times longer than in the bank

Every time I go into a post office, there is someone ahead of me running an internet business, sending about eleventeen quazzilion parcels. All by registered post.

And I also would be worried about cheques getting lost in the post.

Whilst I can't say this has never happened, in my experience it is very rare.

 

[rpm]

Guess I`m just lucky then, small PO with 1 counter window but going in between 4-5pm I never have more than 2-3 people ahead of me in a queue.

 

[Masood]

Guess I`m just lucky then, small PO with 1 counter window but going in between 4-5pm I never have more than 2-3 people ahead of me in a queue.

I have the same as Ray. People sending shedloads of parcels, all signed for or recorded. Or old people wanting to chat about their grandkids, piles, varicose veins or all three. It wouldn't be such a problem if my local council hadn't reduced the on-street pay and display parking spaces to just 4. That's right, FOUR spaces to serve a fairly busy and large shopping area.

There is a car park but my van can't fit under the barrier.

 

[rpm]

Did a job yesterday, mum & dad at work so 18yr old son had the cheque book to pay me but I had to write the cheque out for him as he`s never written a cheque before > Made me feel old!