Banking issues

I use online banking via my phone app and check it regularly.
No branches left near me.

I can use the post office to pay in money or withdraw.

I have had to visit the main bank branch a couple of times for help and explanations. They can probably help you set up mobile banking.
I needed help sending money to my DGS in New Zealand - even the Bank staff found that hard which was reassuring!
Another time I was paying a very large sum so needed help.
The bank insisted, for added security, I phone the recipient to make sure that pthe voice was one I was happy to send money to!

My bank also told me that the safest way to do transfers is on my phone - they said the security on banking apps/phones was really high - so now I use my phone over my laptop!

Floradora9

Foxglove77

What happens when someone steals your mobile? The app is there for them to access and you are vulnerable.

I was talked into loading the mobile app and the minute I used it, our account was frozen, resulting in a trip to the nearest branch miles away to sort it out.

You must need a fingerprint or password identification to get into you bank account . You cannot just open a phone and use it .

You have days and days of starting from scratch with a new phone.
You can probably back up the phone to the “cloud” but how many do that?

Foxglove77

What happens when someone steals your mobile? The app is there for them to access and you are vulnerable.

I was talked into loading the mobile app and the minute I used it, our account was frozen, resulting in a trip to the nearest branch miles away to sort it out.

You must need a fingerprint or password identification to get into you bank account . You cannot just open a phone and use it .

When I'm away from home, I am willing to use an online banking app on my mobile phone if the connection is using my phone provider's mobile data which is generally more secure than using WiFi. However, I won't check my account using free wifi when away from home unless I turn on a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which hides source and destination data and makes any connection unreadable. A VPN can be used with mobile data for added security.
My mobile also has face and fingerprint recognition (so does my banking app) - some older phones don't have this. The less protection the phone offers, the greater your risk.

You are making life really hard for yourself! I have never had a problem with online banking...so easy

I have advanced encryption on my desktop

The specialist person who helps me with IT says than phone banking is actually safer than doing it on a laptop. It's something to do with advanced encryption.
But I do find it more awkward and I worry about getting the amount wrong as the keys are so small on the phone.

I can’t imagine going back to an outside loo, candles instead of electricity, horse and trap instead of a car etc etc. Life moves on and we move with it.

I was quite resistant to doing banking on line for a while, but it's so inconvenient not to. I'm lucky where we live, we have practically all the major banks in town, including mine, Barclays, so I was forever going into branch before I was finally persuaded by a member of staff to have the app on my phone. Yes! all I can reiterate is that it is so convenient and easy, I'm an infrequent visitor to the branch now and I can't imagine going back to not doing online banking.

Made me think about it if I actually had a branch of my bank in our town what would I actually use it for? Even in the times before online banking I rarely visited a physical bank.

PaynesGrey

^This is exactly why I don't want to use online banking!^

You are making life difficult for yourself.

If you had already had online banking you would be conversant with how it all works. You wouldn't necessarily need a mobile app but it's simpler to use one.

Paying a new payee is easy. First of all you must ensure you have the correct payee details. Once you are sure, you simply use the app to enter the payee’s name, say whether it’s a personal of business account, input their account number, sort code and amount to be paid.

The bank will check that the account you are about to pay is bona fide.

You will be then be taken though a couple of security checks including two-step authentification via a text, email or card reader (depending on the bank) and it’s done. No phone calls necessary. Takes about five minutes tops.

No. The banks are making life difficult for everyone, closing branches in the name of cost-cutting and expecting us to worship at the shrine of Online Banking.

And then a cyber attack brings down the whole damn system.

Sadly, Snowbell, that is the world we live in and I can't imagine it is going to get any better in the future.

Once you get used to it its so easy you will be alright. As far as getting older it is much easier to use the app than speak to an opperative on the phone as depending on which bank they can vary in the way they can help or not help as you know. Its a real pain all these banks closing down.

I've banked online for years but my laptop died briefly when I had some payment deadlines, so in desperation I added the banking apps to my phone. I surprised myself that I could manage lots of things more easily on the apps. There are a few things I still do on the laptop as the screen is easier to read but I'm now mostly happy with the phone apps. It is also good for the times I remember about something when I'm out and about and can just do it without having to remember when I get home.
Like you I've had to contend with my nearest branches closing, although the next nearest banks aren't too far away. I was complaining to my DD about bank closures disenfranchising people who couldn't do things online and didn't have smart phones. She was totally unsympathetic claiming that people need to get themselves online as it is the future etc. I'm just glad my mother died before it became so difficult. She didn't have a mobile phone, let alone a smart phone and had never even used a computer, certainly didn't own one. Towards the end of her life my brother had poa and managed everything for her. I know lots of people who are reluctant but the banks are making things more secure all the time. I'm sure there will come a time when not having online facilities will be even more difficult than it is now. Embrace the challenge while you have a choice rather than waiting until you are forced to!

I have the online banking but have just received 2 letters asking me to set up with new passwords. I don't know why I need this as I have no trouble logging on the computer.

I disagree with posters blaming OP for this problem caused by the bank. The point is that no one should be forced to use a system which impedes them. I use a smartphone and mobile banking apps etc myself, but the problem is that there is no joined up thinking and the person at the bank advising the use of the app (following their script) is unaware of the security consequences of doing so for someone who only uses telephone banking and so this is therefore bad advice for this person. This caused inconvenience and the advice to attend a local branch is also unhelpful if local branches do not exist and transport may not be available to the customer . It is the way things are going and I disagree with the one size fits all (for the convenience of the bank not the customer). The bank was unhelpful and caused difficulty to their customer regardless of how easy the rest of us find the apps, That is not the point. Preventing customers from accessing their own account in this automated way demonstrates the lack of human understanding of the actual problem. This is the way things are going and not all for the best unfortunately. It’s to save money and replace people with automated systems and checks, saving on wages and high street rents. Win win for the bank, lose lose for the customer. But the bank is faceless and does not care.

PaynesGrey

^This is exactly why I don't want to use online banking!^

You are making life difficult for yourself.

If you had already had online banking you would be conversant with how it all works. You wouldn't necessarily need a mobile app but it's simpler to use one.

Paying a new payee is easy. First of all you must ensure you have the correct payee details. Once you are sure, you simply use the app to enter the payee’s name, say whether it’s a personal of business account, input their account number, sort code and amount to be paid.

The bank will check that the account you are about to pay is bona fide.

You will be then be taken though a couple of security checks including two-step authentification via a text, email or card reader (depending on the bank) and it’s done. No phone calls necessary. Takes about five minutes tops.

I agree. I have online banking but hubby doesn't, and we don't have a branch of his bank nearby so any transactions are very difficult for him. We don't have a joint bank account.

Banking online is easy . Do it… if you have a tablet or PC much better. I never use it on my phone, far too fiddly. Unlikely to be stolen as I rarely take my iPad out and the PC is firmly routed at home!
Do you have family or relatives who can help you set it up?
You can even pay in cheques on the app by photographing them!
Good Luck

Absolutely agree, I’ve banked online for twenty years, as long as you are careful with passwords etc, ( most banks appear to have two stroke authentication nowadays) it works fine. It’s annoying not to be able to be able to walk into a branch occasionally but it’s life .

I have had online banking since it was invented and never had the problems you describe, but I would never for a moment consider using my phone for banking.

Any confidential online business I do from my laptop and clear the browser once I have finished every time.

Perhaps you should give online banking from a computer or tablet another try?

Georgesgran

I’ve only gone onto online banking via the App in the past 18 months. It’s so easy. I can’t believe I was so stubborn and delayed it for so long.
I did have an issue paying an enormous amount to a new payee, but I’m pleased the Bank was thorough in finding out that it was a genuine transaction.

This is often a problem I think, though I have finally managed to get them to raise my daily limit. There was one payment that they actually would not allow me to do online, so eventually I had to send the payee a cheque which seems ridiculous in this day and age.
We moved house during lockdown and had quite a performance making the exchange and completion payments to the solicitor as there was only one bank open in a 30 mile area. We had to queue for two hours on both occasions,

I've done online and mobile banking for while, but my husband has only just started (with mobile banking) due largely to the problems of getting to a branch of the bank that is still actually open. All three of our local branches have closed, despite the fact that we live in a very urban part of greater London.
He's yet to open online banking and because of this has had problems doing quite a few things.
All these new methods of banking seem to be primarily for the benefit of the bank, enabling them to shut branches - though when you do go to a branch you see just how many people need to do things that can only be done there.
Personally I find mobile banking very useful but still need to visit a branch sometimes.

Online banking doesn't have to be done on phones.

Foxglove77

What happens when someone steals your mobile? The app is there for them to access and you are vulnerable.

I was talked into loading the mobile app and the minute I used it, our account was frozen, resulting in a trip to the nearest branch miles away to sort it out.

As others have said, if someone steals your phone, they need to be able to access anything in ut through passcodes, fingerprints, ir face. Even if they were able to somehow get access to anything which is highly unlikely, on-line banking accounts need passwords, user IDs and other security to access them too. It would make life so much easier for you if you would use it. They try and make online banking as easy to navigate around as possible too.