Basic Bank Account Thread

cifpower

If you apply for a basic Barclays account in branch they can give you your account details there and then if you are successful

Tabitha_T

I'm going to try that in the morning, thanks for your help

Cat_lady_5-2

cifpower wrote: »

Could you not open an account in Spain with someone like Santander? You could also try Citibank. They have sterling and euro accounts. When I had their sterling current account I was given a Visa debit card and was not charged for withdrawing cash in Gran Canaria.

Unfortunately I don't need an account in Spain, I already have one. I need an account in the UK where my income is paid in and where I have a card to withdraw cash from an ATM in Spain. Now that Nationwide are withdrawing their service of a cash card, I am desperate. I do not want to arrange to have my UK income transferred over to Spain because there will be extra costs. I have had my account with the Nationwide for approx 10 years, but they have refused to upgrade my account to enable me to have the facility of a Visa card. Presumably because I am resident here in Spain and not on the electoral role in the UK. Please has anyone any suggestions. I have looked at several accounts but most of them say 'UK residents'.

gazd83

Hi, can someone point me in the right direction please.

I am looking to open a basic bank account. I don't care about interest rates and overdrafts just purely a 'bills' account.

I have been in DMP since July 09 and recently got refused the CITI basic account and was pretty gutted. Where is the best place for me to turn to now?

PaulW922

Gazd83

I don't think the Citibank account is a true 'basic' one.

If you go online to the Halifax or BOS you can open an Easycash account online. Provided you pass the identity checks (ie you are on the electoral roll) you will not have to go into a branch to open it and you will not be pressured into applying for something more. The account is free, has an ATM and debit card and offers standing orders and direct debits as well as bill payments and online banking.

You could also try other banks such as Lloyds, Barclays, Clydesdale and Yorkshire, but this particular one from Halifax is easy to open online.

Dottydoodah_2

Hi
I am in a bit of a pickle.
I am a New Zealander now permanently resident in UK. I have now been here 1yr exactly. I am a registered nurse in full time employment, but i have been refused a Santander bank account. They only asked for my passport as ID in the branch. I got no explanation as to why i was refused.
As i have no credit history in UK i have had to stay at my daughters house and have no utility bills in my name. Stupidly, i have just realised that my NZ drivers licence has recently expired and renewing that is going to take a while!!
Is there ANY bank account that is open to me which only requires my passport that WILL accept me?
All i want it for is to pay in my salary and service direct debits as and when i get some!

Thanks in advance

Tabitha_T

Hiya everybody, good afternoon

This morning my OH and I successfully opened a Barclays basic account, took a while doing all the paperwork but got there in the end and came away with our new sort code and account number. Feeling very pleased with ourselves until we remembered that we have a Barclaycard debt (which for some reason we had only been thinking of as 'Visa' in our minds) so now we're concerned we're back to square one. Just spoke to National Debtline and they have strongly advised we find yet another high street bank that has no such tuck-up with any of our creditors. They reckon that Barclaycard could legally take money out of our new Barclays account to repay the debt, scary...

A lot of the other banks do seem to be tied in with other financial institutions, it really does pay to check these things, wish we had! Found a useful link on the national debtline that lets you check such things:

http://www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk/subscriberlist.php

Think we will need to go and try the Nationwide but you don't get a debit card with that one which is a bit of a pain, ho hum.

With Barclays, we were only asked for our passports as ID and whether or not we were resident in the UK, so you could be lucky and try applying, good luck.

Does anybody have any experiece of a credit card company trying to claim back money through their banking division?

Cheers, Tabs x

Toe-Jam

Tabitha_T wrote: »

Hiya everybody, good afternoon

This morning my OH and I successfully opened a Barclays basic account, took a while doing all the paperwork but got there in the end and came away with our new sort code and account number. Feeling very pleased with ourselves until we remembered that we have a Barclaycard debt (which for some reason we had only been thinking of as 'Visa' in our minds) so now we're concerned we're back to square one. Just spoke to National Debtline and they have strongly advised we find yet another high street bank that has no such tuck-up with any of our creditors. They reckon that Barclaycard could legally take money out of our new Barclays account to repay the debt, scary...

A lot of the other banks do seem to be tied in with other financial institutions, it really does pay to check these things, wish we had! Found a useful link on the national debtline that lets you check such things:

http://www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk/subscriberlist.php

Think we will need to go and try the Nationwide but you don't get a debit card with that one which is a bit of a pain, ho hum.

With Barclays, we were only asked for our passports as ID and whether or not we were resident in the UK, so you could be lucky and try applying, good luck.

Does anybody have any experiece of a credit card company trying to claim back money through their banking division?

Cheers, Tabs x

Yes they can and will do this they just go in and help themselves, its called Right to Offset.

With regards to Nationwide, they will be offering a debit visa debit card on the basic account after July. So you might want to go with them and hold out for that.

Toe-Jam

Dottydoodah wrote: »

Hi
I am in a bit of a pickle.
I am a New Zealander now permanently resident in UK. I have now been here 1yr exactly. I am a registered nurse in full time employment, but i have been refused a Santander bank account. They only asked for my passport as ID in the branch. I got no explanation as to why i was refused.
As i have no credit history in UK i have had to stay at my daughters house and have no utility bills in my name. Stupidly, i have just realised that my NZ drivers licence has recently expired and renewing that is going to take a while!!
Is there ANY bank account that is open to me which only requires my passport that WILL accept me?
All i want it for is to pay in my salary and service direct debits as and when i get some!

Thanks in advance

Try a Halifax Easycash account, (Apply Online) Or go to HSBC and ask for a Passport account (you have to pay for it £8 a month for a year) its for people who are new to the UK.

pmduk

Dottydoodah wrote: »

Hi
i have just realised that my NZ drivers licence has recently expired and renewing that is going to take a while!!

Slightly off-topic, but you do realise that you will now need to get a UK Driving Licence? Even when renewed your NZ licence is only valid for the first 12 months you are in this country.