Opening Halifax account?

TheMoneySavingNovice

I applied for an account online and found it quite easy. Then they sent me the username and password. Fine.

I logon to find 2 accounts?!?

Then they send me a letter to say I need to pay £100 into an account before I can get my debit card?

hcb42

what kind of accounts, some internet savings might also need a current account maybe?

TheMoneySavingNovice

They're both current accounts

ceh209

The £100 thing is normal for them, advice is to leave it in overnight then take it out if you don't want it in there.

As for the 2 accounts, I'd be on to telephone banking or in a branch to see what's going on there. (before you put £100 in, as you might put it in the wrong one!)

TheMoneySavingNovice

Just sorted it on the phone. They couldn't really explain how it happened but they will close the spare one.

The £100 has to be paid in CASH at a branch along with my ID. Why £100 I'll never know. I always thought a £1 was the norm.

Vortigern

TheMoneySavingNovice wrote: »

The £100 has to be paid in CASH at a branch along with my ID. Why £100 I'll never know. I always thought a £1 was the norm.

They keep moving the goalposts. I opened a Halifax Reward C/A with a £100 BACS transfer from another bank. More recently my OH opened one online but had to call in to a branch to fund it. They accepted a £100 cheque.

jen245

I also made the initial £100 payment into the account by faster payment from my Natwest account, no need to go into a branch.

opinions4u

TheMoneySavingNovice wrote: »

The £100 has to be paid in CASH at a branch along with my ID.

Provide the ID at the branch. A cash or cheque deposit will then generate the debit card. If you did pay in automatically via BACS/FP the money would mysteriously disappear for a couple of days before reappearing.

Why £100 I'll never know. I always thought a £1 was the norm.

It confirms a commitment to the account.

£1 doesn't come close to covering the costs of issuing the card.

StephenM_2

Vortigern wrote: »

They keep moving the goalposts. I opened a Halifax Reward C/A with a £100 BACS transfer from another bank. More recently my OH opened one online but had to call in to a branch to fund it. They accepted a £100 cheque.

My wife opened a Halifax current account online as recently as April. She paid the £100 by transfer from another bank, never visited the branch, and didn't need to supply any id. Maybe its because we have a joint Halifax mortgage, so technically she was already a customer.

The_Palmist

Did you switch your direct debits. I recently opened a Halifax account too. Said no to switching, then they offered £50 so I moved all direct debits to Halifax. Money already paid in my new account. Yes I was asked to put in £100 too.

TheMoneySavingNovice

opinions4u wrote: »

Provide the ID at the branch. A cash or cheque deposit will then generate the debit card. If you did pay in automatically via BACS/FP the money would mysteriously disappear for a couple of days before reappearing.

It confirms a commitment to the account.

£1 doesn't come close to covering the costs of issuing the card.

Every other bank I've been with I have opened with £1

Why would it disappear? Is that for every BACS payment I make to the account?