Paying cash into someone's account at a RBOS branch

Raphael

Hi, first post for me, hope someone knows a bit more about this here...
For the past few months I have been paying my rent into my landlady's bank account on the rent due date. Her account is with The Royal Bank of Scotland and I just go and pay cash at a RBOS counter.

I've always thought that by paying this way the money arrives immediately into her account on the day itself provided it is paid before a certain time and i have done this with other people before without ever encountering any problems.

However she has been complaining that she doesn't receive the money until at least a week later and never knows if my rent has been paid or not as it doesn't show on her mini-statements until much later.

For this month she told me she would come to collect the rent in cash as she wanted to inspect the flat at the same time anyway. So she came around last week and I offered to show her all the bank receipts from the previous months to prove that my rent had been paid when I said it had been, but her reply was "no, I know it's not your fault, it's a problem with the bank, I've spoken to them and it happens with certain accounts that the payments are delayed, they said they'd make sure it doesn't happen to me again but you never know, so from now on I'll just come and collect the rent from you every month."

For various reasons I am not keen on that at all, not sure what I'll do about it yet (and this is off-topic anyway) but what I need to work out is whether she has been telling me the truth about the bank or whether there's something else going on which I should be worried about...

So is it actually possible that the payment to her account was delayed by several days (up to 10 days she says) for whatever reason? does it sometimes happen or is she bullshitting me completely?

Again, in case it makes any difference, it is RBOS she banks with, but I'm not sure whether it's a personal account or business account (it is in her personal name but she is apparently dealing with other flats too so might have to be a business account), and I pay cash (not cheque) directly at a RBOS counter. Does anyone know any more about this?

WrenBoy

Hi Raphael

Cash paid into a bank account is always credited immediately. I have done this with various bank accounts in the past, ie Barclays, NatWest and HSBC (although not RBS). Pop into the bank and ask the cashier for confirmation just to double-check.

Perhaps her problem is identifying the source of the money; ie credits sometimes come up on statements with just a reference number which means nothing and she has to trace it back. If she is getting loads of deposits it may be difficult to sort out which is which. Again, ask the cashier if there is any way your deposit could have a more meaningful description, ie your name?

WrenBoy

Raphael

Thanks, that's what I thought the problem was originally but since then I specifically asked to have my name added as a reference when I paid in. I know the name itself would only come up on the monthly statement not mini-statements from a cash machine, but the last time she was actually looking at the mini statement in front of me and saying she couldn't see any payment corresponding to the amount of my rent over the past week, so I imagine she doesn't have *that* many payments coming through since the mini statements only show a limited number of payments, and she says she believes me when I say I paid the rent on time, her problem is apparently with not receiving the money in time...

Which makes me suspect she is just trying to find reasons for pressuring me into paying the rent in cash, and I don't like the implications of that...

To return to the question, I know money should normally credited immediately, that's always been the case when I did it before anyway, but I was wondering if there could be reasons occasionally when it's not the case, because there's a specific problem with the person's account or something.

Or would it make any difference if her account was a business one and she'd not mentioned it but I was still paying the money in at a personal banking counter (would they not tell me anyway?). Or something... I would like to find a reasonable explanation but it looks like I'm gonna spend the next few weeks / months worrying about whether I can trust my landlady or whether I should fear for my accommodation again

chesky369

Why don't you suggest either paying by direct debit, standing order or by cheque?

Paul_Herring

chesky369 wrote: »

Why don't you suggest either paying by direct debit, standing order or by cheque?

I could be being very cynical here, but perhaps the landlady doesn't want her tenant putting the money in the account.

Raphael - what sort of proof is she giving you that she's received the money 'cash in hand'? (Both for your protection, and for paperwork her end for HMRC when she comes to file her tax returns.)

BruceyBonus

WrenBoy wrote: »

Hi Raphael

Cash paid into a bank account is always credited immediately. I have done this with various bank accounts in the past, ie Barclays, NatWest and HSBC (although not RBS). Pop into the bank and ask the cashier for confirmation just to double-check.

My parents bank with RBS and they seemed really suprised when I said that money paid into my HSBC and Nationwide accounts are credited immediately, whatever time of day you pay it in. They said that RBS has some cut off time in the afternoon, after this time deposits get processed the next day.

poppy_f1

my mum regularly pays money into my rbs account at the branch and it immedialtey shows on my online banking

Tori_Bellatrix

Raphael wrote: »

Hi, first post for me, hope someone knows a bit more about this here...
For the past few months I have been paying my rent into my landlady's bank account on the rent due date. Her account is with The Royal Bank of Scotland and I just go and pay cash at a RBOS counter.

I've always thought that by paying this way the money arrives immediately into her account on the day itself provided it is paid before a certain time and i have done this with other people before without ever encountering any problems.

Hi Raphael

I do the same as you and pay rent into my landladys HSBC account on the due date and it always shows up immediately. My LL is quite strict about her money being in their on the exact date so this way I can ensure it's paid.

Personally, I think your LL might not want your rent showing up as extra income ... as Paul_Herring suggested, it's might be for tax reasons ..

KL62

at work our business bank is with them and whatever we havent paid in by 3.30pm doesnt get credited until the next working day.

Compound_2

Raphael, are you paying cash into the same BRANCH where your landlady's account is held? A different RBS branch might take the cash but send a credit to your landlady's branch under the old paper system. This Bank Giro Credit takes two working days if done before the cut-off. It could take an extra day if going between England and Scotland, but it should never take 10 days. Handwritten account details can lead to issues/delay compared to preprinted slips. It's all pretty inefficient compared to swiping the customer's card for an instant credit.

C_Ronaldo

would it be easier if you set up a direct debit or gave the cash to her personnally,