New Metrobank branch.

ColdIron

bigblackdog wrote: »

metrobank gives away free lollipops , why has no one mentioned this ?
there is a dispenser loaded with lollipops on the counter

They do? Rats, I missed this, I'm not too old to eat a lollipop

They also give away free pens, last week I saw a bloke load his dufflebag with at least 12 handfuls of them and no-one blinked an eye. What on earth do you do with 200+ cheap pens?

cockmad

I never said opinions4u that cheque books are 21st century. I said printing cards and cheque books in branch is very 21st century.

Bloomberg

cockmad wrote: »

They certainly have some way to go with their online facilities, very poor. On the other hand printing cards and cheque books in branch is very "21st century" and will soon be the norm.

As far as I am concerned any bank with poor on-line facilities is not even in the running. I looked at their website and could not find anything about a mobile banking app - proper dark ages.



I think I will stick with Barclays. In fact if I had to choose between banking with Metro Bank or the dreaded Santander I would probably go with Santander.

Archi_Bald

Bloomberg wrote: »

I think I will stick with Barclays. In fact if I had to choose between banking with Metro Bank or the dreaded Santander I would probably go with Santander.

Give me the "dreaded" Santander, and certainly also Nationwide, any day instead of Barclays. At least I get decent interest there for my ISAs and current accounts. Barclays is just about the only UK bank/BS that had, in the last 2-3 years, nothing of use to offer to anyone always in credit.

Lloyds, BoS, Halifax, Natwest, HSBC, FD also all rank ahead of Barclays for people who never go overdrawn and have some cash to save.

opinions4u

ColdIron wrote: »

Pardon me if I am wrong, but I can't see anywhere where it says that their credit card is fee free for international transactions. Certainly the debit card is one of the best in this respect, it's one of the reasons I opened an account, but the credit card?

I'd be obliged if anyone could point me in the direction to where it states this

No additional fees in here:
https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/Global/Personal%20-%20Accounts/Credit%20Card%20Summary_IIS_10%2012.pdf

They don't overtly state it's fee free foreign currency transactions but it must be unless their PDF is non-compliant.

No £12 late fees either.

cockmad wrote: »

I never said opinions4u that cheque books are 21st century. I said printing cards and cheque books in branch is very 21st century.

I know you did. I even included your quote for context. Needing to print cheque books is not very 21st century.

ColdIron

opinions4u wrote: »

No additional fees in here:
https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/Global/Personal%20-%20Accounts/Credit%20Card%20Summary_IIS_10%2012.pdf

Perfect, thanks very much

Bloomberg

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Give me the "dreaded" Santander, and certainly also Nationwide, any day instead of Barclays. At least I get decent interest there for my ISAs and current accounts. Barclays is just about the only UK bank/BS that had, in the last 2-3 years, nothing of use to offer to anyone always in credit.

Lloyds, BoS, Halifax, Natwest, HSBC, FD also all rank ahead of Barclays for people who never go overdrawn and have some cash to save.

Interest on my current account is not overly important. I just use Barclays for my day to day banking. Only a small percentage of my money is with them. Their service is very good, they are extremely innovative.

Archi_Bald

Bloomberg wrote: »

Their service is very good, they are extremely innovative.

When it comes to banks, I am mainly just interested in how much it costs me to have them administer my necessary payments, and how much they pay me when I deposit money with them that they can lend out.

On that criteria, Barclays never registered on any scale you could name in the last 2-3 years.

Several other banks and BSs have had / are having offers that cost me nothing but pay me decent amounts (that in total add up to hundreds over the year). I even get paid for my day to day banking at what you call "the dreaded" Santander. The cashback I get there from all the DDs, minus the monthly account fee, easily adds up to over £120 a year. And let's not even talk about the comparatively terrible savings and cash ISA rates Barclays have been consistently paying for years.

I might have missed something obvious at Barclays, and would be very interested in understanding how they are extremely innovative. Note I am am not impressed by some gizzmo online or mobile features that have no tangible financial benefit, or whose financial benefit is outweighed by the lack of things such as interest payments, on however small my current account balance might be.

Bloomberg

Archi_Bald wrote: »

When it comes to banks, I am mainly just interested in how much it costs me to have them administer my necessary payments, and how much they pay me when I deposit money with them that they can lend out.

On that criteria, Barclays never registered on any scale you could name in the last 2-3 years.

Several other banks and BSs have had / are having offers that cost me nothing but pay me decent amounts (that in total add up to hundreds over the year). I even get paid for my day to day banking at what you call "the dreaded" Santander. The cashback I get there from all the DDs, minus the monthly account fee, easily adds up to over £120 a year. And let's not even talk about the comparatively terrible savings and cash ISA rates Barclays have been consistently paying for years.

I might have missed something obvious at Barclays, and would be very interested in understanding how they are extremely innovative. Note I am am not impressed by some gizzmo online or mobile features that have no tangible financial benefit, or whose financial benefit is outweighed by the lack of things such as interest payments, on however small my current account balance might be.

My ISA is with HSBC and the rate is very good. You ask about innovation, Barclays have an excellent mobile app and there Internet banking is top notch. On the website you can also store documents, everything from utility bills to your driving licence. They were the first to introduce the debit card and contactless payments. Very innovative in my opinion.

opinions4u

While Barclays pricing is invariably poor, bar the occasional ISA, they have been consistently the most innovative bank over the last 50 years.