Halifax Easycash accounts

lala9

Wondered if any of you lovely folk happen to have a Halifax Easycash account. I’m thinking of changing my account from the Coop as they are driving me mad, for three reasons mainly:

The fact that your internet banking does not update until days after the spend.

The text service they offer does not give you an up to date balance at all, it’s basically what the internet shows. But….. when I first signed up to coop 2 years ago they offered me a service where I can text the word Balance to this certain number it would text back your account balance ‘bang up to date’ and I mean payments I had made within the last 5 mins. This was with my old phone, which is now my daughters. I have a new phone with new number, tried to get the service moved across with no luck, they don’t provide that service anymore apparently, which is rubbish, because when I use my daughters phone it still works!!!

I applied for an upgrade to the next level of account in the hope they would honour this due to my good conduct with them for the past 2 years, but they declined me. I appreciate that I am 2 years after bankruptcy, but the only reason I applied for this account is so I could gain access to a better internet banking service where you don’t have to wait 6 weeks for it to update.

So, been approved for a Halifax easycash, can anybody tell me how it works for them, is the internet banking instantaneous, text service good etc.

AndyBSG

No experience of Halifax EasyCash myself but, like you, I became very frustrated with CO-OP and recently closed my account with them.

Not being able to see an up to date balance online was also one of my main gripes, as well as having difficulties trying to find an actual branch near me when I needed to draw out more than £250!

The recent news about the credit agencies setting the CO-OP's credit rating to 'junk' and the way they're trying to raid pension accounts to bail the bank out also set alarm bells ringing!

I was discharged 4 years ago and managed to open a Nationwide VISA debit current account with no difficulties.

lala9

Hi AndyBSG, glad it's not just me, after I posted that I thought I may sound a bit moany. Is your Nationwide account a basic account? I thought they were really strict, if not the strictest bank around. It's not sounding great for the Coop is it, so I may make the leap. Thanks for responding.

AndyBSG

It's the most basic Nationwide account there is but it's not as basic as the CO-OP cashminder one.

Remember, you only need a basic account until your BR is discharged, as soon as it's discharged you can back to a standard current account if you can find a bank that will let you have one.

As far as i'm aware, I didn't have to have a credit check for the account I have now and the application form didn't ask me if I had been BR.

DreamerHelen

Hi There....I have had a Halifax Easycash Account for the past 2-3 Weeks....and I have to say that I'm really pleased with it so far.

The Balances seem to update quickly....and they offer a good Online Banking Service...

My only gripe is that I can't use the Counters at the Halifax so if for example I wanted to get out £9.50 I can't do that....I would have to get out a tenner....which sometimes I don't always have....if that makes sense....but all I do is Transfer it over to my Barclays Account and take out whatever I want...

So, all in all, I'm really pleased with it....and the Customer Service is really great....

Hope that helps a little....

lala9

Thanks for that. Is the internet banking instantaneous? can't bear not knowing where I am

Toe-Jam

lala9 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Is the internet banking instantaneous? can't bear not knowing where I am

Yes it is instant on the Easycash account. Sometimes you do have to log out and in again if you have spent funds while logged in to get the balance to refresh.

debt_doctor

Hi,

I have a Halifax easy cash account, had it since 2006.

Internet banking is good, with most transactions appearing on the account immediately.
Sometimes there is a delay with payments made by debit card, although the 'available balance' is reduced immediately.

I don't use the text service, so can't comment.

DD

lala9

How about using your card, because its electron does it have limited places you can use it and also abroad are you able to use it? Looking good so far though, thanks for your responses

lala9

Also, what if you had debts with RBS (Tesco) rolled into your BR, aren't Halfax part of that group? However, my mortgage is with Halifax which I have kept totally up to date throughout my br and previous 7 years. Or do I have that wrong???

SteveABC

I was frustrated with Coop internet banking too. Nat West let me open a basic account 6 weeks after discharge (with my discharge document as proof). The internet banking updates the moment you use the debit card.