Which bank offers the best internet banking?

innovate

Innovate wrote: »

Apparently by ive never seen them

Look, and you will see.
Luke 18:35-42

innovate

rb10 wrote: »

I assume this is a joke - it's a very 1990s site. Your accounts (which is, after all, what most people are interested in) sit in a tiny box, surrounded by adverts and irrelevant nonsense.

They are also the only bank (though in the same pot as RBS and Ulster Bank) who, in living memory, managed to be offline to all their users for the best part of a month.

Which probably should serve a reminder to the OP that technology can fail, and relying on just one single bank, even if they had a pretty online presence, is at best careless.

Cornucopia

rb10 wrote: »

Another vote for Nationwide here. Since they refreshed it last year, it's very straightforward to use. I can't remember the last time I had to use a cardreader.

I have to use it every time I log on. Which is pretty straightforward, admittedly.

However, when I set up a new payment or DD, there's an elaborate sequence of card reader steps, including entering obscure 8-digit numbers into it. I appreciate that it's for my protection, but I've already used it to log-in in the first place.

Archi_Bald

Cornucopia wrote: »

I have to use it every time I log on. Which is pretty straightforward, admittedly.

However, when I set up a new payment or DD, there's an elaborate sequence of card reader steps, including entering obscure 8-digit numbers into it. I appreciate that it's for my protection, but I've already used it to log-in in the first place.

This doesn't tally with my experience at all.

1. if I use the card reader for logging in, I do not have to use the card reader again for anything I do in that particular internet session
2. I can log in without the card reader anytime I like
3. when I have logged in without the card reader, I very occasionally have to use the card reader when making a payment to a new payee
4. the sequence of steps to go through is just as simple as it is with any other bank that uses card readers

I would be very surprised if the above just applied to me. Particularly, I am certain that everybody can log in without needing the card reader.

Cornucopia

The main option for me is to use the card reader. There is a secondary option to use "memorable data". However, I'm not sure I can remember my memorable data...

EarthBoy

My experience is identical to Archi Bald's.

rb10

Cornucopia wrote: »

The main option for me is to use the card reader. There is a secondary option to use "memorable data". However, I'm not sure I can remember my memorable data...

You can reset your memorable data if you've forgotten it. Then you will hardly ever have to use the card reader.

Biggles

There's no point choosing a bank just because of its online banking, they all change at intervals and, as pointed out, FD is due to change shortly. And they can all carry out the main banking transactions.

You choose a bank because of interest rates, location of branches, switching bonuses, payment facilities etc etc. Mind you, these can all change too......

TheEffect

First Direct have mentioned they're making changes to Internet Banking, but they're not actually improving it anytime soon. Their changes are the implementation of a secure key. Nothing else will change for the time being.

They have said that they'll look at implementing new features into their internet banking once the secure key has been released, however, going by their past records of near non-existent updates, I wouldn't bank on it.

I think FD act on a 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' rather than a constant strive to be the best.

rb10

Biggles wrote: »

There's no point choosing a bank just because of its online banking, they all change at intervals and, as pointed out, FD is due to change shortly. And they can all carry out the main banking transactions.

You choose a bank because of interest rates, location of branches, switching bonuses, payment facilities etc etc. Mind you, these can all change too......

I disagree.

Online/mobile banking is the main way that I interact with my bank, so I want it to be simple and fully-functional. It's far more important to me to have decent online banking than having a branch locally.

First Direct has been promising to move their online banking into the 21st century for years, and so far, nothing's happened other than introducing a secure key and removing the functionality to cancel direct debits.