ID requirements to open Nationwide a/c & withdraw cash

Bollinge

A notice has gone up in my local Nationwide branch saying that from July, to open an account or withdraw more than £500 in cash (which you have to pre-book anyway), if you show a photo driving licence as ID, you must also produce the paper "counterpart" (the bit with your speeding points on).

They blame "money laundering regulations" for this, but I checked at Coventry Building Society, Natwest, HSBC, and the Yorkshire Bank, and all of them say the picture licence itself is quite sufficient.

No doubt Nationwide would make some feeble excuse about "extra security", but I have my paper counterpart in front of me: it would be extremely easy to forge using my scanner and cheap printer - there's no hologram.

Are the banks making it up as they go along?

My friend was barred from re-opening an account with Coventry Building Society because his passport had expired by a few weeks. It was clearly his picture in the passport, and he had held an account there a couple of years before.

Every day the terrorists win.

jonesMUFCforever

Your friend should try travelling with an out of date passport. He wouldn't get far. An out of date passport is a no passport.

If he had closed an account with Coventry and had no other open accounts then he is a new customer so he has to prove his ID.

If you are not happy with the sign at Nationwide - tell them about it in writing to their complaints team at HO - if they don't change it - consider taking your business elswhere.

dunstonh

They blame "money laundering regulations" for this, but I checked at Coventry Building Society, Natwest, HSBC, and the Yorkshire Bank, and all of them say the picture licence itself is quite sufficient.

I agree. The paper version (new style) is not sufficient by itself but the picture driving licence is. Money laundering checks are risk based but it appears the Nationwide has decided to take this approach for one reason or another. If it is a local arrangement, it could be that this particular branch has been caught out and has taken an initiative of its own or has been told to do so so it can be seen to be doing more to prevent it again.

My friend was barred from re-opening an account with Coventry Building Society because his passport had expired by a few weeks. It was clearly his picture in the passport, and he had held an account there a couple of years before.

An out of date passport ceases to be a passport and is not acceptable by anyone.