WARNING! HSBC Mobile Banking App Users!

10pence

Quick warning to all HSBC Mobile Banking app users, you cannot afford to ignore this.

If you have a HSBC Bank account without an overdraft facility and check the account balance using HSBC's Mobile Banking App it cannot show that account as overdrawn if it has gone overdrawn.

I discovered this fault after being hit twice with bank overdraft charges. The issue has been raised with HSBC who have ignored the issue stating it must a localised issue with my device, I can assure you it is not. They have refused to accept the screenshots taken to prove the fault exists: linked here, Pic 1 shows the account with no OD showing £0.00 as balance, Pic 2 shows transfer of £30 and finally Pic 3 shows a balance of £25.91, meaning that the account was actually £4.09 overdrawn and could have incurred bank charges.

Please be careful if using the HSBC Mobile Banking app to check an account that has no formally arranged overdraft, it will not show a negative balance only a zero one.

I need to prove to HSBC that this is not a localised issue. If you are an HSBC customer or know of one, they use HSBC's Mobile Banking app on either an iPhone or Android device, have a bank account with no formally arranged overdraft and are willing to check to see if this issue affects them, please ask them to post here so I can report back to HSBC.

Thanks

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i1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh569/10pence/HSBC%20Mobile/HSBC_02_zpsf04fb243.jpg
i1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh569/10pence/HSBC%20Mobile/HSBC_03_zpsbbfb5af2.jpg

Jogle

10pence wrote: »

Quick warning to all HSBC Mobile Banking app users, you cannot afford to ignore this.

If you have a HSBC Bank account without an overdraft facility and check the account balance using HSBC's Mobile Banking App it cannot show that account as overdrawn if it has gone overdrawn.

I discovered this fault after being hit twice with bank overdraft charges. The issue has been raised with HSBC who have ignored the issue stating it must a localised issue with my device, I can assure you it is not. They have refused to accept the screenshots taken to prove the fault exists: linked here, Pic 1 shows the account with no OD showing £0.00 as balance, Pic 2 shows transfer of £30 and finally Pic 3 shows a balance of £25.91, meaning that the account was actually £4.09 overdrawn and could have incurred bank charges.

Please be careful if using the HSBC Mobile Banking app to check an account that has no formally arranged overdraft, it will not show a negative balance only a zero one.

I need to prove to HSBC that this is not a localised issue. If you are an HSBC customer or know of one, they use HSBC's Mobile Banking app on either an iPhone or Android device, have a bank account with no formally arranged overdraft and are willing to check to see if this issue affects them, please ask them to post here so I can report back to HSBC.

Thanks

Your screenshots aren't showing a zero balance, they're showing a zero "Available Balance" which, if you don't have an arranged overdraft, is correct as you don't have any funds available (I'm guessing you have pending payments which, when paid, will make the account overdrawn).

I've never had those circumstances, so don't know how banks normally deal with this, but what you are being shown (in the absence of showing a negative available balance) is technically correct, you don't have any available funds.

meer53

A negative current balance will always show. You could never have a negative available balance as the lowest it can ever be is 0.00.

No warning needed really.

Archi_Bald

The app looks incredibly unfriendly as there should be a big fat warning popping up if a payment would get you into an unarranged overdraft.

GingerBob_3

I don't think this is anything to do with the app. HSBC online banking is the same. The balance only ever goes down to zero. Pending transactions are not taken into account. It's irritating to say the least:

So, I've no money available - zero balance, but how far, if at all, am I overdrawn? I don't know. The only way to find out is to put a slug of cash in and see how it affects the balance. Again, bad practice on the part of the banks. They know how much the pending transactions are worth but you can't look a them. I wonder why not?

Archi_Bald

They should show your new available balance at least. It would be good customer service.

However, even if they did, do not mistake this as your true new available balance. There could be other outstanding debit card payments that the bank knows nothing about yet. They also can't factor in any SO that might come out early next morning, and which might make you even more overdrawn.

The only person who can know whether you should make a payment is yourself. You need to keep a record of the payments you have made / intend to make. You are responsible for this, not the bank.

Everynamestaken

Archi_Bald wrote: »

The only person who can know whether you should make a payment is yourself. You need to keep a record of the payments you have made / intend to make. You are responsible for this, not the bank.

Exactly this. Some people expect to be spoon fed. I think to have a free app (never mind just free banking) is great, but then we have people issuing warnings when it's not perfect for them.

I think people expect too much sometimes and don't take responsibility etc

meer53

Pen and paper is more accurate and much better than online banking.

gt94sss2

GingerBob wrote: »

I don't think this is anything to do with the app. HSBC online banking is the same. The balance only ever goes down to zero. Pending transactions are not taken into account. It's irritating to say the least:

So, I've no money available - zero balance, but how far, if at all, am I overdrawn? I don't know. The only way to find out is to put a slug of cash in and see how it affects the balance. Again, bad practice on the part of the banks. They know how much the pending transactions are worth but you can't look a them. I wonder why not?

HSBC do it correctly imo. Pending transactions should not be included n the 'available balance' as even if your 'available balance' is negative, this does not necessarily mean you are overdrawn (or over your overdraft limit)

Pending transactions are not always claimed by the retailer. A merchant may 'reserve' a balance against your account but then not claim anything - think of hotels or self service petrol pumps

Regards
Sunil

GingerBob_3

gt94sss2 wrote: »

HSBC do it correctly imo. Pending transactions should not be included n the 'available balance' as even if your 'available balance' is negative, this does not necessarily mean you are overdrawn (or over your overdraft limit)

Pending transactions are not always claimed by the retailer. A merchant may 'reserve' a balance against your account but then not claim anything - think of hotels or self service petrol pumps

Regards
Sunil

Yes, but at the very least they could list them. Barclaycard do on their credit card online account management.

Archi_Bald

Malcnascar wrote: »

Clearly the OP has a need for an arranged overdraft.

An overdraft isn't the only answer. Not spending more than they have could be a better one. This might require belt tightening for a while but it is certainly cheaper than an overdraft.