NatWest online banking - WARNING

andyt8

Natwest online banking has a worrying feature, due to sloppy programming, where scheduled payments vanish from visibility for 8hrs around the time they are due to be paid. This has lead some people to make the payment twice (as reported on NatWest's own forum - not me luckily:)).

(1) Create a Scheduled Payment for a future date
It appears as expected on the list of your scheduled payments with the date it is due to be paid. OKAY

(2) On the evening BEFORE the payment is due to be made it disappears from the scheduled payment listing. It does this at precisely 18:30. MISLEADING

(3) However despite going from your list of Scheduled Payments it has not appeared on your Payment List statement - and won't do so until the next day - at around 02:30 in the morning. WRONG - it should stay as a scheduled payment until it is actually Paid.

(4) So for some 8hrs you are mislead into thinking you have more money in your account than you do.

Why do NatWest do this ? It is just sloppy programming of their website - you can't cancel a scheduled payment after 18:30 the day before so Natwest remove it from that list even though they know it won't be paid and appear on your statement until early the next morning. The 8hr gap I mentioned.

Paul_1977

The whole RBS system is sloppy. They are apparently using systems from decades ago, stuffed with "add ons" to work in this day and age.

I hear they are building a new system for Williams and Glyn, perhaps they will use this as well.

stclair

Paul_1977 wrote: »

The whole RBS system is sloppy. They are apparently using systems from decades ago, stuffed with "add ons" to work in this day and age.

I hear they are building a new system for Williams and Glyn, perhaps they will use this as well.

Theirs nowt wrong with AS400 ;-)

dr_adidas01

stclair wrote: »

Theirs nowt wrong with AS400 ;-)

Nothing a new IT system couldn't fix...... lol

agrinnall

stclair wrote: »

Theirs nowt wrong with AS400 ;-)

There might not be, but none of that runs on AS400 (in fact, I'm not even sure that RBSG has any AS400s, I certainly never had any exposure to them in my 15 years in GT). Core systems are on real mainframes. And if anyone thinks all legacy banks don't have lots of systems that have been around for many years and have bits and pieces bolted on to try to stay current then they really don't know much about those systems.

Paul_1977

The RBS online system (RBS Digitial), the user interface anyway, just about seems to work.

Its always freezing or the visual elements are out of alignment. Not a big deal but you would think they could correct these things.

I don't know much about the backend, but a bloke I spoke to who claimed to have worked for Natwest said the systems were very old and had only been transferred on to new hardware, the software was still relativity the same as used in the 1960's and 70's, with a few add ons.

stclair

agrinnall wrote: »

There might not be, but none of that runs on AS400 (in fact, I'm not even sure that RBSG has any AS400s, I certainly never had any exposure to them in my 15 years in GT). Core systems are on real mainframes. And if anyone thinks all legacy banks don't have lots of systems that have been around for many years and have bits and pieces bolted on to try to stay current then they really don't know much about those systems.

Back office is run of mainframe which looks identical to as400 lay out systems wise. I personally call it the green screens.

paragon909

I like the RBS system actually, Everything is processed at 2:30am.

Where as TSB etc does it all throughout the day like, Bacs are 00:00/00:30

Debt card refunds are like 15:20

Debt card transactions that become confirmed are like 6:30 to 7

Dont know about direct debts cause I hate them with passion or maybe its just my anxiety that causes me not to use them, And standing orders i never used so dont know what times there processed.

pinkdalek

I think like with other bank websites it has good and bad points.

For instance on Nat West I like that once a payment is set up you can pay it from any of your accounts. Unlike other banks you can only pay it through the account it was initially set up from.
I also like that you can see all your direct debits and do not need to go into each account individually.

Down side - I detest the card readers (I understand why they have them) but surely for something like amending a standing order date or amount there should be an easier process.
You cannot get a breakdown of pending card payments.