First Direct's new Mobile Banking App

TheEffect

The new app is live.

mrsammyp

Downloaded the new app, what an improvement!

ffacoffipawb

mrsammyp wrote: »

Downloaded the new app, what an improvement!

Strange one this.

Downloaded new app onto iphone and ipad air.

Get nice new features on the iphone, including upcoming transactions.

The ipad air is just like the old app, no sign of upcoming transactions. Even downloaded the iphone version made no difference.

Weird.

Mr_Goodkat

Just had the automatic upgrade to the new APP on IOS and must say I am not that impressed!

I know a lot of people complained about the old APP and also the internet banking but I always found both functional.




It seems most of the update is 'look and feel' at this stage I prefer the old version (although accept some of that will be because it is new and different).


Dislike the 'We're feeling the love' banner or similar at the top that then opens to a longer message about how great they are.


The scrolling through historic transactions feels a bit clunky


Disappointing that pending transactions does not include pending debit card transactions (hardly ever use my FD debit card as use cash back credit cards wherever possible but still)


Still not possible to view and take actions on standing orders, DD's.


I do quite like the payments and transfers button at the bottom of every screen as probably the feature I use the most to move money around and also quite like the larger centralised balance when you click into an account.


Overall it is a missed opportunity - they could have developed and launched a great app that is up there with the best but instead they have changed the look and feel without significantly improving functionality.

DragonQ

Tried it yesterday. Seemed really slow and unresponsive. Still, it looks much nicer than the archaic web interface they use.

Mr_Goodkat

DragonQ wrote: »

Tried it yesterday. Seemed really slow and unresponsive. Still, it looks much nicer than the archaic web interface they use.

Yes, speed does seem to be an issue as well had a few spinning circles and general slowness


Quite annoying as well, if you log off and then want to go back on when you select the app you are met with the log off successful screen and have to click log on again before you can log back in

Herbalus

Mr_Goodkat wrote: »

Disappointing that pending transactions does not include pending debit card transactions (hardly ever use my FD debit card as use cash back credit cards wherever possible but still)

.....

Overall it is a missed opportunity - they could have developed and launched a great app that is up there with the best but instead they have changed the look and feel without significantly improving functionality.

Would that be pending debit card transactions that the retailer won't have informed FD about yet? Tricky to get around, that. Unless any other provider offers that? I haven't seen any, and I've got about 9 banking apps, though I never use a debit card either.

Apps are evolving, give it another few months and a new version will be out.

Mr_Goodkat

Herbalus wrote: »

Would that be pending debit card transactions that the retailer won't have informed FD about yet? Tricky to get around, that. Unless any other provider offers that? I haven't seen any, and I've got about 9 banking apps, though I never use a debit card either.

Apps are evolving, give it another few months and a new version will be out.

Obviously if the retailer has not told FD about the transaction yet then it can not show as pending - Tesco in store for example auto authorise below the floor limit and then processing the transaction in the coming days, taking the money from the account with no pending transaction.


Last week I did one of my rare debit card transactions in that I needed to purchase some Euros as I had run out and ordered online through a high street retailer because they offered the best rate, their systems go for online authorisation so this could be shown as a pending transaction but FD don't do it. Very early on Thursday morning when I was moving some money about as 1st of the month before jumping on a plane it took some thinking to remember why my available balance was significantly lower than money in account plus overdraft.


A lot of transactions do go through a pending stage though with most banks and increasingly more APPS show these pending debit card transactions e.g. Halifax rolled out a newer version of the APP that included pending debit card transactions.


Amex have rolled out pending transactions to the their APP recently as well.


My online supermarket shop for example does a £1 card not present transaction when the shopping is ordered before a second card not present transaction goes through post delivery when the final amount is known e.g. rejection of substitutes or goods priced on weight. Both the £1 and the shopping total transactions show as pending, the full amount is claimed and the £1 drops off.


I do really like FD and it is my main transactional account in that it takes my various credits but then the money is moved, I like the service (when I rarely need to speak to them), the 6% saver and the £250 interest free OD. The old APP was fine for me for what I need it for but it could be improved with a new version.


Unfortunately the new APP has focussed on look and feel (which I don't really like) rather than genuinely improving functionality!


Another whinge - The 'Good Afternoon' then Hello xxxx' screens are slow to load and utterly pointless!! Just let me log in and bank!!!