Opening a new current account

lacuna1

I already have one current account and am thinking of opening a second (not switching)

How easy are they to open online? Are some easier than others without the need to send extra documents? And if they do require the extra documents can i go into branch with them or do they have to be sent by post?

At the moment i was thinking of trying Santander

xylophone

At the moment i was thinking of trying Santander

Why Santander?

Vortigern

Some are very easy to open, if your identity can be verified online. Tesco and Bank of Scotland are good in this respect.

HSBC/firstdirect/Marks&Spencer are (allegedly) a little more tricky and may possibly require certified copies of documents.

What you want from this new account is perhaps more important than how easy it is to open.

TheShape

I have recently opened TSB, Tesco, Lloyds, First Direct and M&S current accounts wholly online without the need for any other ID or document checks.

It may help that my credit file has a couple of current accounts, credit cards and a mortgage on it and I'm on the electoral register with only two addresses in the last two years.

Ironically, only Nationwide with whom I've held savings for over 20 years and a current account and credit card for over 8 years, asked me to provide ID in branch. The member of staff in branch was surprised by this.

Dan83

The only bank I've had a problem with was NatWest, everyone else done the checks online, including Santander. NatWest wanted me to take ID into a branch.

I takes less then 10 mins to open a current online, some even give you an answer there and then.

northwalesd

TheShape wrote: »

Ironically, only Nationwide with whom I've held savings for over 20 years and a current account and credit card for over 8 years, asked me to provide ID in branch. The member of staff in branch was surprised by this.

That echoes my experience. Applied for a Nationwide account three weeks ago, was confirmed and asked to take ID into a branch. On turning up they were really surprised and when they looked online my ID was already verified - they said probably done from electoral roll. So that was a wasted journey.

Three weeks later I have access to my account online but can do nothing without a card reader, which hasn't arrived yet. Compare that to TSB where I was up and running in three or four days.

GingerBob_3

I'm toying with the idea of a second current account, again not to switch, but as a backup. I'm currently with FD. My criteria are no offline identity checks and an easy-to-use (and small) card reader / security device. Some useful info above about the online checking, but what about the device?

TheShape

northwalesd wrote: »

That echoes my experience. Applied for a Nationwide account three weeks ago, was confirmed and asked to take ID into a branch. On turning up they were really surprised and when they looked online my ID was already verified - they said probably done from electoral roll. So that was a wasted journey.

Three weeks later I have access to my account online but can do nothing without a card reader, which hasn't arrived yet. Compare that to TSB where I was up and running in three or four days.

My experience in branch was good though. Had a quick check over of my accounts, closed an old savings account and collected the interest (all 16p of it). The staff member also made a call to get my account opened and because she got stuck on hold I went back to work while she continued the call and phoned me to notify when it was done. All this for an account I've only set up to switch out for a switching incentive.

TheShape

GingerBob wrote: »

I'm toying with the idea of a second current account, again not to switch, but as a backup. I'm currently with FD. My criteria are no offline identity checks and an easy-to-use (and small) card reader / security device. Some useful info above about the online checking, but what about the device?

The nationwide card reader is small calculator size, a little bigger than a debit card but obviously much thicker (8-9mm). Needs to be used when making most transfers of money outside of Nationwide.

northwalesd

TheShape wrote: »

My experience in branch was good though. Had a quick check over of my accounts, closed an old savings account and collected the interest (all 16p of it). The staff member also made a call to get my account opened and because she got stuck on hold I went back to work while she continued the call and phoned me to notify when it was done. All this for an account I've only set up to switch out for a switching incentive.

This is my first experience of Nationwide, can't say they've really impressed me.

stockton_2

northwalesd wrote: »

This is my first experience of Nationwide, can't say they've really impressed me.

I was with them for over twenty years and always found them very helpful.