Branch closures

Bloomberg

As we all know many of our high street banks have closed a lot of their branches. Even in the age of internet banking many people still need branches and have been inconvenienced when their local branch closes. My sister's local HSBC closed which means that she now has to drive into the congestion zone (£11.50 a time) in order to use her nearest branch.


Whenever I walk past a branch they always seem to be busy, are banks right to close so many branches? Has it caused you inconvenience? It would be interesting to know what other readers think.

PeacefulWaters

Why doesn't she drive to a branch outside the congestion zone?

System

What do people do in the branch?

Zanderman

We hardly ever need to visit a branch (can't remember last time I did and I bank with every bank except NatWest) and do everything online or via a Post Office (most banks have pay-in arrangements at POs). I certainly would never visit a branch that requires a drive into the congestion charge zone.

But maybe the OP's sister does need to visit a branch - though would be useful to know what for. My own sister recently told me she had to drive to Santander to pay in a cheque - unaware, until I told her, that Santander will provide pay-in envelopes that she can use at a Post Office.

Over62

I haven't been into a bank since I first dialled-up to the internet. Cashpoints are everywhere and internet banking and the phone takes care of everything else.

eskbanker

Zanderman wrote: »

We hardly ever need to visit a branch (can't remember last time I did and I bank with every bank except NatWest) and do everything online or via a Post Office (most banks have pay-in arrangements at POs).

OP's sister's bank, HSBC, offers this, as per https://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/contact-and-support/ways-to-bank/branch-banking:

Post Office® Services

If you have a current account, you can use your debit card to check your balance, withdraw cash or deposit cash.

Cash withdrawals will be deducted from your daily withdrawal limit.

You can also deposit cheques using a pre-printed HSBC credit slip.

Although OP hasn't yet come back with the actual requirements to use a branch, I suspect that when people say "many people still need branches" they often mean "many people still prefer branches"....

Bloomberg

eskbanker wrote: »

OP's sister's bank, HSBC, offers this, as per https://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/contact-and-support/ways-to-bank/branch-banking:Although OP hasn't yet come back with the actual requirements to use a branch, I suspect that when people say "many people still need branches" they often mean "many people still prefer branches"....

Sometimes if you need to withdraw a larger than normal amount of cash then a branch visit is necessary. Also for depositing cash people need to use a branch.

Bloomberg

Economic wrote: »

What do people do in the branch?

Personally I rarely venture into a branch. I use iPad and iPhone apps, I do wonder why the branches are so busy, there's not much you cannot do on line nowadays. When my mum's local Barclays closed there was uproar and a lot of people closed their accounts and went to the NatWest across the road. People took to twitter to express their disapproval/anger.

YorkshireBoy

Bloomberg wrote: »

Also for depositing cash people need to use a branch.

Can be done at a Post Office, as per the post before yours (at least for current accounts).

Bloomberg

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Why doesn't she drive to a branch outside the congestion zone?

I am guessing that it's a time issue. The nearest one outside the congestion zone is particularly arkward to get to.

Bloomberg

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

Can be done at a Post Office, as per the post before yours (at least for current accounts).

I tried to deposit cash into my Barclays account at a Post Office but was told that I needed a paying in slip. I didn't have one so I couldn't use the service.