Desktop Alternative to FirstDirect "Internet Banking Plus"

colsten

Marigold123 wrote: »

Thanks for posting the exact end date.

The program from eWise, the original creators of IBP, should still be available after August. It's a bit crappy looking, and still relies on Internet Explorer, but it's the only other portal-type aggregator out there. As eWise are based in Australia, it shouldn't be affected by European legislation.

It is reported to have a wider range, (or at least a different range), of organisations, and I'm told they get fixes done more quickly. I'm going to be moving over to it as soon as possible, and will continue to supplement with Money Dashboard (the browser-based version), to help fill the gaps and to get a better overview.

I hope you won't be disappointed. The ewise version was the one that I had been using for years until it became utterly useless as it didn't log into half of my accounts any longer, and then even started crashing the browser. The developers were relatively responsive but there comes a point where you just run out of determination not to get beaten by the growing number of issues.

Ewise was great whilst it lasted, but I can't see it being able to continue giving us the same functionality as before. It's not just an issue of legality, it's much more an issue of capability. If all the banks move to 2-factor identification, not even the smartest program can access all the balances as before.

Please let us know how you get on, anyway.

Marigold123

colsten wrote: »

I hope you won't be disappointed. The ewise version was the one that I had been using for years until it became utterly useless as it didn't log into half of my accounts any longer, and then even started crashing the browser. The developers were relatively responsive but there comes a point where you just run out of determination not to get beaten by the growing number of issues.

Ewise was great whilst it lasted, but I can't see it being able to continue giving us the same functionality as before. It's not just an issue of legality, it's much more an issue of capability. If all the banks move to 2-factor identification, not even the smartest program can access all the balances as before.

Please let us know how you get on, anyway.

Thanks. IBP was just as crappy re slowness, crashing etc, but it was still quite good for logging in quickly, which is the one thing I can't get anywhere else. I may try the app route, but really hope not to have to. Fingers crossed! x

colsten

Marigold123 wrote: »

Thanks. IBP was just as crappy re slowness, crashing etc, but it was still quite good for logging in quickly, which is the one thing I can't get anywhere else. I may try the app route, but really hope not to have to. Fingers crossed! x

The killer for a PC app is the 2-factor authentication they all seem to be implementing now. You'd need to give ewise the random code that changes for each login. A phone/tablet app might be able to get it to work as it can use touchID or faceID for the 2-factor authentication. You'd still need to sit there and touch or look at the thing until it's logged into all the banks to get the balances. You might as well actually log into each of the accounts yourself.

I know it's a major shift in managing your accounts and I would be more than happy myself to continue with the old way of doing things but it seems we have no option. I have to say, I don't find it as painful any longer now, and I actually quite like doing it all through apps. Well, most of it, anyway. Some stuff you can still only do online with some banks. Like, for instance, looking at your messages in TSB is only possible online, not through their app. PITA. And then there are the companies that don't have apps - - - but many of those weren't supported by ewise, anyway. For those, I keep the login information in a secure password manager, such as LastPass.

Marigold123

Sure, I get that, but in fact most of my accounts are still only asking for two factor authentication if I want to set up a new beneficiary, or access my profile information or something. I'm sure they will all go that way for login as well eventually, but I'm holding out for as long as I can!

eskbanker

Marigold123 wrote: »

Sure, I get that, but in fact most of my accounts are still only asking for two factor authentication if I want to set up a new beneficiary, or access my profile information or something. I'm sure they will all go that way for login as well eventually, but I'm holding out for as long as I can!

As you've pointed out in previous posts, the legislation is effective from 14 September, so the banks have to implement 2FA by then, not just for logging into online banking but also for making purchases online (although the latter may be delayed due to technical complexity).

This is why the majority of banks have been publishing and/or issuing notifications of how they plan to introduce this - I've been trying to collate their varying approaches in one place for reference, at:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6021774/strong-customer-authentication-now-delayed-changes-to-online-verification

Marigold123

Thanks. I think there's a difference though, between making purchases that are outside a perceived spending pattern, or adding new beneficiaries to online banking, and plain old logging in to view your monthly statement.

Do we know categorically that the legislation states two factor authentication must be used for every login, every time, or only when certain actions are being performed? Your list of different banks' approaches to TFA in general is a great reference, but doesn't address this issue specifically, (as far as I can see), and all the information I am seeing online seems to be focused on online purchasing, not account logins.

I'm not bothered about TFA for purchases, as Verified by Visa and the Mastercard equivalent don't usually make you do it for repeat purchases. It's only an issue for me for logging in to online banking. If you have information that applies specifically to that I'd be very grateful to see it.

colsten

Marigold123 wrote: »

Thanks. I think there's a difference though, between making purchases that are outside a perceived spending pattern, or adding new beneficiaries to online banking, and plain old logging in to view your monthly statement.

Sure, there is a difference. However, it does not stop banks and building societies from changing their login procedures to require 2FA. Some are doing it already (e.g. Tesco), others (e.g. Santander) have announced that they'll do it in the next couple of months.

Marigold123

colsten wrote: »

Sure, there is a difference. However, it does not stop banks and building societies from changing their login procedures to require 2FA. Some are doing it already (e.g. Tesco), others (e.g. Santander) have announced that they'll do it in the next couple of months.

Agreed, and I'm sure that this time next year most will be insisting on it for everything, all of the time. Until then, however, this 20-year devotee of traditional online banking (aka throwback), is going to squeeze every last moment of non-2FA logging in that she can!

eskbanker

Marigold123 wrote: »

Do we know categorically that the legislation states two factor authentication must be used for every login, every time, or only when certain actions are being performed? Your list of different banks' approaches to TFA in general is a great reference, but doesn't address this issue specifically, (as far as I can see), and all the information I am seeing online seems to be focused on online purchasing, not account logins.

I'm not bothered about TFA for purchases, as Verified by Visa and the Mastercard equivalent don't usually make you do it for repeat purchases. It's only an issue for me for logging in to online banking. If you have information that applies specifically to that I'd be very grateful to see it.

It's section 100.1(a) of the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (the UK's implementation of PSD2) that covers this, as it makes no distinction regarding what the customer does once logged in and so needs to be implemented as a one-size-fits-all control to the login process.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/752/regulation/100/made:

Authentication

100.—(1) A payment service provider must apply strong customer authentication where a payment service user—

(a) accesses its payment account online, whether directly or through an account information service provider;
(b) initiates an electronic payment transaction; or
(c) carries out any action through a remote channel which may imply a risk of payment fraud or other abuses.

Direct access relates to the bank's own online banking service, whereas the AISP access refers to the aggregator services that are the subject of this thread.

Marigold123

Excellent! Thanks very much.