bank account with no mobile phone?

langmk

hello


i have used halifax for over 20 years as my bank but recently when logging in online i have noticed they are asking for a mobile phone number, i went into my branch and understand they will soon require a phone number to confirm all online purchases? they said all banks were doing this?
i have a landline but if i make a purchase/pay a bill away from home?

as i do not want a mobile phone and was informed i will need one soon, i started to shop around for a new bank. i tried natwest and was told i couldnt even open an account without a mobile phone.


i do not shop online much (3x items under £40 this year) but i do pay some bills online


any ideas as to a bank that will accept some people do not want a mobile phone

AnotherJoe

Just get a mobile phone, they needn't be expensive and you don't need to use it for anything else than banking.

Ben8282

Really? Lloyds don't. You have to trust your device.

Ben8282

AnotherJoe wrote: »

Just get a mobile phone, they needn't be expensive and you don't need to use it for anything else than banking.

Yes good advice. You don;t need a smartphone. Any old cheap phone will do and a pay as you go SIM card.
And you may find the mobile phone has other uses too like being able to call the AA from your car if you break down miles away from home or other similar emergency situation
You say you only make three online purchases per year. Couldn't you arrange to make these 3 purchases and pay your bills when you are at home rather than when you are miles away from it?

langmk

i dont want one? i had them in the past and do not require one. email is fine



they said at natwest some people get one just to open an account, but me being old i use a laptop, so future me travelling will now need to carry a mobile and charger incase i have to pay a bill or make an online purchase

Neil_Jones

Argos have a collection of phones as part of Black Friday from 99p. You have to buy £10 of credit with it, but there you go:
https://www.argos.co.uk/browse/technology/mobile-phones-and-accessories/pay-as-you-go-phones

That'll do the job for your online banking needs just to receive texts and/or phone calls. Just get a free PAYG SIM as the bundled one looks like it might only last 30 days when you activate it.

Unfortunately modern banking is what it is, you may have no option soon. If we all stuck with what we knew and were happy with we'd still be driving around with men walking in front of us waving red flags. That's progress for you.

langmk

guys im old but not ancient! i have a smartphone and own handsets. thats not the problem. im old and tight!


i got so happy un mobile contactable!



i dont want to fork out £10 on a sim card i dont need and then pay £? to keep it active. then have to find it, then have to remember to charge it so i can pay my council tax bill?

Ben8282

If you are elderly all the more reason to carry a mobile phone for emergency use when you are travelling.
Most people pay their council tax bill by direct debit. Others pay it from the comfort of their own homes. Very few pay it while they are travelling.
If you want to be mobile uncontactable, just switch it off except when you need it.

moneywow1

langmk wrote: »

i dont want one? i had them in the past and do not require one. email is fine



they said at natwest some people get one just to open an account, but me being old i use a laptop, so future me travelling will now need to carry a mobile and charger incase i have to pay a bill or make an online purchase

I doubt you will need a charger. A small dumbphone used for nothing but receiving text messages will last weeks without being charged.

Edit: and to actually answer your question, I think a mobile will be required soon and there's nothing you can do about it.

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

Stuart_W

langmk wrote: »

I went into my branch and understand they will soon require a phone number to confirm all online purchases? they said all banks were doing this?

All banks are not insisting on mobile phones. They lied to you.

What they are required to insist on is Strong Customer Authentication - which requires an additional step when you shop online. This could be for example a text to a mobile, notification to an app, or an email. Some banks are choosing to only offer text to a mobile, but that's their commercial decision based on the high % ownership of mobiles.

Choose a bank that allows Strong Customer Authentication by email - mine does (Co-op Bank) - somewhere on this forum there was a list of which banks offered SCA by email.

anniecave

Some networks will let you keep a phone active just by occasionally making a call or sending a text, so a single top up will last months or longer.

Do some research on this. I think vodafone are an option for this.

If you've already got handsets then it's not difficult and it's good advice to have a phone for emergencies.

Good advice above - I wasn't aware of the email option.

Lots of things are moving to multifactor authorisation, which means banks are moving towards needing a secondary means of authenticating a transaction (not just relying on your card or online banking logon information). It is varying between providers, the standard is to let you use a smartphone app or via mobile text message, but some will let you also authenticate via a landline, or also via email in some cases. If providers can handle the landline option, I can't see why they won't continue with it in the medium term, so that could be a good option for you if you don't want the mobile phone.