Experience of Tesco JISA online?

reg091

I may transfer JISA from Coventry as they have just dropped rates to 2.25% (from 2.95). Yes, I can get 2.5% at Loughborough BS (whom I have never heard of) but they operate by post only. I want a JISA that I can manage online (log in to see balance and make payments to). 

I was sold a pup by Coventry when I took out the JISA with them as it said on their website "manage online". Turns out all this meant was I could open it online but had to go to my bank online and send a payment to the JISA! I complained and they removed the wording from the site.

So, I don't want to go down that road again. Tesco say the JISA is "online" but can anyone who has one tell me if you can log in to it and see balance, make payments etc.?

refluxer

The online access to a child's Tesco Junior Cash ISA is limited to checking the balance, viewing recent transactions and downloading/sharing documents and statements but, in my experience at least, that is normal.

I've had a number of different online Junior Cash ISA and Child Trust Fund products in recent years and I've always had to make payments into them from my own online banking site/app - none have allowed payments in from within the Junior ISA account.

reg091

Thank you very much. I think I was spoiled with the NS&I JISA where you could do everything online. But the Tesco one sounds good enough. I have had the Coventry JISA for about two years now and they have never bothered to send me a statement so I have no idea what the balance is. The nearest branch is about 30 miles away!

refluxer

Ah, I see. If you think about it, the only hassle involved in paying into the Junior ISA from your own online banking site/app is in the initial setting up and having to authorise the first payment or two for security reasons. Once I set my child's Tesco Junior ISA up as a payee within my own online banking, I can make virtually instant payments into it without any problems at all. If anything, it's probably easier doing this than having to put your card details into the Junior ISA site every time ?

I purposely chose Tesco over the Coventry for a Junior Cash ISA transfer a few months ago because of the online access and despite the inferior rate, so it sounds like I made the right decision considering the Coventry's rate drop ! I want online access to all my accounts and myself and others make multiple payments into this Junior ISA, so a once-a-year statement isn't sufficient, especially when there are ISA limits you have to stick to. The bare minimum requirement for that type of account for me is to be able to check the balance online.