best online bank please

bubba18223756

what is the best online bank that is free uk only 

Daliah

What are your criteria for 'best'?

blue.peter

There are massive problems with your question. First and foremost, as @Daliah says, you need to think about what you want.

Most banks offer free accounts and free online banking. Indeed, they like to encourage customers to bank online because it means that they can get away with employing fewer staff. You can pretty much pick a bank, apply for a free account and see how you get on. You might even find a bank that'll pay you a little to have one of their accounts if you meet certain criteria (e.g., minimum number of DDs collecting each month). Don't like it? Switch your account to another. But don't do this too many times in a relatively short period because it'll affect your credit history adversely - too many hard searches don't look good.

Even when you've decided what you're looking for, you'll probably find that there are as many opinions on the subject as there are forum users. The problem is that we all tend to have different experiences - not least because it's all subjective, and largely depends on what we each want to do.

My two penn'orth, though, for what little it's worth:

1. TSB - poor online banking system. Problems tend to be more irritating than killers, though.
   
2. Co-op - adequate online banking. Can be irritating.
   
3. RBS/NatWest - reasonable online banking, but dire service.
4. Santander - excellent online banking, variable service.
5. Nationwide - good online banking, good branch service.
6. Lloyds/Halifax/BoS - I don't like their online banking system, but I understand that some people do.
   

Those are just my opinions - with which I'm sure others will disagree - of the banks I've used over the last four or five years.

Even if you want to do everything online, there are still likely to be occasions when you need to deal with a real person, so service is still important. Banks are massive organisations employing huge numbers of people, so different customers will have different experiences of this, depending on the individual staff member with whom they interact.

Lightning360

I use both Santander and Nationwide. Both have fairly basic mobile apps but are very easy to use and have all the things you'd expect (just not many extras). The online banking platforms for both look quite outdated but were brilliantly. I've always been able to do what I set out to do without any problems.

Brewer21

First Direct have been good for me for over 20 years.👍
Although launched as a telephone banking service they are very much online as any of the others. Use HSBC if you need to visit an actual bank, they have mixed reviews, I seldom have to frequent a bank though.
You'll need to set up all the usual stuff like passwords memorable words etc but in addition a digital secure key when using a device, that'll be unique to that device so if you have an additional device you use you will need to generate an additional secure code. It's all a bit high security stuff but it protects your money.
Others I've had Lloyds, Virgin Money, Nationwide, Halifax TSB etc are ok but love the way First Direct operate.👍

penners324

I've used most and currently use Starling. Is the best I've had.

PRAISETHESUN

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/

EarthBoy

Lloyds or Halifax are the best and easiest apps to use, in my opinion.

First Direct are an excellent telephone bank, but their online banking and app are complete pants, frankly. 

gsmh

I've used 12 of the banks in the list @[Deleted User] posted (and a couple of others not in the list) and I can say that The Royal Bank of Scotland (or NatWest) is easily the best online banking experience of them all. It's really comprehensive, but simple to use - unlike Braclays which is comprehensive but defies (my) logic. The (official) listing is flawed in that banks which share the same platform are rated differently.

RG2015

I agree with @gsmh, NatWest / RBS online banking is far better than the 8 other banks I have used.

I dislike that First Direct, HSBC, Nationwide, and Virgin Money always need a second authentication device to log in.

All of the other 8 have confusing navigation options especially for finding transactions, statements and lists of payees, DDs and SOs.

NatWest/ RBS have an excellent search and download facility and 7 years of history. However choosing the date range is annoying as it always shows a date range error initially.

The NatWest / RBS card reader requirement is annoying but only needed for setting up new payees. The SMS verification used by other banks would be preferable. They do now however have the option of face recognition instead of the card reader.

I do like that Halifax send an instant SMS notification for all transactions. I only have 1 or 2 a month though and any more could get annoying.