Switching bank accounts Barclays to Santander

katies_mum

Hi, my mum currently banks with Barclays she is not registered for online banking, please would anyone know if this needs to be set up before switching to a new current account with Santander?  My dad recently passed away, the Barclays account was joint and is now in her name, we are trying to help her set up online banking with Barclays but they do not seem to be the best to deal with as you can never get through by phone to sort this out.   Thank you x

born_again

No you don't need to set up online banking to switch from a bank.

eskbanker

It's not clear what the motivation is for the move from Barclays to Santander or if her aversion to Barclays' online banking would apply elsewhere too, but perhaps worth mentioning that the switching incentive offered by Santander is conditional on logging in to online banking or the app.

penners324

You don't need to phone them up to set up online banking....

katies_mum

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. 

I appreciate the switch offer with Santander is only when you log into online banking or use the app.  She has been trying to set up online banking with Barclays for the last week, numerous phone calls of nearly an hour (it seems she has to ring to get an activation code) and still not getting through to them so has been unable to get this code, they have sent out letters that are no help and she is getting nowhere.  I bank with Santander online and to me they are relatively straight forward, she just wants a bank that is easy to access and use, and at the moment Barclays are not making it easy.  I just wanted to check for her that she didn`t have to keep going with Barclays to get online before initiating a switch.

Thanks again x

Brewer21

Apart from the normal stuff asked when applying for a new account all you mother needs to set up a new account with Santander is her current bank details, whether it is a sole or joint account to switch, old (current) sort code, account number and the long number off her current (Barclays) card, that's it.
Now if she's already had the previous joint account turned into a sole account with Barclays I can't see s problem. Just check at a bank her pre switch the amounts held in the account, it all should get switched including any DD/SO and any payments in like salary/pension etc...
No need for her to not have online banking set up with Barclays surely.

I've just opened an account with Santander and waiting for my details to be sent via post. As said in an above post, the switch deal requires you to log on to internet banking at least once or twice in 60 days (can't remember exactly) pay in £1k and also have 2 DD's set up within 60 days. 
The everyday account I set up doesn't really require much more to happen after the 60 days and no minimum pay in.

eskbanker

Brewer21 said:

I've just opened an account with Santander and waiting for my details to be sent via post.

This prompts the usual reminder that OP's mother should have the new Santander account fully up and running (not just online access but debit card, PIN, etc), and adequately tested, before initiating any switch of her primary current account into it.

katies_mum

Tried again with Barclays this morning and no luck getting through!! so I rang Santander for a little information as mum does not have a passport or driving licence for ID.. they answered the phone within a few minutes and were so helpful.  She is also going to apply for an Everyday account.  

Thank you for the advice about checking the balance before the switch, I will ask her to get a mini statement from the cash machine as she won`t get any statement from Barclays until the first week of March (I hope its all sorted by then).

I appreciate everyone's advice, thank you

katies_mum

Sorry, just another little bit of advice please if anyone can help.  We went to our Post Office cash machine last night and it did not offer the `mini statement` facility for mums Barclays account.  Please might anyone know if this is a facility Barclays don`t offer or if we need to try a different cash machine?  

She opened a Santander Everyday current account last night, now just waiting for details in post. 

Thank you x

Brewer21

If everything seems to be in order on her Barclays account, the balance I guess you can just keep a check on it until the switch happens.
Regards the id situation myself and my wife have rarely been asked for id when opening accounts and my wife has little in the way of a credit file history. She has no credit card, never had a loan, no mobile phone contract etc etc only her name on the council tax bill😁 and she's opened a few accounts over the years for incentives.

Check back on this thread in the next few days, I'm waiting for my details to arrive from Santander for my everyday  debit card/pin and also the code to activate internet banking, I ll let you know how I get on.

katies_mum

Thank you Brewer21,  I`ll make sure we get a balance each day just for our records.  I assumed with mum being 85 and never actually opening any accounts in her sole name and has no real credit history that ID would have been needed, we had it all ready to download just in case.  Santander from personal experience of banking with them do seem to be on the ball so assuming yourself and mum doesn`t have to wait too long.   I`ll let you know as well when everything is received.