Current accounts - statement availability via mobile app

OceanSound

Noticed that NatWest mobile app do not have a feature to download statements within the mobile app. It does have for credit cards (not for current account). RBS (which I believe is a sister bank of NatWest) app doesn't have the feature either. 

HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax, Virgin on the other hand do have the feature. 

To be fair, the email notification from NatWest I received this morning does say it's available via 'online banking' and doesn't say it's available via mobile app.

But, how come some banks offer the feature and some don't? Is it a case of, rather than having a feature available on both platforms, some banks would rather just make it available on the most common platform (that customers use) and spend the 'saved' money developing something innovative within the app? I noticed NatWest offer biometric approval of payments using face ID, whereas with Halifax this is not yet available. 

sausage_time

For RBS (and I assume NatWest) it's clear that credit cards and current/saving accounts are on completely different back office "platforms" - and even the web access to those accounts look quite different. Also debit and credit card management is different on the app, and also the handling of pending transactions.  I suspect is was easier to integrate the statement download for the credit card platform.    So, a combination of ease of integration and cost I'd say.  True for all banks and their apps - comes down to return on investment.

penners324

Starling definitely has this feature, including being able to download a certified copy of the statement 

DullGreyGuy

OceanSound said:

But, how come some banks offer the feature and some don't? Is it a case of, rather than having a feature available on both platforms, some banks would rather just make it available on the most common platform (that customers use) and spend the 'saved' money developing something innovative within the app? I noticed NatWest offer biometric approval of payments using face ID, whereas with Halifax this is not yet available. 

Different technology, different business priorities, different customer demands, different interpretations of the rules, different assessment of the risks involved etc etc etc

In my prior client the insurance division had staff passwords that were a minimum of 14 characters consisting of lower & upper case letters, numbers and symbols which never expired. The investment division had a minimum of 8 characters consisting of lower & uppercase letters and numbers which had to be changed ever 3 months. There were endless arguments between the two CISO which of the two were more robust and this was two people working for the same company reporting into the same boss. If they cannot agree who do you expect independent companies to all decide the same thing is best?

I prefer doing my banking on my laptop and so find Virgin Money UK not having any online banking and refusing to allow their app to be installed on my laptop annoying... to add salt to the wound the Virgin Money Australia app can happily be installed on my mac (appreciate they are no longer related other than by licensing the virgin brand)

OceanSound

DullGreyGuy said:

OceanSound said:

But, how come some banks offer the feature and some don't? Is it a case of, rather than having a feature available on both platforms, some banks would rather just make it available on the most common platform (that customers use) and spend the 'saved' money developing something innovative within the app? I noticed NatWest offer biometric approval of payments using face ID, whereas with Halifax this is not yet available. 

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I prefer doing my banking on my laptop and so find Virgin Money UK not having any online banking and refusing to allow their app to be installed on my laptop annoying... to add salt to the wound the Virgin Money Australia app can happily be installed on my mac (appreciate they are no longer related other than by licensing the virgin brand)

I believe it's only the Virgin Money UK credit cards that need to be managed via the mobile app (with online banking access discontinued after 31 January 2021).

I was able to login to Virgin Money UK online banking just now. Do things like change online banking password (need mobile app to authorise), browse recent transactions etc. for my M Plus Current Account and M Plus Saver account.

edit: with credit cards you can do some very limited tasks such as change credit limit, cancel a direct debit, change payment date, order a PIN, order a replacement card using website etc. Done using online forms (where you fill a form with your details): 

https://uk.virginmoney.com/credit-cards/manage-your-card