Push towards banking apps

10 Posts

I want to open a Barclays ISA, but checking their website found I either had to download their app or make an appointment to go into a branch. I prefer not to use banking apps on my phone, and my 3 nearest branches could only offer appointments in March- 6 weeks away. I phoned Barclays today to ask why it was so difficult to open an account, and was told that only the app or in branch could do the ID verification required. I have opened many accounts online over the years with different banks and savings providers, all of whom had no problem with ID verification. So Barclays are not getting my money.
Branch closures and the push to online banking already excludes some of the most marginalised in society- the push towards apps will only make this worse.
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I just don't like using my phone for financial purposes. Also I've had a negative experience with facial recognition software, which Barclays use.
You're also not forced to use face ID to login.
Edit: Another option for mobile apps is to use a tablet.
*Using a recent addition to iPadOS called Stage Manager whereby the monitor is actually a second desktop in 4k and not just a mirror of the iPad's screen, although in the context of most apps that would work for most people.