Push towards banking apps

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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Comments

  • wmb194
    wmb194 Posts: 4,671 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?
  • leboff
    leboff Posts: 12 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary First Post
    wmb194 said:
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?

    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.
  • wmb194
    wmb194 Posts: 4,671 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 21 January 2023 at 5:35PM
    leboff said:
    wmb194 said:
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?

    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.
    It doesn't feel like an insurmountable problem; install it temporarily to apply for the account, then uninstall it and subsequently use Barclays' browser based internet banking.

    You're also not forced to use face ID to login.

    Edit: Another option for mobile apps is to use a tablet.
  • phillw
    phillw Posts: 5,656 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    friend signed up for Barclay's current account to get the ISA and it was one of the least painful sign ups recently.
  • wmb194
    wmb194 Posts: 4,671 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 21 January 2023 at 6:57PM
    pafpcg said:
    wmb194 said:
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?
    Perhaps because failing eyesight makes a small screen difficult to read and arthritis in the fingers nigh-on impossible to operate the tiny "keys"?  My partner has to use a magnifying glass to read any text messages from family but can't reply - contrast that with the PC's 19" high-resolution monitor and a trusty 30+ years-old IBM keyboard which we can both use all day long. 
    So remote control your phone with your PC or use a phone/tablet connected to a monitor and a keyboard. Again, not insurmountable. I'm actually typing this on a keyboard with a mouse attached to my iPad which is connected to a larger monitor* than yours. The excuses people make are a little ridiculous.

    *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.
  • wmb194
    wmb194 Posts: 4,671 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 21 January 2023 at 7:29PM
    leboff said:
    wmb194 said:
    pafpcg said:
    wmb194 said:
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?
    Perhaps because failing eyesight makes a small screen difficult to read and arthritis in the fingers nigh-on impossible to operate the tiny "keys"?  My partner has to use a magnifying glass to read any text messages from family but can't reply - contrast that with the PC's 19" high-resolution monitor and a trusty 30+ years-old IBM keyboard which we can both use all day long. 
    So remote control your phone with your PC or use a phone/tablet connected to a monitor and a keyboard. Again, not insurmountable. I'm actually typing this on a keyboard with a mouse attached to my iPad which is connected to a larger monitor* than yours. The excuses people make are a little ridiculous.

    *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.
     Please don't be rude or condescending, people are talking about their experience, not making ridiculous excuses. I admire your level of tech skill but please remember that we are not all at your level.


    You don't need amazing tech skills, just a little lateral thinking and/or a small understanding of modern devices' capabilities.
  • Rob5342
    Rob5342 Posts: 2,336 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    pafpcg said:
    wmb194 said:
    leboff said:
    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.

    Or you could just use banking apps on your phone. Why you don't want to?
    My partner has to use a magnifying glass to read any text messages from family but can't reply - contrast that with the PC's 19" high-resolution monitor and a trusty 30+ years-old IBM keyboard which we can both use all day long. 
    Have they tried installing an app to make the phone easier to read, for example this one?



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