Push towards banking apps

Band7

Rob5342 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?

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?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.bigmessages&hl=en_GB&gl=US

Sounds like an Android app. What would iOS users do? 

MattMattMattUK

Band7 said:

Rob5342 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?

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?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.bigmessages&hl=en_GB&gl=US

Sounds like an Android app. What would iOS users do? 

There are loads of accessibility options build into both Android and iOS, there is no need for additional apps.

subjecttocontract

Isn't it amazing that some people assume that everyone has a smart phone ? I dont have one and have no intention of getting one. Im certainly not getting one because a bank expects me to use an 'app'........I don't really know what an app is, I don't feel I need to know. I have an old mobile phone that I use for.......wait for it.......making/receiving phone calls & texts. I think it has a camera but I've never used it.

Now a couple of weeks ago I'd never been a Barclays customer......I am now, I applied online and everything was dead easy. It took a week......no appointments, no apps, no hassle, no problems. One week to get a debit card, a pin, an account & online access. Easiest account I have ever opened.

Band7

MattMattMattUK said:

Band7 said:

Rob5342 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?

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?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=name.kunes.android.launcher.bigmessages&hl=en_GB&gl=US

Sounds like an Android app. What would iOS users do? 

There are loads of accessibility options build into both Android and iOS, there is no need for additional apps.

I am quite happy myself with app banking (my preference) but I also appreciate that some people cannot operate apps for a variety of reasons, despite the variety of accessibility options.

Yorkie006

Just to add my opinion to this. I personally don't use banking apps. Not because I'm not tech savvy or because I don't trust them, simply because my smartphone runs an older version of Android. As most (or all?) mobile banking apps require a relatively new OS, I am unable to install said apps. I am not replacing a perfectly good phone just so I can install an app or two. I understand why banking apps won't work on older devices (they're a security risk etc) but at the same time, it is not reasonable to expect all would-be customers to have a modern smart phone. Banks need to have a process in place so all customers can access all banking services without a smart phone.

Rob5342

subjecttocontract said:

Isn't it amazing that some people assume that everyone has a smart phone ? I dont have one and have no intention of getting one. Im certainly not getting one because a bank expects me to use an 'app'........I don't really know what an app is, I don't feel I need to know. I have an old mobile phone that I use for.......wait for it.......making/receiving phone calls & texts. I think it has a camera but I've never used it.

You do have a mobile phone though, 25 years ago people would be saying that they had no intention of getting a mobile phone as their landline did everything they needed. Things always move on, the new technology that some people don't want or supposedly can't cope with at one point will eventually become the old technology that some people don't want to move on from

One day there will be some new banking access technology and people will be making comments about only having an old smartphone they use of or apps and saying they have no intention of getting whatever the next technology is.

Why don't you find out what an app is before you dismiss them? I find banking apps incredibly useful and I wouldn't bank any other way now.

35har1old

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.

Barclays is the only bank that you cannot switch a current account to a existing Barclays account online

All banks same to be building a digital fortress around there customer service

35har1old

wmb194 said:

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.

May not need to use face ID to login but when opening a new account i think you might

lr1277

Rob5342 said:

leboff said:

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.

Branches are relics of the past and everything will move towards apps. The answer isn't to not move towards apps, it's for the banks to develop accessible apps so anyone can use them without any problems.

Easier said than done. Banks and all financial instituions are going to have to find ways of catering to all sorts of people.

My experience is my dad developed dementia. He did have a smartphone and I might have been able to put the app on it, but he didn't want it.

He wouldn't get through security on phone banking, online banking nor app banking because he could not remember his usernames or passwords. He also stopped using the computer and the mobile phone.

Once mum and I wanted a change made on one of his accounts. We called the bank the bank staff asked to go through security with him. Mum and I were prompting him with the answers. When the bank staff member heard the prompting, he shut down the account. The only way to gain access to the account was to visit branch and show ID.

Ok that is based on processes from 2-3 years ago. In future banks need to amend their processes to take care of people with cognitive or physical incapacity.

In terms of physical incapacity, my dad could still walk with help in 2020, when we had to visit the bank branch. However the branch was 20-30 miles away and the best way to get there was by taxi in our particular situation. Later on my dad declined further and would not be able to walk out of the house.

People incapacitated in some way should still be able to access and control their accounts. At the moment a passport and branch visit do the trick.

The other point is that there will be people who are alone going through cognitive and physical decline. How does tha bank verify their access to the account? My dad had mum and me. But that won't apply to everyone.

We did have POA at the time, so we registered the POA with the bank when we went to show the ID. But there will be people who don't have a support network and won't be able to grant a POA to anybody.

I say all this because I don't have a support network so may go through similar issues in the future.

Some thoughts for bank staff to consider.

Edited to change a confusing sentence.

2nd edit: to add details about lack of physical capacity and not having a POA.

Bridlington1

Yorkie006 said:

Just to add my opinion to this. I personally don't use banking apps. Not because I'm not tech savvy or because I don't trust them, simply because my smartphone runs an older version of Android. As most (or all?) mobile banking apps require a relatively new OS, I am unable to install said apps. I am not replacing a perfectly good phone just so I can install an app or two. I understand why banking apps won't work on older devices (they're a security risk etc) but at the same time, it is not reasonable to expect all would-be customers to have a modern smart phone. Banks need to have a process in place so all customers can access all banking services without a smart phone.

I quite agree. The issue I've found with the apps is that my phone simply doesn't have enough storage space for all of them as I use that many different banks. Barring a QR code scanner the only apps I've installed are banking ones and I've now got to the point where I'm having to uninstall apps I don't use to make way for new ones (Nationwide went the other week, Saffron BS went a few months ago, as did Cambridge BS). 

My current smartphone cost me about £30 in March 2022, it does what I need it to do and it can get most of the banking apps on it so I have no intention of getting a new one until this one stops working/goes missing. However if the banks wish to provide me with a new smartphone that's compatible with their apps for free then I would consider replacing my current phone.