Can I use CHAPS to transfer to solicitor for property purchase

Jonboy_1984

We did chaps from Barclays. The only issue we had was that a while after we left the branch they sent my partner a text from a 5 digit short code to her number of file saying “was this payment genuine, please reply yes or no”. We use Plusnet mobile and they (like smarty and a couple of other low price networks) don’t support SENDING texts to short code numbers.

By the time we saw the text the branch had closed and it took over an hour to unravel on telephone banking as the front line team didn’t recognise the short code, passed her to the fraud team who then had to find the person who had sent the text…who had gone home by that point. 

This pushed the payment to the following day.

cozzasmith

That’s useful to know, thank you. I shall be careful to watch out for any texts. I’m guessing that the best way to set up the CHAPS is to go into branch with my photo ID. Did Barclays require any further info/evidence from you other than photo ID and details of the account you were sending payment to?

Jonboy_1984

We gave them the solicitors headed sheet with the bank details (as well as ID and chip/pin card verification) and they verbally asked for the purpose of the payment and left it at that.

We did have other paperwork with us but they didn’t ask to see it (already had all the purchase paperwork in a file, so just chucked it in a rucksack in case as in-laws have had fun moving funds in the past with other banks).

Flugelhorn

Ours was very much just checking we hadn't been talked into something fraudulent or coerced into making the transfer - house purchase is quite a legit reason

Albermarle

bobster2 said:

cozzasmith said:

Thank you. Am I correct in my understanding that there is no upper limit for the amount you can send via CHAPS? 

Correct - and it's not generally completely instant. But the funds will arrive the same day.
Out of an abundance of caution I went to our solicitors in person to get a printed copy of their banking details before sending a CHAPS payment. To avoid getting duped by fake emails.

IIRC from my old job, customer payments had to be instigated by early afternoon to arrive by 16.00, which was the latest time they would appear in a bank statement.

Brewerspride

Hope you get sorted today @cozzasmith - a few years ago, I had to make a CHAPS payment at Barclays but had to make an appointment rather than being seen as a walk-in.

westy22

Also, please be aware that Barclays Managers have differing authorisation limits.  Some can only do £500,000, others £1m, and often only the senior manager in a large branch (think city/ large town) can do £1.5m and above.