Basic Bank Account Thread

Midgarosormr · 2 August 2015 at 9:34PM

Hi all, I'm hoping someone here can help me with some advice.

Since the end of my teens I've pretty much been housebound by an illness, and I've never had a bank account because of it.

I now need to open an account because of various online activities, like Swagbucks and Fiverr: it doesn't have to have any fancy features or additions, as all it needs to have is the ability to verify my PayPal, be open for online banking (so I can manage things digitally without having to go to a branch), and have no maintenance fees (like most basic accounts).

However, you can see my dilemma: I literally can't get out to open an account.

Does anyone know of a bank where I can open an account remotely either by post or online, sending documents (to and from) by e-mail or post to confirm who I am and where I live?

The current forms of address/ID I have are:

A benefits letter confirming identity and/or address
An Equifax credit check/report .pdf that went through the electoral poll search
A scanned copy of my birth-certificate and the original, though I'd rather not post or risk the original, as you can imagine!

Or, is there a another, new way to confirm my identity remotely to the satisfaction of the banks?

If this isn't possible, are there any Pre-Paid Debit Cards that will verify a PayPal account (I have an Orange, but it can't verify)?

Thanks for any help you can give.
Mike.

pmduk · 3 August 2015 at 10:46AM

Some banks, including RBS and Natwest, will open accounts if they can verify you electronically.

stclair · 3 August 2015 at 10:52AM

Midgarosormr wrote: »

Hi all, I'm hoping someone here can help me with some advice.

Since the end of my teens I've pretty much been housebound by an illness, and I've never had a bank account because of it.

I now need to open an account because of various online activities, like Swagbucks and Fiverr: it doesn't have to have any fancy features or additions, as all it needs to have is the ability to verify my PayPal, be open for online banking (so I can manage things digitally without having to go to a branch), and have no maintenance fees (like most basic accounts).

However, you can see my dilemma: I literally can't get out to open an account.

Does anyone know of a bank where I can open an account remotely either by post or online, sending documents (to and from) by e-mail or post to confirm who I am and where I live?

The current forms of address/ID I have are:

A benefits letter confirming identity and/or address
An Equifax credit check/report .pdf that went through the electoral poll search
A scanned copy of my birth-certificate and the original, though I'd rather not post or risk the original, as you can imagine!

Or, is there a another, new way to confirm my identity remotely to the satisfaction of the banks?

If this isn't possible, are there any Pre-Paid Debit Cards that will verify a PayPal account (I have an Orange, but it can't verify)?

Thanks for any help you can give.
Mike.

You will find banks will not accept a birth certificate as proof of ID if your over 18.

Given your circumstances do you not have a carer or similar. Have you also thought about giving someone Power of Attorney to administer your finances.

sofaman · 22 November 2016 at 6:14PM

Re Citibank; it doesn't seem like you can register anymore.

Pink_dragon · 8 February 2017 at 3:23AM

Hi all
I am in the process of setting up an IVA I have been told that I must set up a new bank account ahead of my creditor meeting. I seem to have a great deal of trouble doing this despite applying for basic accounts only. I have applied of the Natwest foundation account however, the application has been referred to a decision maker. I have just got a new job and I am really worried that I will end up without a bank account to pay money into every month.
I looked up my credit score on clear score and it was 78 😳 this has worried me I only want an account to pay wages in pay money out and that's it I don't want an overdraft facility or anything else. Will I have to quit my new job and stay on benefits? I was hoping to progress forward after having a horrendous year last year after not only suffering from financial difficulty that resulted in my debt but also suffering 2 car crashes and a miscarriage. I was hoping to at least continue along the path of establishing a career
Thanks

Henry_Blu · 10 May 2017 at 12:30PM

Excellent post SGX.SAINT ! :A
More info than I've seen ANYWHERE.
When are you joining the MSE team?

Regards and thanks.:T
HB

khris210 · 31 May 2018 at 1:20PM

My wife and I have a joint account with Santander, and she has a personal account with Natwest. However Natwest are closing their branch in our town so we looked into opening a basic account with Santander. I started the application on line, but our financial circumstances are such that we couldn't enter meaningfull figures in the boxes. Our "formal" income is just my state pension, but we have considerable capital invested which we draw on as necessary, but there is no box for this information. So off we go to the branch to ask for an interview to explain the situation, only to be told that the interviewer would only ask the same questions as are on the website, and in any case that there was a 2 or 3 week waiting time (Come back Capt. Mainwaring) This means that not only is she trapped in Natwest, but that we are trapped in Santander, since it seems that no other bank would offer us a full joint account on the information we could give. We were also refused a Marks and Sparks store card I suspect for the same reason. We actually have no desire to leave Santander, but you never know. We are aware that she can do basic operations through the Post Office. On a slightly different but linked topic, I tried to log into my Experian account to check if I'd got a black mark from M&S, but it couldn't verify my identity, and of course when I checked my details ( address etc) they were all correct, so what now?

eskbanker · 31 May 2018 at 2:29PM

khris210 wrote: »

I started the application on line, but our financial circumstances are such that we couldn't enter meaningfull figures in the boxes. Our "formal" income is just my state pension, but we have considerable capital invested which we draw on as necessary, but there is no box for this information.

If the box asks for income, you enter your actual income, i.e. your pension. The fact that you have savings or investments to draw on is neither here nor there I'm afraid, so as far as Santander are concerned the pension income is the only meaningful figure, even if you disagree.

khris210 wrote: »

This means that not only is she trapped in Natwest, but that we are trapped in Santander, since it seems that no other bank would offer us a full joint account on the information we could give.

How have you come to that conclusion? There are certain bank accounts only open to those paying in £x per month but they're very much in the minority, so why are you assuming that you wouldn't be able to open an account if your only "formal" income is your pension?

khris210 wrote: »

We were also refused a Marks and Sparks store card I suspect for the same reason.

So you don't actually know the reason to be insufficient income? If you're struggling to verify your identity with Experian, M&S could also have hit the same issue....

khris210 wrote: »

when I checked my details ( address etc) they were all correct, so what now?

Contact Experian and ask them. Once they've resolved that, check what your credit files say and then ask M&S if they rejected you because of the Experian issue. You don't get a 'black mark' from M&S (or any other potential lender) on your credit files, they'll just show an application for credit.

khris210 · 31 May 2018 at 3:56PM

Thank you for your very helpfull reply. I shall take up your suggestions and report back!

rose_orchard · 10 March 2019 at 8:43AM

My 82 year old mother has closed a building society account and a cheque was sent - she is housebound so i took the cheque to lloyds where i was forcibly directed to the cash machine as was told quicker.... now baNk have refused to accept cheque and have also kept it ! My mother is beside herself as the cheque is large , and building society said go back to bank - HELP

Basic Bank Account Thread

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