Address checks to open an online savings account

InvestingNow
InvestingNow Posts: 37 Forumite
First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
in Savings & investments
Hello everyone,

I am facing a problem to open an easy saving account.

Everytime I try to open a easy saving account ( I have tried Charter Savings and Paragon) they ask me for further address identification. I dont have a utility bill or UK driving license. I want to use my bank statement but they are in pdf and printing them is not valid.

Why do I need further address identification? how does the address checks work? I did not have this problem before. In fact I opened an fixed rate account with atom bank 2 weeks ago and did not have this problem.


Thanks in advance

Comments

  • 85_East
    85_East Posts: 46 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Address validation could be for any reason. Can you go into your bank and ask for a copy of the statement to be printed? HSBC will do this, I don’t know about any other banks
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 30,911 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    InvestingNow wrote: »
    Everytime I try to open a easy saving account ( I have tried Charter Savings and Paragon) they ask me for further address identification. I dont have a utility bill or UK driving license. I want to use my bank statement but they are in pdf and printing them is not valid.
    Charter's (lengthy) list of acceptable documents for address verification is at http://pdf.chartersavingsbank.co.uk/01085_identity_requirements.pdf, there must be something on there that you have....

    Same for Paragon, see https://www.paragonbank.co.uk/pCMS_BO/Resources/ParagonBank/Documents/Savings/Identitydocumentsform
  • sjp999
    sjp999 Posts: 146 Forumite
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    Screenshot the PDF - snippet if you're on win 10 - and send them the resulting image perhaps?

    Another PDF app might get you round the can't print situation you're currently experiencing.
  • InvestingNow
    InvestingNow Posts: 37 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I am travelling now and i will be travelling for the next 6 months. I wish they had something like firstdirect where you can do it to a special security link, taking a picture of your passport and of yourself at real time and uploading your bank statement.

    I am not there to ask to my bank to print it out.
    Any saving account where the validation is done online or not needed?
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 30,911 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    InvestingNow wrote: »
    I am travelling now and i will be travelling for the next 6 months.
    ....in which case, with all due respect, now isn't really a good time to be trying to open accounts from a distance. Many will only grant access by sending out details by post anyway - can't it wait until your return?
  • InvestingNow
    InvestingNow Posts: 37 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    i have tried to open a post office account with my old address ( I changed it in my other banks less than a month ago) and it worked. No further validation needed. I got an account number and sort code. I called them to change my address and no problem.

    I want to earn some pounds on my savings to travelling while travelling:). That is why I wanted to open it now

    Why is this happening? how do they check the address? I added the address in Noddle before applying.

    Thanks
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 30,911 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    It's happening because different banks have different policies and checks, but of course there's no way of knowing who does what as that would be self-defeating, i.e. if it was well-known that some banks were easier than others then they'd be more prone to fraud.

    If you've changed address within the last month then this may be an issue (for at least some providers) as you presumably won't be on the electoral roll at your new one yet. If you have multiple banks already, do none of them offer competitive savings products that you'd be able to open on the strength of your existing business with them (i.e. they'd be less likely to need address verification)?
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