So many bank branches closing !

[Jennalong]

I live in Cumbria and my local Barclays closed 2 years ago so I had to go to my next town ( 20 miles round trip ) but now that one is also closing alongside another branch which would have been a 50 mile round trip.
So which online banks do you use and did the switch over ( direct debits , regular bank transfers etc ) swap over go seamlessness as they promise to do for you ?
Or any to avoid ? Thanks.

FWIW I haven’t set foot in a bank for over a decade - I can pay cheques in via online banking and cash via my local post office. That said we only have access to a physical branch because we live close to a major town. My PILs nearest branch is the other side of the county!

First direct could be a good choice as they have excellent customer service. So if you're not familiar with online banking it will be easy to receive advice.

I've been with them for about 10 years.

Times change, and businesses have to keep up.
Same with retail, that's going the same way, it's more cost effective for them.
Most stores take a lot more money online than through the tills.

Just found out today we lose our local Barclays in April. I’ve banked with Barclays since I was 16, almost 40 years, but I’ll be switching everything to Nationwide asap, I really like having a branch in town where I can talk face to face on the rare occasion I need to. Nothing beats dealing with an actual person when you have issues with your bank accounts imo so they will lose my family’s business and I’m sure we won’t be the only ones.

With Nationwide. I haven't swapped so not sure about the process but do know from other people its much easier to move things over etc.

To be honest i don't really go the branch only to deposit cash if I have to but even then the cash machine does ot too so I dont need to go inside.

I cant lots of stuff via the app and if I can't its quick to phone up and I haven't ever had any problems with their customer service.

Our final town bank is closing in May; however the town council are organising a Banking Hub for the town, run by the PO but so that anyone can use it for any bank - there will be an actual person & counter service. Seems like a great idea, especially for older people, businesses & those times when you do need to actually talk to a real person f2f.

Why do you need to move to an online bank? I’ve banked with Lloyds for 20 years. I haven’t been in a branch for close to 10 years.

I am with Nationwide and simply do just about everything via their online banking system.

I just wish that they would add me facility to scan a cheque on their app as I get those several times a year from my mother still (she doesn't do online stuff at all). That's the only thing I sometimes go into the branch for as I've found the machines a bit of a pain in the arse with it.

You don't need to move banks surely! They all have online banking facilities via their websites or their apps. Just get yourself set up to use those instead.

Nationwide is the last local bank in my town, it’s very busy, staff are friendly and professional. I do try and do online banking but sometimes it just doesn’t work. I think the slow death of branches is very shortsighted.

I have accounts with most banks. Out of the big names, I like Halifax and Nationwide. I use Santander the most as it has the best cashback / interest rates on savings / 0% credit card.
With the app based banks, Chase is excellent, great app and rewards. Metro are not too bad at the moment, app is basic but have a market leading savings account.
Why not open a few, especially when the banks throw the switching offers out, these will net you £100- £200 a time, unfortunately the only one doing an offer at the moment is First Direct for £175. I expect that more switch offers will be released in Feb for a Mar year end cut off.

You can lodge cheques to your bank account via any Post Office. It's usually in your account within 24 hours.
I bank online only and use the PO for any physical cash activities. I like that my little local branch gets commission from the bank and it keeps them in business.

I never go into a bank nowadays. I can do everything online, including paying in the very occasional cheque that comes my way.

Our village bank is closing soon and I'm not bothered. If I want cash I can go to the post office. TBF I almost never use cash.

I think the slow death of branches is very shortsighted

Why?

*TheShellBeach

I think the slow death of branches is very shortsighted

Why?*

For the elderly for one ,,and also if you actually need to speak with someone without being in an endless queue telling you are caller 75 and hearing the same info replayed to you endlessly.
Better to stand in a real queue and have a face to face conversation .

Internet banking has been around for over 20 years - the vast majority of the elderly should already be onboard with it. They weren’t elderly when it was invented

How often do you actually have to speak to someone? Are your financial affairs that complicated?

We had seven banks or building societies when we moved to our market town 15 years ago. The last remaining one will close in the next couple of months. There is going to be a banking hub opening up. I am not sure how it will work but it seems like a great idea. Some people want to continue to use cash and this way businesses will still be able to handle it. One size doesn't fit all and while online banking can be really convenient, it is not for everyone.

To answer your question ... I use Barclays. There isn't a branch for about 40km but I do almost all of my banking online via the Barclays app. It is intuitive to use. I do however like to use cash so make the long journey to get some once a month as I make quite large withdrawals.

You travel 40km to withdraw cash? Have you considered using a cash machine. There must be one closer

Or get cash back at the supermarket surely?!

Op, I bank with Santander, and have done for about 15 years now. I find their app easy to use and personally I would much rather be in a queue to speak to an advisor on the phone, allowing me to get on with whatever else I'm doing until it's my turn, than waste my time driving to my nearest branch, paying to park, walking (in the rain?) to the branch, queuing up etc.

I think that when some banks were bailed out, a condition should have been retention of their branch network. Now with remote working the space could be used by non-branch staff on days or times when closed to the public.

I have lost local branches of my bank and now log on via their app.

Fortunately there are still some of other banks where I can withdraw cash.

Were they a reputable organisation I would have suggested an account that you could use at a Post Office, assuming you still have one.

Nationwide are more likely to have branches, have you got one of those, ours is always quite busy and I think got customers switching from banks in our town when the banks closed.

For online banking, Lloyds is probably the least onerous of the big banks and NatWest one of the worst.

Lloyds is great and i can pay in my annual birthday cheque with the app. We also use nationwide for joint account and DH is with Halifax. Haven’t had to go to any of them in person for years.

I'm also with Nationwide but haven't been in branch for about 2 years. Most of my banking is done online and (to my shame) I rarely use cash (never cheques). My savings accounts are all managed online too.

Most stores take a lot more money online than through the tills.

My daughter wanted perfume at Christmas. It was £95 at the Boots shop. It was £65 if I ordered it from Boots online and collected it from the same shop. So that shop loses a sale, the company takes in £30 less for more employee effort and transport, and it will contribute to a future decision that the shop isn't meeting sales targets and should be closed.

It's not stores that take in more money from online sales. It's the company that owns the stores and the online business (which they keep as separate entities) and wants to close the stores.