Future of local bank branches

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My local branch now opens 10-2 daily since lockdown. This has I am certain made customers go onto self service options online. What do you think future holds for bank branches on the High street?

• should have said 'that many' people use branches....obviously I know that some people do.

They were mostly shut here before all of this. All of the local branches in my MILs town are now shut and the only option to travel 40 minutes to nearest town. If you don't drive I don't know what you do as there is only one bus a day between the two. MIL still sends us cheques for birthdays which is very kind but we can't pay them in as we both work when the banks are open and they are closed at the weekend.

One of the branch staff said to me she thinks they are trying to close them now by making their opening hours so useless. There is never anyone in there on the few occasions I have managed to get in.

I queued for the bank this week. Its open 9-2 , 3 days a week. I'm convinced the bank will use this an excuse to keep the minimal opening hours. I do 95% of banking online but had some cheques to pay in for work, and sometimes have cash to pay in as well.

Bank branch closures disproportionately impact on the poorest communities. Poor people are less likely to own the means of access to online banking, and are also more likely to predominantly function around cash. Whilst, like most people here, I would struggle to recall the last time I went into a bank, think about what it says about your life that you don't need to walk into a bank and what it entails to be able to say that. Because there are still a lot of people in the UK who don't have that life. And many of them struggle enormously as a result of being unable to access a bank.

Banks have been making noises about checking the account name, but are hiding behind data protection to avoid implementing this

No they're not - confirmation of payee has now been launched by several banks. Others are still updating their tech but there's no data protection issue. If you get the name wrong it will not reveal the correct name so it is only confirming the info you already have.

There’s just absolutely no need for bank branches. I’m in my thirties and have never had to use one, ever.

MIL still sends us cheques for birthdays which is very kind but we can't pay them in

^ we can pay in cheques with our online banking - Lloyds but others do too - you just take a picture of it (it’s got a limit so no good for huge amounts but fine for birthday money!) :)

I think a lot might be satellite offices for those banks who now decide to pair down their head offices since they are being run very efficiently from kitchen tables.

That is an edit of what the ceo of Barclays said on tv a week or so ago

heartsonacake
If there's no need for branches how do I pay cash and cheques (over the limited amount) into a business account? Much as I'd like all customers to pay by bank transfer, I can't force them to, I'm grateful for the ones that are paying at all at the moment!!

hearts that's probably because you don't run a business. Probably don't use much cash either.

Closing branches doesn't affect personal account users much. Those usually free accounts are now predominantly online.

But the accounts that people pay for, business accounts all come with a fee, a branch is needed. For many reasons.

There have been many suggestions on how to support local businesses, but banks prefer to say 'get the tech' even when they know the local infrastructure is not in place or the local population has not made the shift to online / cashless living.

I last went into a branch to deal with my late husband's business account after he died.
Despite handing over all the paperwork and evidence of id in branch the bank lost it.
I would have no confidence whatsoever dealing solely online when you need to submit paperwork such as passports and death certificates.

barbedbloom you can pay in cheques at a post office, by external ATM at a branch or by post.

Im in my forties and DH is 70 We dont online bank and have no intention of doing so.

The hacking problems that have been in the news in recent years just rubber stamp this.