Household joint account, different banks

[merryberry]

Hi, anyone point me straight? I am with Smile, DH with NatWest. We want to set up a joint account we can both contribute to and draw from for household and childcare purposes, with additionally an extra card for our nanny to use. Smile say I can only have joint accounts with another Smile account holder. DH thinks NatWest the same. Should one of us open a personal account in the other's bank and then apply for a joint account. Do banks let us have more than one account?

DH and I have a joint acc at Natwest. DHs personal account is at Natwest too, but mine is with another bank.

Natwest was fine about it. They made me go through a full identity check whereas they already had DHs details, but otherwise no problem.

How strange, I have a joint Smile account with my DH, whose other bank account is with Lloyds. It's been open for a few years, mind you. But as you're both jointly liable for the account, I can't see what the problem is. Certainly their FAQs don't back up what you've been told.

I would just fill in the form and see what happens.

That said, you can have more than one current account but often they have clauses that mean your salary has to be paid into their one (or at least a certain volume of dosh has to go through the account every month).

The extra card for your nanny could be a bit problematic. What I would do there is get something like the Cashminder account in her own name (since her using a card in your name is a no-no). Fast Pay means you can transfer money instantly between the accounts (they don't all have to be with Co-op/Smile for these purposes).

I've just opened a new joint account with Halifax. I have an account with them already, DH doesn't. Had to produce proof of id but that was all.
And I only choose Halifax because they give you £5 per month for paying salary in, tbh it could have been any of them I moved to.

I don't think you'd have a problem.

Thanks everone, all a lot clearer now. Will look into the cashminder now.

You can open a joint account at Natwest, even if you don't currently bank there. Personally if you want your nanny on the account, I'd open a joint account somewhere neither of you currently bank, and have her added as a third party. Means she isn't credit scored etc, and the account is still in yours and DH's names, but she can use the account and apply for a debit card to use etc.

I have accounts with Bank of Scotland and LTSB. DH banks with Halifax and Natwest. I was added to dh's account (to make it a joint one) without having to have a sole account there.

re: the nanny - you might be easier adding her as an additional card holder on a credit card as I dont think she could be added to a current account in the same way (might be wrong though)