Best online banking?

[Cumberlover76]

I am planning to switch my current account from the Coop Cashminder that I had to open years ago due to a bad credit report. Things have now improved greatly on the credit front and i want a proper current account but I am unsure who to go with.

I'm looking at ones that offer some kind of switch incentive, as why turn down free cash, but I'd really like to know how good their online banking systems are before choosing one.

I've read some reports that First Direct can be clunky but i don't know if that has improved. I'm considering M&S as I shop there alot so would probably benefit from the vouchers and reward points, but is it an old peoples bank?

I am also considering whether it's worth moving to a bank that i am likely to want to try and get a mortgage with (hope to look to buy in the next year or so), so maybe Halifax?

I won't keep a high balance in it so not really looking for interest, but i will pay in £1850 each month and most will go out although some to savings.

I use online banking alot and am happy to use mobile aps if they work well. The co-op online banking is ok, but i have a Barclaycard and love the layout of their online account system (not sure if the same for current accounts).

I may consider a pay for account with benefits if it's worth it.

I'd appreciate your views on your banks and if you can compare with others.

I've been with First Direct for years. Can't fault them at all.

I wouldn't recommend Halifax though. I've got an online savings account with them which they keep deactivating due to lack of activity so I have to keep going to branch with id, which kind of defeats the object of on-line banking.

First Direct every time

I changed from barclays to halifax. I had been with barclays since I was little but changed as I found staff in branch really unhelpful and when I was overdrawn for a couple of hours charged me a fortune although I had never been overdrawn befor.
Halifax have been great. Online banking is easy. Branch staff are lovely. Had a problem with my mortgage payments, they have me £50 as apology and £10 for phone call. Wasn't rectified next month, phoned customer service. They gave me £100 to say sorry and paid my mortgage for that month. They also gave incentive to move.
I have all my finances with them now.

as I have used most of them, here are my thoughts on just the websites. It is a tale of reduced performance and worsening design as time goes on.

First Direct; clunky, slow, hard to use, generates lots of extra windows, needs one of those annoying code generators.
Barclays; stuffed with stupid graphics and pictures of women with flowers, fails a lot (Every time they 'upgrade' they cock it up), can get into a loop when you can never log in, bombards you with ads for their products. Also needs a code generator. Terrible design, kiddy blue on white so hard to read. Touch and go if it works at any time.
Tesco: quick to get in and no gadget needed. But full of faults; need to click most things twice to get them to work, and pig-slow. They ignore feedback on the subject.
Lloyds: Fairly easy to get in. They just downgraded for i-brick friendliness though so now clunky, slow, needs loads of scrolling, text too big.
TSB; stupid cartoons, text too big so loads of scrolling. Not quite as bad as Lloyds.
Clydesdale; dark ages stuff, can't do online statements, needs code generator
Bank of Scotland: haven't used in a while but probably downgraded same as Lloyds
M and S: closed this a while back but was also slow and generated loads of windows.
HSBC: online upgrade coming so expect the same problems.

they were all much better about 18 months ago, everything gets wrecked for i-brick tablet. Joke is that now I have a tablet the sites look equally awful on that, although I'd never do banking on a tablet or i phone as security so bad.

none of them are reliable so make sure you have two accounts with two different banking licenses. This protects you against website problems and cash machine outages.

What on earth is an 'old peoples bank?'

I'm with Halifax and love their online banking, I have no problem with it at all. I have the opposite problem to Ancienchateau, I have 2 inactive savings account that they won't allow me to close online, I have to go in to a branch. I wish they would deactivate those and save me a trip!

First Direct is great. You can use the app on your phone and you do need a code generator for some transactions (like setting up new payment for the first time) but after that you can do everything with just the usual security passwords.

So happy with First Direct but also find HSBC ok. Nationwide is fine but you need quite a big card reader for secure access.

Santander is very good. You don't need to crry around a card reader most importantly as they text a code to your phone and you don't have to look up customer numbers if you're on a different computer as they use a word and pin (unlike nationwide who donthe above annoying things). Phone app also works well.

I like Natwest online banking but have never used any other so don't have anything to compare it to. It always seems to work well, easy to log in on a range of devices.

Marks and Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC and it's run now as a joint venture.

If you change to Nationwide I think they are offering £100 joiners bonus

I think First Direct were offering a joiners bonus too

Halifax current account offers £5 a month ongoing that beats the top 2 over time, but pays no interest !

Santander offers cash back on some bills look at the 123 calculater to see if this beats Halifax, plus interest on savings
Santander costs £5 to have this type of account, so you have to minus this off

Further advice here www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/