CHAPS, was £18 when it first started off, up to £35,000 then you had the rip off exchange rates. I think Santander / Carter Alle charge $40 for Swift / Chaps. You are better off using a proper international bank, especially if you do it regularly. Dollars to China for me.
Agree Harry, I decided against including past banking experience as it would only rock the boat and besides, all people and therefore banks are capable of improving on their track record aren't they. aren't they?? they are aren't they?? - please tell me they are....
Zero Credit card from Santander is worth mentioning, especially if you travel around the USA or the EU. Really good exchange rates on purchases (nearly the interbank rate), access to cash machines nearly everywhere with no 3% cash transaction fees; assuming you have funds. But remember to choose local currency with paying the check.
Yes, that why I said I checked on Google - a very interesting discussion though all the same they were and still are the Cooperative Bank
I used to use Caxton up until about 5 years ago when I was put onto Transferwise - highly recommended, although there's a transaction limit akin to the worldwide anti-money laundering limit which iirc is 10K
Strange I've never been asked that when transferring money to China, but when I tried moving money around my own personal and business accounts for a purchase on a garage (from myself... don't ask) the solicitors raised a load of forms and questions... at one stage insisting I engage with two sets of solicitors... despite being the buyer and seller. I've used transferwise ... on this forum to buy bits in Euro's
My personal account is with Halifax and they've been pretty good tbh aside from their paranoid anti-fraud algorithm blocking debit card payments at some inopportune moments - the payment declines, the bank sends a text asking if the transaction is genuine to which you need to reply and then wait 5 mins to repeat the payment attempt. Particularly annoying and embarrassing examples were when I was at a busy bar in London on a Saturday night, or when I was trying to buy a last minute gift at 525pm on Xmas Eve, or, the worst of the lot, when I was at the head of a queue of cars at a manually controlled car park exit barrier with no space to turn around, meaning the half dozen vehicles behind me all needed to reverse in order to let me get out of their way. Apart from that though, they've been really good. Their online banking tech seems to work and I have never waited longer than a few mins to speak to someone on the phone, even during the early days of lockdown chaos.
I think that is technically impossible .... I was trying hard to avoid getting into this thread , because it's such a touchy subject with me . The RBS rot started with Fred Goodwin who not only played " casino banking " with other people's money , and bankrupted RBS , but even collected his bonuses , and finally walked away with a " gold watch " . Why ? Because RBS were deemed by the government to be " too big to fail " , so had to be bailed out at the tax-payer's expense . Sadly , Fred The Shred got a few physical "interventions " as a result ..... bricks through windows etc. and the poor bugger might even have had to move to one of his other properties ! Banks that treat customers like rubbish get away with it because they know full well that for most people the idea of changing to a new bank just looks like far too much trouble . Some folks have a sense of loyalty , which is a fine thing in the right place , and this also plays well for the banks . But they have NO such sense of loyalty to customers , who to them are merely an account number . Those days ended when you could actually walk into a local branch , and speak with a bank manager . If you need proof , notice how their best " headline " deals are only available to new customers ! What can't speak can't lie .....
Weird. I've used First Direct as my everyday bank since 1994 without a single problem, ever. And they always win the customer satisfaction polls. I can't recommend them highly enough (based on my own experience).
I will be closing my HSBC aka mafia funding terrorist banksters as soon as I can. RBS do great online system & you get a little calculator code machine to do important transactions from abroad et cetra.
Really? I have just opened an RBS business account and I can't for the life of me work out how to log in to it. They don't appear to have sent me all the codes and info needed and while their numerous confusing and contradictory "Welcome" emails breezily informed me that if I have problems logging in I should phone 0345 *******, when I call it, a recorded message tells me "this number is no longer being answered due to Covid". So far, not so good
My personal and business accounts are with RBS. I've been with them since my early twenty's with no problems. The online banking is very good once set up. They keep sending me letters at the moment offering £4k to change my business account to a different bank but I'm not taking the bait.
I must admit to being a banking tart; everytime they offer £125 or similar to change, I'm in. I run a few accounts for different reasons but the one account I always keep is Halifax. They've always done a great job, excellent APP, love the photo cheque deposit and the Halifax Clarity Visa card is great for FX and use overseas.
