UK internet banking – reviews, advice and features
To support our campaign to get Nationwide to change their mind about the supply of OFX, I’m building a list of features that other UK internet banking services offer.
The reviews won’t be totally exhaustive but I expect to be able to include: security and log-on information, ability to download statement data, what types of files are supported (OFX, QIF, CSV or text?), the options for customising the dates and filtering statement information.
The banks that I plan to include in the reviews are:
- Barclays
- Natwest
- HSBC
- RBS / Royal Bank of Scotland
- Alliance & Leicester
- and any more that people request in future comments
If there’s a really good uk internet bank that isn’t featured on the site then please let me know in the comments and we can add it next.
The factors I’ll be looking for are:
- Automatic updates for services like Wesabe or MS Money
- Statement downloads (in OFX, CSV, XML or other formats
- Length of dowload history
- Ease of login
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Does anyone know if Santander offer OFX or QIF support? This is particularly relevant as Alliance and Leicester are in the process of being swallowed up in the Santander family. I tried contacting Santander to get an answer (with a view to transferring my account from Nationwide) but was passed from person to person (one in their online banking department) and no-one knew the answer!
I am with Santander and they do not provide OFX support, they also do not support sending faster payments (you can receive faster payments). I have contacted them regarding the latter issue and there is no official release date although it is in their roadmap.
Not good enough in IMHO but they’re giving me an interest free overdraft, which is worth more than these features…. for now
I have had a savings account with Alliance & Leicester, which has now moved over to Santander. A&L used to provide QIF statements and Santander is continuing them. I don’t see any changes there.