[Arnold Palmer]

Those of you that have free banking through the co-op, how do you find it?

I applied for an account in September last year, it never opened until LAST WEEK!! 5 MONTHS LATER!! I put a stack of cheques in there via the post office this passed Thursday it's still not showing!

I currently use Clydesdale Bank (Yorkshire Bank they call it in Englandshire), it's gotten very expensive but so far the Co-op has been terrible. Might have to stick with them for the time being.

What's your experiences with it?

[Perfect Windows]

All of our franchisees are with the Co-op as well as us.

Account opening takes forever and we've sort of learned to live with it with new franchisees. The secret is to call them every couple of days and hassle them.

Paying in via Post Office takes ages to clear and I'm pretty sure that's so whatever bank you do it with.  The little-known secret is that the Post Office just sends the cheque to whatever bank it is - they don't process the payments themselves. Fortunately we have a Co-op branch nearby so we can pay in directly.

Also, if you're paying into the branch you need to have account number and sort code of your account on the back of every cheque - we have a stamp made up for about £12 and it lasts forever.

However, we had got to the point with other banks where our fees were going to be in the £4-500 a year range per franchisee so the hassle of account opening and having to go to the branch far outweigh that much cash. It would be less now with the weight taken off by GoCardless but it'd still be hefty banking elsewhere.

So in summary, you get the service you (don't) pay for. And it's still better service than sodding Natwest ever gave us.

Vin

[Smudger]

Just left the coop - moved to Yorkshire bank for the free banking

Coop always slow even with electronic cash transfers

We now scan cheques cleared the next day 👍

[John Mart]

Just left the coop - moved to Yorkshire bank for the free banking

Coop always slow even with electronic cash transfers

We now scan cheques cleared the next day 👍

Annoyingly that is available for personal Santander customers but not business.

[Arnold Palmer]

Just left the coop - moved to Yorkshire bank for the free banking

Coop always slow even with electronic cash transfers

We now scan cheques cleared the next day 👍

Ours only lasted two years, then it went astronomical. I got a 50% discount for year three and we're still £500+ per month.

The killer is 30p (15p at 50% discount) per electronic transfer. Scandalous.

[John Mart]

Just left the coop - moved to Yorkshire bank for the free banking

Coop always slow even with electronic cash transfers

We now scan cheques cleared the next day 👍

Ours only lasted two years, then it went astronomical. I got a 50% discount for year three and we're still £500+ per month.

The killer is 30p (15p at 50% discount) per electronic transfer. Scandalous.

I'd swallow my pride and go back to Santander.

[Arnold Palmer]

Pride?

Spanish people shouldn't be running banks.

[Smudger]

Aye - bank charges are virtual robbery

Darran

[CF Facilities]

Free banking only for two years with the Co-op.
You can get free coop banking for longer if you are a member of the fsb and you also receive a payment of 25.00 per year.

[Arnold Palmer]

Free banking only for two years with the Co-op.
You can get free coop banking for longer if you are a member of the fsb and you also receive a payment of 25.00 per year.

I am a member of the FSB and it's free.

It has to be (by some considerable margin) the worst online banking experience I have ever seen, it's like it was coded on a ZX spectrum.

[Smudger]

Free banking only for two years with the Co-op.
You can get free coop banking for longer if you are a member of the fsb and you also receive a payment of 25.00 per year.

I am a member of the FSB and it's free.

It has to be (by some considerable margin) the worst online banking experience I have ever seen, it's like it was coded on a ZX spectrum.

nah -  thats to advanced ZX81 more like