If you are one of those people who prefer – or a reliant – on face-to-face banking support then there are other alternatives. Here we explain what these are and how they can help your with specific needs
Thousands of high street banks and building society branches have closed over the last decade – so what’s in place to replace them?
Banks say that this has been driven by a rapid increase in online and mobile banking and a rapid decline in the use of physical branches. According to the consumer group Which? 5,970 branches have disappeared since January 2015. The closures have seen some towns left with no high street bank branches whatsoever and have been coined “banking deserts”.
Now if you are one of those people who prefer – or a reliant – on face-to-face banking support then there are other alternatives. Here we explain what these are and how they can help with your specific needs from access to cash, depositing a cheque, or managing your account.
Post Office
The first option you have if your local banking branch has closed is the Post Office as it offers customers from nearly all major UK banks including Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Santander, basic banking service for free. These include:
- Cash deposits
- Cheque deposits
- Cash withdrawals
- Balance enquiries
It also offers a range of other commercial activities, such as savings, investments, loans, insurance, money transfer, foreign currency, mortgages and postal orders, though many of these are own-branded. The Post Office also offers a document verification service – vital when signing up for some financial products. But, unlike banks and building societies, it charges a fee.
You can access this service in any of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches whenever it is open, including evenings and Sundays where available. You can use the Post Office’s branch finder tool to locate your nearest and check its opening hours. However, it’s by no means a like-for-like replacement for a local bank branch, so you’ll find some services are more restricted. For example, to pay in cheques you may need a paying-in slip and deposit envelope from your actual bank and for account queries, changing details or applying for bank accounts, you will need to phone your bank directly or go to a branch.
Before heading down to your local branch, you should first head to the Post Office’s website here to check what your bank offers and what you’ll need for each service – just select your bank from the dropdown list and the available options should appear.
Banking hubs
Banking hubs are part of a new scheme designed to plug the gap after the banking closures. These hubs operate in a similar way to standard bank branches, but several banks all share the same space – usually on one day of each week. Inside each hub, you’ll find Post Office staff ready to help with regular banking transactions including withdrawing and depositing cash and making bill payments. Alongside this, each day, a representative from a specific bank will take over the space and offer advice to customers on more complicated banking issues.
Currently, there are 32 banking hubs located throughout the UK and includes the following banks:
- Bank of Ireland UK
- Barclays
- Danske Bank
- HSBC
- Lloyds Bank
- NatWest
- Santander
- TSB
- Virgin Money
Cash Access UK, a bank-owned company responsible for the delivery of new hubs, says more are planned to open across the country. It is currently working with communities to find suitable locations for the hubs, obtain planning permission, refit the properties and get each location working.
Pop up banks and community bankers
NatWest Group and Lloyds Banking Group have “Community Bankers” who are professional bank staff who travel to areas with no branches and meet customers in shared local spaces, such as libraries, council buildings or leisure centres. These banking services lets you do everyday banking including making deposits, withdrawing cash and paying bills. Alongside this, they also provide customers with advice on more complex financial issues through one-to-one appointments and also offer open drop-in sessions.
TSB runs “pop-up” banks in selected community locations across England, Scotland and Wales. These again open in community places and offer the following services:
- Help with managing your existing payments, such as Direct Debits
- Internet and mobile banking registration, forgotten passwords and troubleshooting
- Reporting lost or stolen cards
- Non-cash payments to someone you’ve paid before, up to £10,000
- Help with general product enquiries
- Help with managing finances if you’ve suffered a bereavement
Barclays also offers “Barclays Local” which is a network of alternative branch formats in the UK. Again open in places such as town halls and libraries, mobile vans and banking pods. These offer customers a range of in-person support such as help with digital banking, financial reviews, balance check transfers and bill payments.
Mobile banking vans
Both the NatWest Group and Lloyds Banking Group offer mobile banking vans, which visit local communities and allow you to cash cheques, make deposits and withdrawals, and pay bills. They typically visit rural and semi-rural areas once a week. Banks which offer this service include NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland.
Barclays also runs a mobile banking van service under its Barclays Local model. Under this service customers can get advice on:
- Buying a new home
- Online banking
- Saving for the future
- Setting up a business
You can find out what services are offered by your bank through its website.
