UK Sole Traders - Who Do You Bank With?
 

Lloyds have turned into fuckwits and dropped the ball massively over the past 6 - 12 months so looking to possibly switch up banks.

Looking for good/bad feedback about UK banks' business accounts, and the ease/difficulty of getting USD affiliate checks/wires (must cater to both methods) into your UK accounts.

Online banking is a must, and I don't want to fuck around with some stupid card reader to do so (not sure if it's only building societies that do that anyway - I've been with Lloyds around 15 years so not versed in how others do things).

Thanks in advance :thumbsup

Natwest is best for cashing your cheques. Usually only takes a couple of seconds and it's done. Only trouble is you need to wait weeks to see your money.
Santander on the other hand pay into your account instantly however the procedure for paying in foreign cheques is a fucking joke... Honestly it takes over 20 minutes to cash each fucking check. If you have 3 or more prepare to lose an hour or more of your life.

Both have online banking but Santander use a stupid OTP system.

Yorkshire Bank

I´ve never had a problem with Natwest, fast, efficient & always looking to give charges back to keep you happy as a customer. The refunded 100´s every year for the past 10 years when we ring & say, it´s unfair these overdraft charges when I´m paying interest to you...

like, hell yeah, Bank of Scotland rocks :thumbsup

I'm with Lloyds after switching from HSBC a couple of years back, I've found them okay. How have they dropped the ball with you?

Whatever you do, don't use HSBC.

Can you cash foreign checks using a smartphone app at NatWest?

If I'm honest, it's more my local branch. I've been with Lloyds for a long time, and never had a problem until the wankers in my local branch seem to have taken a dislike to me one day, it's very bizarre. Unhelpful as possible, make me jump through unnecessary hoops for simple shit (like putting a reference in with any over the counter cash deposits.. eg withdrawing cash at the atm on payoneer card to then deposit as cash - they fucking hate that for some unknown reason), it's all quite strange.

As for use of the account, I get at least 5 debit card transactions a month flagged as fraud, and have to go through the rigmarole of either answering a text, or ringing up if the text doesn't come through, then going through security etc, then going through and confirming payments, at 20 minutes a time.

It's hard to explain actually, but it's become more like dealing with the council and all their bollocks than dealing with a customer based outfit.

I might just have to suck it up tbh, hsbc I'd never touch, natwest I hear 50/50 good/bad about, and santander I hear negative things about too. meh.

sorry to hear that. I went with Lloyds leaving HSBC and checked out the other banks but many of them now wont even touch foreign cheques or charge a fortune - something you might want to consider if changing.

Are there no small banks, friendly banks in England?
Maybe a branch of an overseas bank so they are used to foreign checks.

HSBC Sucks, currently with LLoyds and find them great.

Barclays - no problem with paying foreign cheques in - money is always there the next day apart from some times back in around 2010 when a few times they had to send them for negotiation which takes six weeks. Online banking on desktop is with the pin sentry keypad thing but their phone app is pretty good, lets you do most things you need.

I'm not in the UK but...

Banks have KYC/risk assesment. Frequent cash deposits may be regarded as money from possibly illegal sources. (Unless they know you own a brick and mortar shop etc.) Maybe they flagged you as a risky client in their system.

I'd switch banks too if I were you. But also, I'd cut down on cash deposits. Have your money transferred to your bank. And what you take out at the ATM, spend it, use it for expenses.