[Amezz]

Heyyyyyyy!

I was scrolling the internet for days trying to find the best student account for University...

and i found HSBC they seemed perfect, no overdraft fees, up to £3,000 and 2% interest rates!

BUT....Apparently your provisional licence isn't proof of identity when you're over 18..my passports out of date! it really annoyed me!! they were very condescending and not particularly helpful!

Has anyone got any ideas, which the best student account available is?

i'm at the end of my tether!

Thanks in advance!!!!

[zeropoint]

I went with Natwest, they offered an interest free overdraft which increases each year you're an undergraduate, and a young persons railcard.

[Amezz]

i've been looking at them! they don't offer the railcard anymore and they also have a bad reputation for customer service

[Solid.Snake]

Each bank is different and comes with its own perks and drawbacks, so there is no bank that is the best out there. As it comes down to what you personally want from your bank for example a big overdraft, credit card, freebies like a railcard or top notch customer service...So my advice would be to research and have a good look around to see what each of the banks are offering before deciding who to go with.

If you unsure then take a good look at this website:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/stu...t-bank-account

It has a lot of information as well as great financial advice and tips!
Hope that helps!

[Solid.Snake]

Also, just a quick note out there to all of you thinking about getting a student account now. I would advise you to wait just a little longer as not all the banks have updated their perks and freebies for their student accounts this year just yet.
As you don't want to open up your student account now to only find if you would have waited a week or two later then you would have got for example a £50 cash incentive or a free pair of speakers! By the way Santander are currently offering a £50 cash incentive for their student account so there's one freebie there!

[eemooz]

Definitely the Co-op, £1400 overdraft... you cant beat that.
Its the only bank to offer GUARANTEED £1400 overdraft, the others either have a smaller overdraft, or say something vague like up to £3000 overdraft - which noone really gets in their first year.
That being said its a relatively hard bank account to get if you have no credit history.

Natwest is okay, but they no longer offer the railcard to new customers.

[Samus2]

I've had no problems with RBS. Allowed me to set my overdraft limit myself as long as it was below £500, had no issues when I needed to extend it, always helpful in branch. The App is really useful too, I get a text whenever I dip below £500 and get a weekly text telling me how much is in my account.

[. . .]

(Original post by Amezz)
Heyyyyyyy!

I was scrolling the internet for days trying to find the best student account for University...

and i found HSBC they seemed perfect, no overdraft fees, up to £3,000 and 2% interest rates!

BUT....Apparently your provisional licence isn't proof of identity when you're over 18..my passports out of date! it really annoyed me!! they were very condescending and not particularly helpful!

Has anyone got any ideas, which the best student account available is?

i'm at the end of my tether!

Thanks in advance!!!!

Really? My experience with hsbc was really good and can't fault their customer service. Why not just get a new passport you're going to have to sooner or later. And it now lasts for 10 years before it expires as you're an adult.

[nickth]

(Original post by Amezz)
Heyyyyyyy!

I was scrolling the internet for days trying to find the best student account for University...

and i found HSBC they seemed perfect, no overdraft fees, up to £3,000 and 2% interest rates!

BUT....Apparently your provisional licence isn't proof of identity when you're over 18..my passports out of date! it really annoyed me!! they were very condescending and not particularly helpful!

Has anyone got any ideas, which the best student account available is?

i'm at the end of my tether!

Thanks in advance!!!!

PLEASE do not go for HSBC!! They give out a £500 overdraft as standard, but you won't get past that in your other year. No one I knows has, and their credit card is hard to get too! Even for people with good credit scores! The £3000 figure is just to pull customers in. Go for the biggest GUARANTEED overdraft. £1400 with the co-op is a whopper in your first year! It's a shame I can't get it now because Ive ruined my credit report having gone over the overdraft limit with HSBC numerous times.

But then again, if you don't want to rack up the overdraft and have to live in that, then maybe a smaller overdraft would be better?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[. . .]

(Original post by nickth)
PLEASE do not go for HSBC!! They give out a £500 overdraft as standard, but you won't get past that in your other year. No one I knows has, and their credit card is hard to get too! Even for people with good credit scores! The £3000 figure is just to pull customers in. Go for the biggest GUARANTEED overdraft. £1400 with the co-op is a whopper in your first year! It's a shame I can't get it now because Ive ruined my credit report having gone over the overdraft limit with HSBC numerous times.

But then again, if you don't want to rack up the overdraft and have to live in that, then maybe a smaller overdraft would be better?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

My brother has a £1.5k overdraft with hsbc now and is a second year. I got a student credit card when I applied for the early bird account and I have no credit history in other words a bad credit history.

Saying that I have a friend who got turned down by hsbc for having a bad credit history (he had no credit history).

[lilahnurave]

Natwest has a reputation for sending you threatening letters over the summer break when you dont have any loan payments going in. I would seriously recommend avoiding them

[lilahnurave]

(Original post by nickth)
PLEASE do not go for HSBC!! They give out a £500 overdraft as standard, but you won't get past that in your other year. No one I knows has, and their credit card is hard to get too! Even for people with good credit scores! The £3000 figure is just to pull customers in. Go for the biggest GUARANTEED overdraft. £1400 with the co-op is a whopper in your first year! It's a shame I can't get it now because Ive ruined my credit report having gone over the overdraft limit with HSBC numerous times.

But then again, if you don't want to rack up the overdraft and have to live in that, then maybe a smaller overdraft would be better?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

I have a £2000 overdraft and I'm in my first year..

[Amezz]

I like the sound of RbS and the co-op! I'm not too bothered about the overdraft amount as I'm not going in it! (I say this) :L yeah!!! HSBC only offered me £500 I was really angry with their behaviour tbh, a NUS card is identity but a provisional licence isn't my Mums with Natwest and she warned me off! How can something so simple be so much hard work! Thanks everyone


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Amezz]

Oh and Passport? It's high season I wouldn't get it till at least September! And my dads expires in October and he said he'd renew mine and pay, so it's £90 cheaper for me! And the women's attitude? Geeeees, I felt like I was 8!! Never ever again!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[nickth]

(Original post by lilahnurave)
I have a £2000 overdraft and I'm in my first year..

Well congrats on your very clean credit score


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[lilahnurave]

(Original post by nickth)
Well congrats on your very clean credit score


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Ah thank you

[. . .]

(Original post by lilahnurave)
I have a £2000 overdraft and I'm in my first year..

How did you get such a good credit rating so young?

[lilahnurave]

(Original post by . . .)
How did you get such a good credit rating so young?

uum.. maybe mobile phone contracts?

[Bluewinds]

(Original post by Amezz)
Oh and Passport? It's high season I wouldn't get it till at least September! And my dads expires in October and he said he'd renew mine and pay, so it's £90 cheaper for me! And the women's attitude? Geeeees, I felt like I was 8!! Never ever again!

Went through the exact same problem with HSBC. I ended you having to pay out for a new adult passport after receiving phone calls and letters informing me the bank account would close if I couldn't prove my identity.

I thought my provisional would be good enough.....

[Straight up G]

(Original post by Amezz)
Heyyyyyyy!

I was scrolling the internet for days trying to find the best student account for University...

and i found HSBC they seemed perfect, no overdraft fees, up to £3,000 and 2% interest rates!

BUT....Apparently your provisional licence isn't proof of identity when you're over 18..my passports out of date! it really annoyed me!! they were very condescending and not particularly helpful!

Has anyone got any ideas, which the best student account available is?

i'm at the end of my tether!

Thanks in advance!!!!

If you aren't going to use the overdraft, maybe Santander would be a good bet. People say their customer service isn't good, but I managed to open a current account and order the internet banking passcodes etc within thirty minutes at a local branch. I figure that if you're not going to use the overdraft, you won't have to face the customer service very often. Plus, they offer insurance on a mobile phone (value upto £500), two gadgets (upto £300 each) and a laptop (upto £500), and this is for the duration of your course (I think the qualifier is to pay in £500 every six months or something, which will come from your loan anyway). Oh, also, Santander are offering £50 cash to join - I read this in passing, so be sure to check.

Note that you have to have a current account to get this insurance perk, but I made a current account just a few days ago, and can then make a student account with the insurance perk when I get my result/confirmed place. I'd imagine you might be able to do the same with Lloyds in order to get the rail card. Just go in there with the intention of making a current account, don't mention the student account until the salesperson does.