Barclays or halifax?

I've got student accounts with both of these banks. Halifax is way better service, better staff, better interest rates on your student account and a better range on savings accounts which offers interest (when you have money) which is far higher than Barclays. However, Halifax does not offer freebies when you join. If I had to choose, I'd go with Halifax.

As has been discussed elsewhere on this forum, you can have two student current accounts... the banks will never find out, just make sure you move money through both accounts every so often.

Reply 2

xavier2k3

If you can yeh do what pol_student did. Halifax offer the highest overdraft but have no freebies. Barclays offer a free 3-year National Express card when you join.

regards
--marty

Reply 3

lisa_2k

i just upgraded with barlcays and it was a right fiasco. they messed up over sending my connect card, and instead cancelled my electron card as lost/stolen and sent me a replacement! not impressed.

their customer service is also quite shoddy - dont no how it is for everyone else but you go into my local branch and sit down and wait to speak to someone. theres a meet and greet person whos supposed to work through people one by one, sorting out quick simple problems for them, booking appointments if they need them, directing them to right person etc. a good system in principle, but ive seen this guy spend 45 minutes with one person and everyone else just waits - so effectively, since you cant ring the branch, you could wait 45 minutes just to book an appointment! i dont see why such long queries cant be dealt with by personal bankers, who mainly seem to sit around not doing very much!

whereas i was in halifax the other day to close my regular saver (cos i wont be in a position to regular save once im at uni and it has to run for a year) and the cashier did it for me in literally 5 mins and sent me away happy with a cheque for the balance.

saying that, i do find barlcays online banking a lot simpler to use than halifax's, i do all my banking this way. (as an aside does anyone know if halifax student accounts let you make online transfers to other banks? barclays do even for kids accounts, but my halifax cash card account didnt let me i dont think)

so for customer service id say halifax. online banking id say barclays. freebies barclays. interest rates halifax.

maybe open with barclays and get your freebies, wait a couple of months, close and move to halifax?

Reply 4

lisa_2k

saying that, i do find barlcays online banking a lot simpler to use than halifax's, i do all my banking this way.

I actually like Halifax's online banking better than Barclays online banking system. I don't like the Barclays one at all.

lisa_2k

(as an aside does anyone know if halifax student accounts let you make online transfers to other banks? barclays do even for kids accounts, but my halifax cash card account didnt let me i dont think)

Yes you can, with a Halifax Student Current Account there are no restrictions on what you can do... it's like a normal current account. Full functionality

lisa_2k

so for customer service id say halifax. online banking id say barclays. freebies barclays. interest rates halifax.

maybe open with barclays and get your freebies, wait a couple of months, close and move to halifax?

You can open more than one student account, as I keep saying on here! Just make sure you move money through both and they'll never know!

Reply 5

lisa_2k

pol_student

I actually like Halifax's online banking better than Barclays online banking system. I don't like the Barclays one at all.

suppose its whatever you're used to - i used barclays for over a year before i used halifax

pol_student

Yes you can, with a Halifax Student Current Account there are no restrictions on what you can do... it's like a normal current account. Full functionality

cheers, thats worth knowing. do you know what interest you get when you're in credit at barclays and halifax?

pol_student

You can open more than one student account, as I keep saying on here! Just make sure you move money through both and they'll never know!

its a hassle though. if ones clearly better surely youd be better off having everything in there. unless you need both overdrafts i guess, but im hoping not to.

Reply 6

lisa_2k

suppose its whatever you're used to - i used barclays for over a year before i used halifax

Yeah, I used Halifax's for 2/3 years before Barclays! :rolleyes:

I guess you're right.

lisa_2k

cheers, thats worth knowing. do you know what interest you get when you're in credit at barclays and halifax?

Barclays = Can't find the current rate, but it used to be 0.10% when halifax was 2.50%
Halifax = 2% gross (actually, that's dropped it used to be a little higher!)

lisa_2k

its a hassle though. if ones clearly better surely youd be better off having everything in there. unless you need both overdrafts i guess, but im hoping not to.

Goodness, no, you put the money from the second overdraft into a high interest savings account to get free money for nothing!

Reply 7

angelmouse

lisa_2k

i just upgraded with barlcays and it was a right fiasco. they messed up over sending my connect card, and instead cancelled my electron card as lost/stolen and sent me a replacement! not impressed.

their customer service is also quite shoddy - dont no how it is for everyone else but you go into my local branch and sit down and wait to speak to someone. theres a meet and greet person whos supposed to work through people one by one, sorting out quick simple problems for them, booking appointments if they need them, directing them to right person etc. a good system in principle, but ive seen this guy spend 45 minutes with one person and everyone else just waits - so effectively, since you cant ring the branch, you could wait 45 minutes just to book an appointment! i dont see why such long queries cant be dealt with by personal bankers, who mainly seem to sit around not doing very much!

whereas i was in halifax the other day to close my regular saver (cos i wont be in a position to regular save once im at uni and it has to run for a year) and the cashier did it for me in literally 5 mins and sent me away happy with a cheque for the balance.

saying that, i do find barlcays online banking a lot simpler to use than halifax's, i do all my banking this way. (as an aside does anyone know if halifax student accounts let you make online transfers to other banks? barclays do even for kids accounts, but my halifax cash card account didnt let me i dont think)

so for customer service id say halifax. online banking id say barclays. freebies barclays. interest rates halifax.

maybe open with barclays and get your freebies, wait a couple of months, close and move to halifax?

I had a fair amount of trouble setting my barclays student account up - ie 5 trips, each a minimum of half an hour, and they still messed things up. But I do like my account, its easy to use and as my parents have barclays accounts its really easy for them to transfer me money if i need it.

Reply 8

lisa_2k

angelmouse

I had a fair amount of trouble setting my barclays student account up - ie 5 trips, each a minimum of half an hour, and they still messed things up. But I do like my account, its easy to use and as my parents have barclays accounts its really easy for them to transfer me money if i need it.

thats the only thing keeping me with barclays - i find the account easy to use cos i like the online banking, and my parents bank there so transfers are instant. otherwise id move, and i still might in the summer cos i can get higher interest on my current account and e-saver elsewhere (and more freebies!) barclays cannot do customer service

Reply 9

Evil Muffin

Not Halifax - they offer a generous overdraft, but when you're in the red they give you crap customer service and try to **** up as much as possible.

Reply 10

Evil Muffin

Not Halifax - they offer a generous overdraft, but when you're in the red they give you crap customer service and try to **** up as much as possible.

I'm always in the red with Halifax, and have NEVER had any problem with them at all.

Reply 11

Evil Muffin