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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Blue Frog Systems on May 16, 2009, 08:25:14 am

Title: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on May 16, 2009, 08:25:14 am
Just wondered if any of you guys know which banks give the best deal on business banking ?

Im getting more and more cheques as well as some custys wanting to do internet banking too. Cant keep puttin this through my own account.

dont know all the ins and outs, what kind of charges do you have to pay and stuff ?

What do i look for in a bank ?

thanks

JP
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: LWC on May 16, 2009, 08:26:44 am
Im with Lloyds, free for first 18 months.

I went into Abbey other day, free for life, so might look at that when time is up.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Steve CM on May 16, 2009, 08:28:44 am
I'm with Barclays and it costs me a small fortune! :o

they are very forthcoming with support if i ever need it though ;)
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Window Washers on May 16, 2009, 08:30:21 am
Lloyds TSB, same as Steve, they charge a fortune, but support is good so weighes out.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Alistair@AWC on May 16, 2009, 08:34:46 am
I'm with Alliance & Leicester free banking, I pay all my cheques into any post office and they give you 2 accounts so I use 1 just for internet payments by customers so they don't get lost in my transactions then transfer the money across when I've marked off they have paid
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: sparklebright on May 16, 2009, 08:52:05 am
I have used Abbey since I set up 6 years ago.
It's completely free as long as you don't go overdrawn.
You can move money and make payments online.
You bank money thru the cash machine or by freepost.

They are a little difficult to get hold of on the phone (10 minute wait) but as I say it's FREE
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: steve a on May 16, 2009, 08:59:49 am
I am with Barclays and have been for last 10 years, fixed fee £100 per year as many cheques as go through and online banking. All in package and v helpful. Cheque book and debit card and counter service.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Steve CM on May 16, 2009, 09:03:02 am
I am with Barclays and have been for last 10 years, fixed fee £100 per year as many cheques as go through and online banking. All in package and v helpful. Cheque book and debit card and counter service.

urmmm, thats a damn site less than i pay. do you have any more info about this at all??
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: steve a on May 16, 2009, 09:06:03 am
I am with Barclays and have been for last 10 years, fixed fee £100 per year as many cheques as go through and online banking. All in package and v helpful. Cheque book and debit card and counter service.

urmmm, thats a damn site less than i pay. do you have any more info about this at all??

Just ask to see your small business manager and put it to him, like I did ten years ago and the deal still stands. They use the money you have in there and as long as there is a decent amount then they are quids in.

Steve a.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Steve CM on May 16, 2009, 09:08:46 am
I am with Barclays and have been for last 10 years, fixed fee £100 per year as many cheques as go through and online banking. All in package and v helpful. Cheque book and debit card and counter service.

urmmm, thats a damn site less than i pay. do you have any more info about this at all??

Just ask to see your small business manager and put it to him, like I did ten years ago and the deal still stands. They use the money you have in there and as long as there is a decent amount then they are quids in.

Steve a.

i will defo ask on monday, that would save me a hell of a lot each year
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: windowcleaninginessex.co.uk on May 16, 2009, 01:21:59 pm
Natwest for me . 2 & 1/2 year free banking and if you put 10 cheques in at once they only charge you one charge, when i used to use lloyds they charge 63p for every cheque you put in.

Also Natwest internet banking is connected (same log in for business and personal ) so transfering money is very easy , with lloyds i had to log in seperate for business and personal account.

Worth giving Natwest a look,

Darren
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Lee Pryor on May 16, 2009, 01:42:02 pm
Abbey

Free and I like the way cheques are easy to deposit in the cash point
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: GWCS on May 16, 2009, 02:51:52 pm
CO-OP via FSB = Free banking.

Only prob is you have to do it via the cop op bank, if you can find one or the post office.

I have a barclays bank account at mo - for shear ease (around the corner from me), but once my deal runs out I will see what offers are out there.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on May 16, 2009, 06:15:10 pm
Thanks for the replys guys  :)

Have looked into them and im going to go with Alliance & Leicester free banking i think. Looks just what i need at the moment.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Skyglide on May 16, 2009, 06:44:32 pm
We have used the free business banking period with HSBC, used Abbey and now use Co Op through Federation of small businesses.  The Co Op bank is excellent when you phone them, free for life and you just have to nominate up to four local Post Offices to pay in.
One of my customers says the service is as good as she gets with her personal account at Coutts and Co!
Chris
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: Alistair@AWC on May 16, 2009, 07:04:35 pm
Have looked into them and im going to go with Alliance & Leicester free banking i think. Looks just what i need at the moment.

Good choice JP  ;D
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: tonyoliver on May 17, 2009, 06:30:09 pm
an icelandic bank and my manager is nick leeson
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: newclean on May 17, 2009, 07:54:42 pm
Alliance & Leicester free banking :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: sparklebright on May 17, 2009, 07:57:30 pm
Alliance is free as long as you bank £1000 a month, if you don't they charge a fiver, not bad.

I use Abbey as I said completely free and worth it
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: leapstallbuildings on May 17, 2009, 10:12:35 pm
I've been using Abbey for years.  They are free within certain limits and the depositing is easyt as it's done 24/7 by cashpoint.  I fiond that the big drawback is that they will not supply the BACS reference numbers that you give to the customers.  Therefore, not much good if you have a lot of customers paying by bank transfer.  I am switching to the Co-op because of this.  Co-op is free as I'm a member of FSB.  Deposits not so easy but at least they supply those references.  Also, you can nominate up to four post offices so I'm nominating four sub offices dotted around my business.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: kordun on May 18, 2009, 02:50:38 pm
We have used the free business banking period with HSBC, used Abbey and now use Co Op through Federation of small businesses.  The Co Op bank is excellent when you phone them, free for life and you just have to nominate up to four local Post Offices to pay in.
One of my customers says the service is as good as she gets with her personal account at Coutts and Co!
Chris

on Co operative web site says 18 months free banking, not for life
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: geefree on May 18, 2009, 06:02:42 pm
I've been using Abbey for years. They are free within certain limits and the depositing is easyt as it's done 24/7 by cashpoint. I fiond that the big drawback is that they will not supply the BACS reference numbers that you give to the customers. Therefore, not much good if you have a lot of customers paying by bank transfer. I am switching to the Co-op because of this. Co-op is free as I'm a member of FSB. Deposits not so easy but at least they supply those references. Also, you can nominate up to four post offices so I'm nominating four sub offices dotted around my business.

dont they have a reference box, like most internet banking systems so people can simply input house number and postcode ..as a ref?
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: leapstallbuildings on May 18, 2009, 06:26:26 pm
We have used the free business banking period with HSBC, used Abbey and now use Co Op through Federation of small businesses.  The Co Op bank is excellent when you phone them, free for life and you just have to nominate up to four local Post Offices to pay in.
One of my customers says the service is as good as she gets with her personal account at Coutts and Co!
Chris

on Co operative web site says 18 months free banking, not for life

I believe it's free for life with Co-op if you are a member of the FSB (at £100 a year).  It's a very good deal because the FSB provide you with insurance to cover you against the accounting costs of being investigated by the IR.  Those costs (or a separate policy to guard against them) would be more than £100 a year on their own - that's apart from the other benefits you get from the FSB.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: leapstallbuildings on May 18, 2009, 06:31:15 pm
I've been using Abbey for years. They are free within certain limits and the depositing is easyt as it's done 24/7 by cashpoint. I fiond that the big drawback is that they will not supply the BACS reference numbers that you give to the customers. Therefore, not much good if you have a lot of customers paying by bank transfer. I am switching to the Co-op because of this. Co-op is free as I'm a member of FSB. Deposits not so easy but at least they supply those references. Also, you can nominate up to four post offices so I'm nominating four sub offices dotted around my business.

dont they have a reference box, like most internet banking systems so people can simply input house number and postcode ..as a ref?

They do not display this information to the recipient (you).  I've been nagging them for years to display it in real time.  They only used to give this info after the end of the accounting month on the paper statement or in an online archive.  They even stopped doing this at the start of this year.  Apparently Abbey expect people to run their businesses without knowing which customers have paid by BACS.  In reality, the account holder's name and the amount (obviously) are displayed so, for a small business, it is usually possible to determine who the payer is.  However, it has stopped me from expanding the BACS part of my business because even as a small business, I was starting to get duplications with surnames and amounts.
Title: Re: Which Bank For Banking ?
Post by: JandS on May 18, 2009, 06:58:09 pm
Why not just open another current account with a bank or use your private current account??

John