First Cheque/16-17 Account (Bank of Scotland)

Member Name: pickles

Product:	Bank of Scotland
Date:	13/07/01 (179 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheque Book, 'Solo' Debit Card, Straightforward

Disadvantages: Minimum age 16

Known as a 'First Cheque' account, this is basically the Bank Of Scotland's account for 16-17 yr olds. It offers good rates of interest, a cheque book and a debit card.
The debit card is a Solo card. Run by Switch, it works identically, although it is accepted in fewer shops. Major Supermarkets such as Safeway accept it, as do the likes of Woolies and Boots. It also comes in useful online, at online shops such as Amazon, Dabs and other smaller retailers.
With no other debit or credit being available under the age of 18, this is a useful service, one not offered by many banks to under 18s.
There is a reasonable £250 daily limit on Keycard withdrawals, although can of course withdraw as much as you like in any branch. Another useful service is full access to Bank of Scotland's telphone banking service, useful if like me, you have a separate savings account with the bank.
Setting up the account is simple and quick, with only minimal identification needed.
Though cheque/card accounts for under 18s are rare, Bank of Scotland offers a very competetive service which has made my life an awful lot easier.

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