Online management of your accounts is easy (natwest.co.uk)

Member Name: DarkestGrey

Product:	natwest.co.uk
Date:	15/10/08 (189 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything, control your bank accounts at any hour

Disadvantages: Card reader can be a bit fiddly, but it does add to security

My first ever bank account was with the Natwest bank and I remain with them even today. Even though I only get 0.1% interest on a basic account, it is an account I have always stuck with. I do have other accounts that pay more interest and I also have a Natwest Business account as well, since I am self-employed.

Back in the day when I first opened the account, I was at school. I could visit the branch and they opened on Saturdays. Later they introduced telephone banking and when I got internet access I registered for online access.

The website has changed over the years, however it is simple to operate. Before you can gain access to features, they need to write to you to send you an activation code. You can look at your accounts online with little more than your debit card, however you will need more than this to change direct debits, standing orders or make any payments.

One thing you will need is a little card reader. These are available for free from Natwest if you have an account with them.

Before you can set up a standing order or a payment to an account you haven't sent money to before, you need to enter the bank sort code and account number into the Natwest site. Then, you need this little card reader to put your debit card into. The website gives you a code to type in and the card reader gives you a code back that you put into the website. This is to try to prove that you have not just access to the website, but also have the debit card to hand as well.

This may sound a little complicated, but it does help with security. If you were to give someone your username and passwords and they will not be able to transfer money to their own account, only to accounts you have already set up. They would need your debit card to pay themselves.

Standing orders are the same, setting up is simple and editting them is fairly simple as well.

Viewing transactions is simple and the whole site is easy to operate and seems fairly secure.

One downside is that there is a money in your account box and a money available box. The money available item shows how much money they will let you have and this includes your overdraft. You need to make sure that you are reading the correct amount before you make a transaction. It would be easy to slip into your overdraft by mistake.

One other issue I had was that I had two accounts and yet you cannot add the two accounts to the same login without phoning them up. This was easy to do and they may have a better system for this now, since it was many years since I did this.

Once you have done this, all your accounts a listed when you log in, thus simplifying the management of all your accounts.

On occasion, Natwest have said that my log in details were incorrect. It only gives you two chances and then locks you out. My details definately not wrong, not the second time. You can gain access simply again because it asks for details from your debit card. However, you cannot access certain functions such as adding a new standing order until they have written to you. They don't write to you until you ask - although you can do this online.

They did this twice in two months earlier this year, but nothing since. Perhaps it was a glitch.

Overall, I have had very few problems and online banking is far more secure than telephone banking.

Summary: Recommended.