What a load of bankers! (natwest.co.uk)

Member Name: wendz86

Product:	natwest.co.uk
Date:	15/06/09 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use site, safe

Disadvantages: Annoying to need card reader when you don't have it

I have been banking with Natwest for around 7 years now. I have been a customer of a couple of other banks but Natwest has always been my favourite and the one that I have my main account with and also now my ISA. Natwest offer online banking as one of their services and I think it is great. I have been using banking online for a few years now and can't really remember life without it.

Natwest online banking is available for anyone with a Natwest account. It is easy to sign up to an account and this can be done either in branch, on the phone or online. There are loads of different types of accounts with some being specifically online accounts. All accounts can be accessed and managed online though.

When you want to have online banking they obviously have to take a number of measures to ensure that it would not be easy for other people to access your online banking. When I first joined they sent me in the post a specific customer number that you must enter when you are logging in. This is your date of birth plus some more numbers afterwards. You also have to pick a four digit pin number and a 8 digit password. When you log in, it asks you to give specific digits, so for example the 4th digit. This makes you think a bit and is obviously a ploy to try and stop other people trying to guess your passwords etc. I do feel that the way that you log in is quite safe and I have never had any problems at all in this area.

One of the pluses of having online banking is that you can check your balance any time. Once you have logged in you will see in the middle of the page all of your accounts. I actually have three accounts with Natwest so these all in a list. Each of these states the account name, account number, sort code, balance and the available money. You can then click on the one that you want to look at. This will then display a mini statement to you. This is basically telling you any money that has gone in or out the account. This does not tell you where the money is from but does say whether it was a cash withdrawal or a direct debit etc. If you want to look in more detail at where your money has gone you can select view full statement. You then select the account you want to look at and for how long and the view transactions. This will show you in more detail where any money has gone or come from. On the main page you can also select view account details. This will show you all the account details including the address of your branch.

I think that it is great that you can look at your banking online. I am often worried about how much I have spent over a weekend for example and can have a look and see if I actually have much money left. I have also now signed up to online statements now so I do not get them sent to me in the post anymore. Not only is this great for the environment but it also means I don't have to have the shocking grand total of all I have spent for a whole month. I do like the fact that when you are looking online it tells you how much money you have in the account and how much you have available. Often I spend money on my debit card which doesn't come up on the statement straight away. It does though take this money out of the money available so you know how much money you have left.

It is easy to transfer money between accounts if you have more than one with Natwest. You can choose the quick transfer option on the left of the screen where you select the accounts you are transferring between and then the amount you want to transfer. This is transferred instantly. You can also choose the transfer tab on the left which is a little more complex.

If you want to make a payment to someone else or set up a standing order you need to have a card reader. This is sent to you by Natwest in the post. It is a small plastic item that looks a bit like a calculator that you can put your card in. When making a payment you have to put in all the details of the person or company you are sending to and how much money. It will also ask you to use your card reader. It instructs you how to do this so it is very simple. It usually involves putting the card in and then using the number from the reader to enter online. This does make payments more secure and makes you feel better about the safety of the site. The only problem I would say with this though is that I often bank at work and I don't always have my card reader so I have to wait till I am home to do this. You could always carry the card reader around but I don't think this is very practical.

One plus of Natwest banking online that I have found is how quick money gets paid to someone else. I have to pay my sister money each month for bills and this money goes from my account to hers usually within one day which I think is great. My boyfriend on the other hand uses a building society online banking and it sometimes takes a week for money to get to me.

You can use the main page to set up alerts to your e-mail or mobile phone. These are for things like when your statement is available online. There is also a tab for account admin such as verifying a new card or ordering a cheque book.

The site will log itself off if you are inactive for a while. This is good in case you accidently left your computer and someone came across it.
Apart from internet banking Natwest .co.uk also has lots of information about all the services and products that they provide. There is also a help section in case you have any problems with any aspect of Natwest banking.
Overall I think that Natwest.co.uk is a great site for internet banking. It is easy to use and I feel that it is also safe to use.

Summary: An easy site on which to bank