News story

8 ways banking has been made easier

Working with the banking industry we바카라 사이트™re improving how you bank. Here바카라 사이트™s how:

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government
Mobile phone using a cheque imaging application to photograph a cheque

1. You can now switch your current account in 7 days

We set up the Current Account Switch Service in September 2013.

It바카라 사이트™s a quick and easy way to switch your current account in 7 days 바카라 사이트“ your direct debits and standing orders are transferred automatically, and there바카라 사이트™s a switch guarantee, so you바카라 사이트™re protected against financial loss if anything goes wrong when you switch. Over 3.2 million switches have taken place since 2013. And it바카라 사이트™s also available to 99% of small businesses.

2. It바카라 사이트™s now really easy for you to pay someone using your mobile phone

Services like Paym and Pingit let you pay somebody just through using your mobile phone number 바카라 사이트“ so paying your share of the taxi ride home when your friend is the only one with cash is a lot less hassle.

The (which we set-up last year) is working with payment systems to improve how you pay for things.

3. Capping bank fees for processing card transactions

In December 2015 we introduced a cap on the charges paid by a business to your bank when you pay for something using a debit or credit card.

Industry has estimated that this could save UK consumers and businesses up to £700 million a year.

4. You바카라 사이트™ll soon be able to deposit a cheque using your smart phone

A change in legislation passed in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill on 26 March 2015 means that from 2018, banks will process all cheques as images. This not only means quicker clearing times, but greater convenience and choice in how you deposit cheques.

You바카라 사이트™ll still be able to deposit cheques at branches, cash machines, Post Offices or by post, but banks will also be able to offer the option of paying in cheques via smartphone, tablets or other technology.

5. Taking out a mortgage is becoming simpler

We asked Which? and the Council of Mortgage Lenders to look at how the fees you바카라 사이트™re charged when you take out a mortgage can be made clearer 바카라 사이트“ like better explanations of whether fees are compulsory or avoidable and when they will be charged.

contained commitments from industry to deliver a standardised fee tariff and to use the same terms so consumers can understand them.

6. You바카라 사이트™ve now got more banks to choose from

We lowered the regulatory barriers preventing banks from entering the sector. 8 completely new UK banks have been authorised since May 2015, and several more are in the pipeline.

This includes digital-only banks like Atom, Monzo and Tandem which are all competing hard for new customers.

7. If you바카라 사이트™re a small business we바카라 사이트™re making it easier for you to access finance

If you apply for a small business loan and it바카라 사이트™s rejected, we바카라 사이트™re changing the law so the lender you applied to has to offer to share your details with finance platforms so that you can be linked-up with alternative lending opportunities. You can also appeal a rejected application direct to your bank through the .

The provides a ranking of the best banking institutions, products and services, as rated by the UK바카라 사이트™s small businesses themselves. This makes it easier to choose the right bank and products for your business.

8. It is easier to get a fee-free basic bank account

If you don바카라 사이트™t have or can바카라 사이트™t get a standard current account you can apply for a fee-free basic bank account from any of the UK바카라 사이트™s 9 largest banks. There isn바카라 사이트™t an overdraft or fees for failed payments so you can manage your money without fear of running up an overdraft or being locked out of your account by unexpected charges.

These accounts have features including:

  • access to ATMs and online payments
  • direct debit and standing orders
  • over the counter services in bank branches and the Post Office

Updates to this page

Published 16 September 2015
Last updated 16 September 2016 show all updates
  1. Updating entries to include fee caps and fee-free banking. Further updates to dates and statistics.

  2. First published.