Banks

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LifeofBrian
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Banks

Postby LifeofBrian » Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:36 pm

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if any of you know of a UK bank that accepts new customers that are living in Spain. My partner banks with Barclays which is one of the banks giving customers until November to change banks. My bank (TSB) says they cannot help as my partner has no UK address. We are fully registered here but it would be helpful in a number of ways to keep an account in the UK.

Appreciate your help.

Take care.

LifeofBrian

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gerryh
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Re: Banks

Postby gerryh » Sun Jul 31, 2022 4:51 pm

Already a discussion on this topic here:-
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41261&p=420434&hil ... ys#p420434
I will probably be using my son's address in the UK. :think:
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Gerry
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Wicksey
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Re: Banks

Postby Wicksey » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:36 pm

Change the address to a UK one is my only suggestion, as Gerry says. We tried years back to open a second bank account in the UK but no-one was interested. Otherwise, Wise may be an option as they have UK IBAN and you can set up direct debits etc I believe.

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fyfin
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Re: Banks

Postby fyfin » Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:53 pm

Wise is probably the best and easiest choice. My wife uses it like a normal bank account and has her UK pension (Royal Mail) paid into it. There is a cash card that you can use to withdraw sterling in UK. I don't know about direct debits going out as we have nothing in UK anyway but didn't want her private pension paid into a Spanish bank as the commission and exchange rate would be rubbish. For her State pension, it's a different matter and that is paid into the Spanish bank as you get the commercial rate and no commission.
The added bonbus of Wise is that it is so easy to transfer from sterling to euros and good rates.
A man likes his wife to be just clever enough to appreciate his cleverness, and just stupid enough to admire it

elusive
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Re: Banks

Postby elusive » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:19 am

LifeofBrian wrote: Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:36 pm Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if any of you know of a UK bank that accepts new customers that are living in Spain. My partner banks with Barclays which is one of the banks giving customers until November to change banks. My bank (TSB) says they cannot help as my partner has no UK address. We are fully registered here but it would be helpful in a number of ways to keep an account in the UK.

Appreciate your help.

Take care.

LifeofBrian
HSBC have a normal current account non residents can open.there was a post about it on brexpats in spain internationl f.book page by a poster who has done it

https://m.facebook.com/groups/brexpatsi ... 576063140/

LifeofBrian
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Re: Banks

Postby LifeofBrian » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:28 pm

Thank you, Gerry, Wicksey, fyfin, elusive. All very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to help.

LifeofBrian

Cádiz
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Re: Banks

Postby Cádiz » Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:25 pm

Is there a big shift away from cash in Spain, i like the feel of dinero and it seems to be a shift away from it i think?
I am not talking just of Spain, its everywhere i think.
What's the view here...

elusive
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Re: Banks

Postby elusive » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:35 am

I wouldnt say so. to much fiddling goes on with cash!. Its along way behind the uk with its cashless society. I doubt it will change a huge amount more of a cultural thing like in germany.

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Re: Banks

Postby Cádiz » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:38 am

elusive wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:35 am I wouldnt say so. to much fiddling goes on with cash!. Its along way behind the uk with its cashless society. I doubt it will change a huge amount more of a cultural thing like in germany.
Thanks, are you saying Germany is still using cash to a large extent...

elusive
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Re: Banks

Postby elusive » Tue Aug 02, 2022 12:10 pm

Cádiz wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:38 am
elusive wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:35 am I wouldnt say so. to much fiddling goes on with cash!. Its along way behind the uk with its cashless society. I doubt it will change a huge amount more of a cultural thing like in germany.
Thanks, are you saying Germany is still using cash to a large extent...
I know a few germans and when its come ups in general discussion about lifestyle in different countries they say its quite a large cash society. I thought it would be the other way...

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jonbar.1
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Re: Banks

Postby jonbar.1 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:06 pm

I think I may have missed a step here.
interesting stuff re UK bank accounts, but how does "Wise" actually work?

Cádiz
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Re: Banks

Postby Cádiz » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:45 pm

elusive wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 12:10 pm
Cádiz wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:38 am
elusive wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:35 am I wouldnt say so. to much fiddling goes on with cash!. Its along way behind the uk with its cashless society. I doubt it will change a huge amount more of a cultural thing like in germany.
Thanks, are you saying Germany is still using cash to a large extent...
I know a few germans and when its come ups in general discussion about lifestyle in different countries they say its quite a large cash society. I thought it would be the other way...
Thanks i like cash myself but quite a lot of stuff is with card these days, i like the security of cash and would not feel comfortable with a bit on-me when out. I khow people who use cards to pay for a few drinks, i think its silly.

markwilding
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Re: Banks

Postby markwilding » Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:05 pm

In this part of Spain it’s typical to use the phone or cards to pay for everything. My son hardly ever takes money out from the cash point.
At supermarkets older people still spend about 5 minutes to get their money out of their purse or wallet though, I’d much rather be behind someone using a card.

Pamela1
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Re: Banks

Postby Pamela1 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:37 pm

Ive got the time of day for folks who want to pay with cash, always will have..I don't join the digital world just because i want to get on with the rat race...People moan about the changes but people are bringing it all upon themselves by going with it...What does a few extra mins take waiting for some elderly people to get their money out of their purse or wallet, or would you rather be behind someone who has forgot their pin..

markwilding
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Re: Banks

Postby markwilding » Sat Aug 06, 2022 9:54 am

Obviously, I have sympathy with the way life is changing and older people are being left behind. Actually, I have strongly criticised the banks and telephone companies, which all too often take advantage of older people’s lack of willingness to change which results in them on more expensive tariffs and having to use the services in ways that are are very different and difficult for them.

My post was a little tongue in cheek but there was an underlying point to it. No matter how much people don’t like change, it can’t be stopped especially if a new system takes off. The reality is that it’s much easier to swipe your phone than going through the process of getting money out of the bank, keeping it in your pocket until you want to use it to buy something.

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Wicksey
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Re: Banks

Postby Wicksey » Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:05 am

jonbar.1 wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 2:06 pm I think I may have missed a step here.
interesting stuff re UK bank accounts, but how does "Wise" actually work?
Have a look at their website https://wise.com/

It isn't a bank as such but does use UK IBAN account numbers for you to send money to and pay bills. They have different accounts for different currencies, so I have a sterling account and a euro one. I don't keep large amounts in it as it is not covered like banks are if they go under.

I transfer money from my UK bank account to Wise for free, then when ready I exchange it into euros for a very small fee (under 5€ for 1000€). Then when I want to send money here I simply have set up my Spanish account as one of the people I send money to, then send directly from the Wise Euro account to here which usually costs me 28 cents.They give you the full bank rate and this all now costs a tiny fraction of what the UK bank used to charge when I withdrew euros here from the ATM. Once all set up, it takes me only a few minutes to move money around via the Wise app.

A very big plus point for me, living here without a reliable mobile phone signal, is that Wise will send the security code when I log in via Whatsapp which is brilliant. I often cannot use Paypal because they send a security code to my phone which I cannot receive so end up giving up altogether.

They also have a debit card which you can use anywhere. It was great when I went to Iceland and the Faroes as I didn't have any local cash but just used the card and they did the exchange at the full bank rate for my purchases whilst there. It didn't matter whether I had money in the sterling or euro account, it just worked out the best rate.

On the subject of cash, I admit I rarely use it now that contactless is here. I just blip my card and unless it's above 50€ don't usually have to give a PIN number so is very quick. There are a few places that don't accept cards which has caught us out although I do always have cash on me. (I do reconcile my bank accounts every few months to make sure everything is accounted for.)

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jonbar.1
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Re: Banks

Postby jonbar.1 » Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am

Wow.Thanks Wicksey.
That's what I call a reply! :thumbup:

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Wicksey
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Re: Banks

Postby Wicksey » Sat Aug 06, 2022 12:42 pm

jonbar.1 wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am Wow.Thanks Wicksey.
That's what I call a reply! :thumbup:
A woman of few words I am not :lol: I've also got a lot of time on my hands as I am just too hot to do anything else other than browse the web :crazy:

Pamela1
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Re: Banks

Postby Pamela1 » Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:36 pm

I have very little signal out here in the house in Spain, back of a bedroom or on top of some steps so i don't often browse the web.When i leave the house as i have this lunch time i pop on..Having said that ive seen no tv for almost 3 weeks, not hardly browsed the web and i'm less depressed about what is happening in the world..I could live life like this for ever but thats another story.

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Wicksey
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Re: Banks

Postby Wicksey » Sat Aug 06, 2022 6:22 pm

We don't have a mobile signal but so have internet via a dish (Wimax) so I am fine with Whatsapp etc but when a text is sent it is useless. I so wish other companies would be like Wise and use Whatsapp.


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