Six million of us have been refused an account by high street banks in the past two years, new research suggests.
As a result, around one in eight (12%) adults have been excluded from key services like direct debits and online banking, according to new challenger bank Pockit.
Many of those affected are in junior roles in the health, education and emergency services as well as pensioners. The 3.6 million workers who are paid in cash, such as builders and plumbers, have also struggled to get a bank account.
The study also found that six in 10 workers feel that high street banks don't care about low-paid workers.
In fact, more than four in 10 believe they were rejected because of their low income and a similar number said it was because of their poor credit record.
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Three out of four adults would welcome more competition in the current account market, which would help them get a better deal.
But you don't have to settle for a fancy bank account: basic bank accounts are a relatively recent invention, but they're already very popular. The no-frills products were actually introduced to help people on low incomes or with a poor/non-existent credit history that can’t access regular current account deals.
Already have a bank account? See how it compares to the best deals
Basic bank account features
Basic bank accounts generally allow you to pay in your salary, wages or pension, set up electronic payments like standing orders and Direct Debits to pay bills and offer a card to access your money.
In the past, major basic bank account providers have limited access to the ATM network and have only offered a cash card, which just allows you to withdraw money, rather than a debit card which also allows you to make purchases in shops or online.
Many accounts also charged an ‘unpaid transaction fee’ for payments that bounced thanks to insufficient funds. These charges could be as high as £35 per failed item and were often uncapped meaning charges could roll over pushing an account holder into an unauthorised overdraft.
But thanks to an agreement between the Government and the banking industry in December 2014, things have improved.
Nine banking groups have launched new and improved basic bank accounts including Barclays, Santander, HSBC, Nationwide, Co-operative Bank, TSB, National Australia Bank (including Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale brands), Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands) and Royal Bank of Scotland (including NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank brands).
These new accounts won’t charge any overdraft fees and offer the same services as standard accounts like access to over the counter services at branches and at the Post Office, a debit card and access to the entire ATM network.
These accounts are available to new customers now, but existing basic account customers with old deals should speak to their bank to see if they automatically get the new benefits.
However, no basic bank account pays any interest, offers a cheque book or offers an overdraft facility. If you want those features, you should ask the bank when you apply if you would be eligible for a standard current account.
What's on offer?
If you want to open a fee-free basic bank account here are your options.
Account |
Card |
---|---|
Bank of Scotland Cash Account |
Visa debit card |
Barclays Basic Current Account |
Visa debit or cash card |
Clydesdale Bank Readycash |
Debit card |
Danske Bank Basic* |
Debit MasterCard |
First Trust Bank Basic Bank Account** |
Visa debit card |
Halifax Easycash |
Visa debit card |
Lloyds Bank Cash Account |
Visa debit card |
Metro Bank Cash Account*** |
MasterCard PayPass contactless cash card |
Nationwide FlexBasic |
Visa debit card |
NatWest Foundation Account |
Visa debit card |
The Royal Bank of Scotland Foundation Account (Scotland) |
Visa debit card |
The Royal Bank of Scotland Basic Account (England and Wales) |
Visa debit card |
Santander Basic Current Account |
Cash card and Visa debit top-up card |
The Co-operative Bank Cashminder Account |
Visa debit card |
TSB Cash Account |
Visa debit card |
Ulster Bank Foundation Account (Northern Ireland) |
Visa debit card |
Yorkshire Bank Readycash |
Debit card |
*Limit on number of cash withdrawals you can make at branch counters set at four a month. Fee of 70p for each extra withdrawal.
**No standing orders can be set up on account
***Account holders can’t make electronic payments like standing orders or Direct Debits and online purchases are only available in Sterling.
As you can see, there are a range of accounts to take a look at now that are truly fee-free. However, Metro Bank, Danske Bank and First Trust Bank still offer basic bank accounts that come with restrictions and ‘unpaid transaction fee’ charges.
Other options
There are some other fee-charging basic bank accounts out there, offered by non-high street banks, which promise no credit checks and therefore could be tempting. But there’s no need to pay for a bank account, particularly if all you need is basic features such as a cash or debit card.
You could also open a bank account with your local credit union, if it offers one. The Association of British Credit Unions runs the findyourcreditunion.co.uk website, which will help you find a credit union near you.
This article is regularly updated