Banking Cater Allen

[realityhack]

Does Cater Allen allow you to receive income by BACS or can you only use cash/cheques and the paying in book?

Yes. BACS is free - CHAPS is a small charge - £25 I think.

[slackbloke]

I can't believe there is still a bank that doesn't offer an online service! I use Lloyds TSB and it is free for 18 months. It has a reliable online service. It does appear now though that Alliance and Leicester offer better business accounts, crucially they pay more interest and I am thinking of opening a savings account.

[cykophysh39]

They don't have online banking as yet, but apparently it will be coming in April.

I had my account opened in about 5 days.

Although they have no online banking, I have had no problems with the phone banking. The service has always been good.

The only complicated thing I have had with them is by getting IBAN transfers into the account, it's quite complicated, but once you get over the few hiccups it's fine. I have found that the staff are always willing to do a bit more to help you than other banks I have used in the past.

[cykophysh39]

So how do you go about transfering funds? I don't see a 'Cater Allen' on my local high street?

You can use Royalk Bank of Scotland

[cykophysh39]

Does Cater Allen allow you to receive income by BACS or can you only use cash/cheques and the paying in book?

They can do all services. I get my money paid in via IBAN

[~Craig~]

why don't you numpties start using normal high street banks? There are plenty around that offer free banking and you can have the account open in half an hour! With internet banking you don't even have to worry about call centres.

[Gonzo]

why don't you numpties start using normal high street banks? There are plenty around that offer free banking and you can have the account open in half an hour! With internet banking you don't even have to worry about call centres.

The staff at the Cater Allen call centre are sh1t hot. I would have set up myCo's payments to HMRC incorrectly if I had done it myself online but the woman at Cater Allen knew exactly what I was trying to do and set it up right.

[Lucifer Box]

Second Gonzo's observation. The staff are very good. It's an on-shore call centre with empowered staff who know what they're doing and answer the phone within a couple of rings. No IVRs, no menus to navigate, just a human being who speaks comprehensible English. I've used them for years and the lack of on-line banking has never caused an issue.

I think someone has already mentioned, if you need counter service they have done a deal with RBS who will handle it on their behalf for you.

Good interest too.

10/10.

[maxima]

You can open your own bank, have it registered in FSA and wow! you have your own bank. You can open savings account for wife and deposit account for a cat... Expensive though...

[cykophysh39]

The staff at the Cater Allen call centre are sh1t hot. I would have set up myCo's payments to HMRC incorrectly if I had done it myself online but the woman at Cater Allen knew exactly what I was trying to do and set it up right.

It's the fact that they are entirely on shore, and that I get to speak to a human being, and that when calling the phone is literally answered before it rings, that I use them.
High street banks are useless, who wants to speak to Hamed in bangalore, and give the same instruction 50 times and hope he's understood it? The staff in Cater Allen actually take an interest in your banking business, and you get the feeling they are positively on your side, they are competent to answer any banking related question you may have. All in All I think it's a terrific deal and couldn't recommend them highly enough!