Reply to: Has Cater Allen changed the way to send one-time payments with a reference?

[PerfectStorm]

Natwest only lets you change the reference by editing the payee first then making the payment. This also can't be done at all on mobile, and worse - any payment you initiate from mobile gets stamped with "Call ref. 0000" as its reference only (thankfully the recipient sees the real reference code, but it's crap for your own statements)

2 years of free banking are up soon. Has anyone else noticed that Yorkshire/Clydesdale (same bank) do free business banking for switchers? Any downsides?

[Raxme]

Everyone - contact Cater Allen and COMPLAIN!!!

So here I am abroad and need to make the HMRC payment with a new reference number. I have a local SIM in my phone and am tethered through it to access the internet. So to change my reference I need to make the change on CA site, get off the internet, change SIM to my UK one, wait to get the code, switch SIMs again, get back on internet....

Right pain. And it was bad enough when I was back in the UK - especially if I had littel or no mobile signal.

There is no security reason whatsoever that means you can't change the reference per transaction. ALL the other banks I use do it.

So - COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN COMPLAIN to C-A - and they might do summat about it.

[MPwannadecentincome]

I ignored this thread as I couldn't see what the fuss was about.

How wrong was I?

I went to make my quarterly PAYE payment last night and I couldn't change the reference. How crap is that?

Same happened to me on 21 Oct, except I couldn't add a new payee as I had not registered my mobile phone number, by the time I did that I missed the daily cutoff time for transfers and for safety had to do an immediate transfer out of my own personal bank account so as not to miss the payment deadline for HMRC :-(

[MPwannadecentincome]

I emailed them this week about this as it's seriously annoying, especially when it comes to making HMRC payments as the payment reference field is used to put in your unique payment ID. This has resulted in a number of similar looking payees/payments setup on my account.

Their response basically pointed out that all their changes were made to bring them inline with European Banking Authority regulations. I must have missed the bit where the EBA mentioned that people should no longer be able to amend the reference field on a per payment basis. They also mention that they've received lots of feedback and are currently reviewing it. My guess is nothing at all will happen about this.

I phoned up and put in a complaint about this too, the ability to change the reference seems to have disappeared now.

[Michael at BI Accountancy]

On the plus side, thank goodness it was CA and not the likes of HSBC, Barclays etc. I rang up to see what was going on, and after perhaps 6 rings I was speaking to a nice lady in the North East of England who explained everything to me.

The new process may be rubbish, but at least I could get through to talk to a human in a reasonable amount of time.

Would agree with you on the customer service side of things, one of the best I have dealt with!

[Chuck]

I ignored this thread as I couldn't see what the fuss was about.

How wrong was I?

I went to make my quarterly PAYE payment last night and I couldn't change the reference. How crap is that?

On the plus side, thank goodness it was CA and not the likes of HSBC, Barclays etc. I rang up to see what was going on, and after perhaps 6 rings I was speaking to a nice lady in the North East of England who explained everything to me.

The new process may be rubbish, but at least I could get through to talk to a human in a reasonable amount of time.

[Boo]

...I've been looking at other banks, but I don't really see the point in handing over a monthly fee...

Haha : "apart from free banking what have Cater Allen ever done for us"...

Boo

[PTP]

The only reason my co. is with Cater Allen is because the accountant said they are the only bank with which they'd have the ability to view my statements/transactions without me having to send them statements each month.

Is it true that there aren't other banks that allow this?

Yes I thought their internet banking was bad enough compared to the great online service my personal bank gives and this business with references has made it go from bad to worse.

[MrWebDev]

I emailed them this week about this as it's seriously annoying, especially when it comes to making HMRC payments as the payment reference field is used to put in your unique payment ID. This has resulted in a number of similar looking payees/payments setup on my account.

Their response basically pointed out that all their changes were made to bring them inline with European Banking Authority regulations. I must have missed the bit where the EBA mentioned that people should no longer be able to amend the reference field on a per payment basis. They also mention that they've received lots of feedback and are currently reviewing it. My guess is nothing at all will happen about this.

[fool]

Cater Allen sound rubbish. Why do people recommend them? No instant transfers, no mobile app, this... is their rep based on backhanders and commission?

Pretty much, but none of us knew this when signed up as that's typically when we're incorporating and wet behind the ears.

I've been looking at other banks, but I don't really see the point in handing over a monthly fee and I typically deplore banks anyway.

[emperorz]

this is not fun

Just asked them about this. Basically, the reference field is the payee reference. And you have no access to the statement reference. This is good for HMRC and credit cards, but otherwise is a pain. Oh well.

[syrio]

I agree with the faults you mention, but their customer service is good. Reasonably intelligent people who answer the phone promptly.

Exactly what I'd say. I've just spoken to Cater Allen today and yesterday and the difference between them and my Santander personal account is huge. Straight through to someone on both occasions and problem sorted. Of course that is just what you should expect, but it is so rare nowadays.

Website is a bit clunky, but it does the job.

[SueEllen]

i definitely would not recommend them - i got pushed towards them from my (now ex-)accountant

they're very oldschool, thick letterheaded paper and posh looking folders but definitely behind the mainstream regarding online/mobile etc

European banking regulations, which are now law, mean that bank transfers must take a maximum of one working day.

The problem for them and some other smaller building societies/ banks is that they don't actually run their own payment system so piggy back on to one that does. This makes the payment process slower.

[pr1]

I was pointing out that my solution avoided the need for typing Salary, Dividend and Expenses 12 times a year...

if "salary" "dividend" and "expenses" are the only descriptions you ever use then yeah it's perfect

[Pherlopolus]

stupidity was harsh - happy to change it to "solution"

I was pointing out that my solution avoided the need for typing Salary, Dividend and Expenses 12 times a year...

Cater Allen works fine for me, It's free and I usually set up transfers a week ahead of time anyway, and and am never in a rush to move money. It's probably a long way off being the best but it's 100% fit for purpose for me.

My only conscious decision when choosing a business bank account was that I didn't want it the same as my personal bank