Online banking inflexibility

I agree. Even though I'm very much a 'techie' (even a bit of a nerd!) I find it much easier to write a cheque and post it than to jump through hoops to log on to my on line banking system and make a payment that way.

wrote

Yep - and we were talking about something even easier than writing out a cheque - ie simply signing a Direct Debit form. Even simpler!

Yes. Much more hassle, cost of a stamp, I have to remember to post it, scope for loss in the post, I have to check it's been set up, I have to set it to the minimum payment (and later to the whole payment), the company controls the payment date (which will on average be two weeks earlier than the end of the

If I went this route I would have 20 DDs on my account just from credit card balance transfer fiddling, along with another 20 legitimate ones, which makes it difficult to keep track of the legitimate ones. And I don't trust 'open' DD mandates, I used to work for a Bank..... I wouldn't use the card again, since I cut them up as soon as I get them. I only need one credit card :-)

We're talking about setting up a standing order to make multiple payments, not one-offs. I don't jump through hoops to log into my online banking system (s), I use one keyboard shortcut to run a macro that does it for me. I couldn't write a cheque in the time it takes me to make a payment to a credit card, let alone remember to post it. I can't remember the last chq I wrote.

How do yo make that work with the systems that require a random subset of digits/letters from your password or alternatively ask a question about a particular one of the three bits of 'memorable data' you use.

If I *could* automate my login I would (home computer is relatively secure) but (presumably for security reasons) the banks aim to make it just about impossible to automate login.

Want a race, you start with computer turned off (or at least the monitor turned off) and I start with my cheque book inside my work bag. ;-)

Depends which Bank - Egg, for example don't do this, so it's literally a one-click job, the one's that do I have to type in the variable information.

All the macros and their associated information are kept inside a heavily encrypted database which locks itself after 5 minutes of inactivity. I wouldn't leave the data accessible on any computer.

Now I understand why you think it's so much hassle :-). I have three PC's in the house, networked, and none of them are ever turned off. The monitors screensave to a blank screen.

On of my computers stays on permanently but it's not really my desktop one. Anyway I'm at work for a large chunk of the day so it would be much more useful to be able to do it from my desktop machine at work quickly.

secured a place in history by writing:

Which is why I keep the database on a memory stick :-)

Doubt if it would do me much good, my desktop machine is a Sun Sparc running Solaris.

I do have a (secure) CGI program running on my own host which provides me with the basic passwords etc. I need to login to my internet banking but, as I said, one still has to jump through hoops because of the 'random digits from the password' bit. Even then the speed of the internet is such that I still reckon I can write a cheque quicker.

secured a place in history by writing:

What, you have no PC at all? I have an SG running Irix on my desk, but I still have a laptop for non-technical issues.

Yeah, but then you have to either take it to the bank, or find an envelope, a stamp, post it, rely on the mail to ensure it gets there etc. You might be able to write the cheque quicker, but I guarantee I've already made the payment before you've done the rest of that stuff :-)

There's a PC on my desk but it's rarely turned on and doesn't have any of 'my' customisation on it, I use it as little as possible.

I have stamps with me all the time, usually tucked in the back of my PDA (Palm) case. In many cases the envelope is supplied by the people I'm paying, if not I keep a supply in my desk drawer. When I've completed the hard labour of sticking the stamp on the envelope it gets dropped in the out tray. While I might not trust a really important payment to the post I've not lost one that I've sent that way in 40 years or more of doing it.

We do use our internet banking for some things, e.g. inter account transfers, but for making payments, especially one off payments to other accounts a cheque is just so much simpler (for me).

secured a place in history by writing:

Guess we'll have to agree to differ then :-)

One minor point, at least some CC companies (MBNA and MSDW spring to mind) let you set up DDs online, so the posting bit isn't necessarily relevant anyway ...

"Stephen Burke" wrote

Does the "-DW" bit still apply? Or is it just "MS" now??

Stephen Burke secured a place in history by writing:

You need to have read all this thread to understand what's being talked about....:-)

On a different online banking inflexibility; why is it that you can't delete saved payment details on Barclays?

I have complained/enquired a couple of times about this, apparently they are 'working on it' and it will come at some time. Whilst Barclays have had a pretty good record of increasing the functionality of their online system over the past 5+ years, so I'm sure they will be doing this at some time, I'm surprised its taking them so long, it should have been rolled out initially when they gave you the ability to store payment details. Its not exactly rocket science! All they need is check you don't have any outstanding future payments to the selected item, then delete it.

Without a hint of irony, "Tumbleweed" astounded uk.finance on 12 Feb 2004 by announcing:

They've been 'working on it' for at least 3 years now...

They don't even need to do this. cahoot store your 'address book' payees seperately from standing order payees, for example.

Agreed, it really shouldnt be that difficult.