The Barclays and other non-Lloyds/TSB Bank thread

[thegeek]

Pleased to see that Barclaycards can finally be used with Google Pay/Google Wallet. It's been a long wait...

I've had an email from them to that effect, but when I try to add my card (the basic Avios one), get a "this card can't be set up for contactless payments" error.

Barclaycard, and I think Amex, both had their own contactless payments available on Android at one point - I don't think the latter was ever not available on Google Pay though.

[scottishtv]

I've had an email from them to that effect, but when I try to add my card (the basic Avios one), get a "this card can't be set up for contactless payments" error.

That's a shame. Seems they don't support Google Pay/Wallet for their Mastercard cards, according to their Twitter.

I have a Barclaycard Cashback card (they gave them to former Egg customers when they bought their credit card business). It's a Visa card so does work. I'm half-expecting an email one day to say they're getting rid of that product all together though.

[Critique]

For the longest time my local high street Barclays has, for some reason, had very visible 24 hour staffing. As far as I’m aware, it’s not a branch that has been prone to a spate of daring bank heists, nor is it a branch in a ‘dangerous’ area, and yet a security guard has been sat in the lobby day or night, rain or shine, for at least a year or so now.

That is, until last week, when the visible security presence suddenly disappeared. This isn’t normal practice, right?!

[WillPS]

For the longest time my local high street Barclays has, for some reason, had very visible 24 hour staffing. As far as I’m aware, it’s not a branch that has been prone to a spate of daring bank heists, nor is it a branch in a ‘dangerous’ area, and yet a security guard has been sat in the lobby day or night, rain or shine, for at least a year or so now.

That is, until last week, when the visible security presence suddenly disappeared. This isn’t normal practice, right?!

I would guess something to do with safe custody, but that sounds very odd I must say.

[Martin Phillp]

Barclays in Tottenham Court Road is finally closing on the 10th January 2025.

There's still no confirmed opening date for the reopening of Oxford Circus which is supposed to cover the closure of TCR.

[cwathen]

Barclays Taunton...a branch refit apparently will take 3 months.

Good job they're closing early on the Friday for the builders to get a head start, with such a limited timeframe they need every minute they can get!

[all new Phil]

To be fair the early closing is probably to allow staff to get their things out and carry out audit processes etc. before builders move in on Monday.

[WillPS]

Barclays Taunton...a branch refit apparently will take 3 months.

Good job they're closing early on the Friday for the builders to get a head start, with such a limited timeframe they need every minute they can get!

Is it a building that could contain asbestos or something? A post-war Co-op up the hill was recently shut for a similar period, I presume for a similar reason.

Probably means they don't intend to close the branch, at least.

That said RBS did up a number of English branches just before Covid then closed them all (except Berwick, Holts and Drummonds) 2 or 3 years later. So maybe intention doesn't count for much.

[Martin Phillp]

Refurbs have been locally the kiss of death for Barclays branches. The two that used to be near to me got refurbs and then put on the closure list. One is now a Screwfix and the other is a dentist.

[BBC TV Centre]

Doesn't make sense why they'd spend money refurbing the branch and then closing it?

i do wonder what is in store for HSBC's digital branches. They've pledged not to close anything until 2026, however, I can't help but feel the hacking back of costs and shutting the counterwill have put them on the danger list.

If anyone wants a lesson in how not do do things, check out the Metro bank's new cash/coin deposit machines. You'd think on the face of it, nice and easyjust enter my card/pin and deposit the cash, like any other bank. They've farmed it out to some third party and a long onboarding process involving downloading an app, selfies, photographing your ID and there's a caveat that the third party may not even accept you. Every person I saw just didn't bother with the machine, and joined the long line for the counter.

[WillPS]

Doesn't make sense why they'd spend money refurbing the branch and then closing it?

You'd have thought not but there are plenty of examples of exactly that.

The only rational explanations I can think of are:

• Branch refurbishments tend to hollow out the floor, remove old-fashioned lines of cashier windows and siderooms and replace them with a huge hollow space with some desks and machines. I can imagine the latter is easier to find an alternative tenant for
• A 'temporary' closure allows them to see how much branch custom moves elsewhere, giving them cover when the time comes.

But I tend to think it's probably more just left and right hands not being fully aligned.