Barclays is to allow customers to see their current accounts from other providers on its mobile banking app – removing the hassle of logging in several times to see balances held with different banks.
The bank’s customers who also have a personal or business current account with Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, RBS, NatWest, Nationwide or Santander can now choose to “quickly and securely” view their balances and transactions when they log into the Barclays mobile banking app.
The free feature is being rolled out over the coming weeks to all Barclays UK personal current account holders.
More banks will be added over the coming months, with further features to follow, said Barclays, which has over six million mobile banking app customers.
The move follows the launch of an initiative across the industry called “open banking” – which uses developments in technology to make it easier for people to see all their finances in one place and make the most of the best deals.
Barclays said the feature uses industry-approved open banking technology to ensure that customers’ accounts are linked into the app securely – without them needing to supply their other banks’ usernames or passwords.
To set up the feature, customers need to select their other bank from within the Barclays mobile banking app and they will be redirected to their other bank’s app or online banking page to choose which accounts, if any, they would like to connect.
They can choose to switch off access instantly at any time, at the touch of a button, within the Barclays mobile banking app.
Catherine McGrath, managing director of retail banking at Barclays, said: “Today, lots of people have current accounts with more than one bank, so keeping track of your finances can be tricky as well as time-consuming.
“Our new feature is designed to solve this problem, offering a simple and secure way to get a clearer picture of your finances, all in the place six million of our customers already go to do their banking.”
