Lloyds Bank customers hit with huge change ahead of key service being axed

Staff
By Staff

From this week, customers can no longer pay in cheques using a pay-in slip at their nearest Post Office – instead, you’ll need to use your debit card and enter your PIN

A general view of the exterior of a branch of the Lloyds bank chain
The move affects Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers(Image: Getty Images)

Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland have made a major change to how customers deposit cheques at Post Office branches. From this week, customers can no longer pay in cheques using a pay-in slip.

Instead, you’ll need to use your debit card and enter your PIN to complete the deposit. It comes as part of wider plans from Lloyds Banking Group to completely axe the ability for its customers to deposit cheques at their local Post Offices from this December.

It means customers will have to travel to their nearest Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch, or use mobile banking, to deposit cheques.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson told The Sun: “Most customers use our app as the easiest way to pay in a cheque, by taking a photo on their phone and letting us take care of the rest. Very few customers are choosing to deposit cheques in at the Post Office.”

It comes after Lloyds Bank increased the monthly fee on its Club Lloyds packaged bank account this week from £3 to £5. The monthly fee is still waived if you pay in £2,000 or more each month.

A packaged bank account is a type of current account that includes additional benefits. Club Lloyds gives you one lifestyle benefit each year – you can choose between a Disney+ subscription, six cinema tickets, a magazine subscription, or 25% off certain food and drink brands.

You also get access to the Club Lloyds Monthly Saver which pays 6.25% gross/AER on up to £400 a month, and up to 15% cashback at selected retailers.

This monthly fee also applies to Club Lloyds Silver and Club Lloyds Platinum accounts, although you have to pay extra on top for these accounts. You pay an additional £11.50 a month for Silver account, and £22.50 a month for Platinum.

But in some good news, Lloyds removed debit card foreign currency fees from April 14. This applies when you pay in the local currency – if you choose to pay in pound sterling, you may still be charged.

Lloyds explains on its website: “If you pay for something in pounds sterling, the provider of the currency conversion may still charge you. Some cash machine providers may also charge a fee.”

The interest-free allowance on Club Lloyds arranged overdrafts has also increased from £50 to £100. A Lloyds spokesperson said: “Our Club Lloyds range offers our customers lifestyle benefits including Disney+, cinema tickets, and magazine subscriptions, and access to market leading mortgage and savings rates.”

Share This Article
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *