Unfortunately many banks in the UK no longer offer a web portal or physical branches.
I'd love to see legislation that mandated a functioning web experience for critical services like this (banking, utilities, etc) - otherwise it will continue to further entrench the current duopoly.
(I suppose this is also an instance where I should do a better job of voting with my feet and supporting services that do offer this)
Good news for EU citizens though, PSD3 will require that authentication methods without a smartphone are provided:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fr/qanda_...
Require payment services providers to ensure that all users can benefit from methods to perform SCA which are adapted to their needs and situations and, in particular, that those methods do not depend on one single technology, device or mechanism, for instance on the possession of a smartphone.
Wise in the UK currently is good. You can use it completely without a phone app. It also has good support for passkeys, TOTP, and SMS OTP, allowing to add multiple of each as it should be. If you do choose the Wise app, it currently warns when you run a custom Android ROM, but let's you use it.
Our company also uses Revolut business, but that requires a phone app to verify online payments with cards. And Revolut recently changed the app so it now requires Google Play Integrity so it doesn't work with LineageOS anymore. So I'm looking to move all new things away from Revolut. I have little patience with companies that want to unbank my company, and decide what hardware or software we use.
Huh? Why the hell would you use a bank that doesn't offer a web portal or have branches if there are banks that still do?!?!
I bank with HSBC in the UK and there's still branches (worldwide) and banking via web.
I assume you mean things like Starling and Monzo in this case? Banking with them is simply dangerous.
There's mobile payment apps worldwide like yappy and UPI, that don't have a web interface and are local monopolies. Even worse they are sometimes controlled by a single large bank, not a government and not a consortium so you're entirely beholden to their (confidential) decisions, whatever they might be. It's not like in the US where you have Venmo, Zelle, and Cash app, or China where there's WeChat and alipay.
What's wrong with Starling/Monzo?
They’re only ok until something goes wrong or you end up with an overdraft. Then they screw you with poor customer service. Like the worst.
> many banks in the UK no longer offer a web portal
Same in Norway.
Is it that dire? I'm in with DNB and Nordea and they both have functioning netbanks. But I don't know how the rest are.
I've been getting by with a bankid codebrick and web browser access (although Nordea and DNB apps work fine on GrapheneOS).
> I'm in with DNB and Nordea and they both have functioning netbanks.
And both are banks I'd never want to associate with. I would have used Sbanken before the DNB buyout (and I even did for a bit!), but now that's of the table too.
There are a few more options, but many are just worse if you look at their fees and interest rates.
I've been very happy with Bulder. The only thing they're missing is a web portal. The fact that they're missing that annoys me greatly, but they've been good to me in every single other aspect, so it's hard to be dissatisfied (especially compared to the other banks where I and others have been burned). Their app works fine on de-Googled Android, and so long as that's true, I can live with my choices.
I appreciate the info. Re: the banks I'm with, I have no choice.
I'm an immigrant and most banks refused to give me an account when I moved here. Or ghosted me during the months long process. These are the banks that let me live here, and actually gave me an account and bank id. It's the only real choice I have until I get citizenship.
If you're stuck with them, that's understandable.
There's no reason the banks should be dicks about it, but they often are in cases like yours. All the accounts I've opened in recent times have just been a matter of logging in with BankID and going through the form and selecting 'no' 10 times. Once you've got BankID and can go through the automated flow, there shouldn't really ever be any issues.
This is why it bothers me greatly that BankID is still controlled by the banks, since they can just decide that someone like you shouldn't get it. It should be government issued and issued to everyone, on the same level as an ID card or a passport.
Poland, all banks I know offer web portal. Linux, Firefox - works perfectly.
Follow up question: how many of those still let you log in and authorize transfers without relying on their mobile app as required second factor?
Good point. They don't. Huh, that's really worrying. My bank started requiring phone for web portal only about a few years ago. They don't allow to use an alternative MFA method. This should be made illegal.
It should be. How screwed are you if you lose your phone?
Don't fret, the govt has this covered: RFID chip up the ass to the rescue!
This is all inevitable direction over long period of time
What’s worrying is that noone protests about it
It doesn’t suprise me that corporations and governments want the laziest, most „protective” laws passed that extend their power. But why noone, absolutely noone puts some kind of resistance to it?
Government and citizens are at eternal conflict of interests. It has been this way and it will be this way forever.
Your job as a citizen is to make sure you have greatest amount of liberties
Noone will do it for you.
The frogs are almost done, and the silicone figurines that used to impost actual frogs and croak how pleasant the water is and how it should always keep getting warmer to keep everyone comfortable, will soon be removed from the pot, their duties fullfilled.
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