Timings assume the payment is instructed before the daily cut-off. After the cut-off, a same-day rail becomes next business day. Cut-offs are shown before you confirm.
Which one to use
Five rails cover almost everything. The right one depends on where the money is going and how quickly it has to arrive.
| Type | Use it for | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Between your accounts | Moving money you already hold with us. | Immediate, any hour | Free |
| To someone at this bank | Paying another customer here. | Immediate, any hour | Free |
| Local transfer | Paying anyone at another bank in your market. | Same business day | Free or low fixed fee |
| International wire | Paying abroad, or in another currency. | 1 to 3 business days | Fee plus conversion margin |
| Bill payment | Utilities, cards, recurring obligations. | On the date you set | Free |
Internal is always instant
If the person you are paying banks with us, the money is there before you have closed the screen — at 3am, at the weekend, on a holiday.
Scheduled and recurring payments
- Standing order
- You instruct us to send a fixed amount on a fixed schedule. You control it, and you can stop it at any time.
- Direct debit
- The organisation collects a variable amount from you. They control the amount; you control whether the mandate exists.
- Future-dated payment
- A one-off payment set to leave on a chosen date. Cancellable until it is released.
- Recurring international
- Available where the destination supports it. The rate is applied on the day each payment runs, not the day you set it up.
Standing order or direct debit?
If the amount never changes, a standing order gives you the control. If it varies, a direct debit avoids a missed payment. Review the direct debit list once a year — that is where forgotten subscriptions hide.
Managing beneficiaries
- Save a payee once and reuse it, rather than retyping details that are easy to mistype.
- Adding a payee, or changing an existing one, triggers a verification step. This is deliberate.
- Name-checking against the destination account warns you when the name does not match before the money leaves.
- Business accounts can require a second approver for any beneficiary change.
A changed payee is the classic fraud
An email saying a supplier or landlord has "new bank details" is the most common way people lose large sums. Verify by phoning a number you already had, never one in the message.
Limits and verification
- Daily and per-transaction limits apply, and are shown in the payment screen.
- You can lower your own limits at any time; raising them requires verification.
- Larger or unusual payments trigger a one-time code, and occasionally a call. This is protection, not obstruction.
- A first payment to a new beneficiary may be held briefly while checks complete.
When something goes wrong
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Payment has not arrived | Check the status first. A payment showing "sent" has left us and the delay is at the receiving end. |
| Sent to the wrong account | Report it immediately. Recovery depends on the receiving bank and is never guaranteed, so speed matters. |
| Payment rejected | The reason is shown against the transaction. Most are a detail mismatch rather than a block. |
| Duplicate payment | Contact the recipient first. A payment correctly sent twice is a matter between you and them. |
| International wire delayed | Intermediary banks add time. Request a trace if it is beyond the stated window. |
| You think it was fraud | Freeze the card, change your password and report it. Do not wait to be sure. |
Documents you may also need
Inside Online Banking
Everything the platform does, screen by screen: accounts, payments, cards, statements, insight and the controls you hold yourself.
Online BankingSecurity & Access
How your account is protected, what we will never ask you for, and the handful of settings that do most of the work.
Online BankingBanking on Your Phone
How to get the app, or install the web app to your home screen in ten seconds — and what works differently on a phone.
This document was last updated on 1 August 2026. We publish the current version here at all times; superseded versions are available on request.
If anything on this page is unclear, write to us and we will explain it.