Online Banking

Advantages

• You don't have to queue up in a bank- This is usefull for people who may be disabled or have limited time



• Bank processes are usually quicker online in comparison to going in the bank. Money is easier to control online



• Keep a regular check on your account



• Using less paper helps the environment

Disadvantages

• Identity theft- This can happen if credit card details are displayed online and spread if the computer is not secured



• There is no personal advisor there to help you, say if you have a problem with your account you would actually have to go in aswell as doing it online. E-mail process can slow down communication



• Website maybe hard to navigate at first

Investigating online banking-Barclays

The purpose of barclays online banking is to enable customers to keep a record of their account, this saves time and makes it easier for people the branch to access and handle people's money. The barclays online banking website is aimed at people who either don't have the time to go to their local branch or maybe those who find it useful to keep a record of all their purchases daily. This could be helpful for those who run their own buisness and buy things daily.

Major advantages of using the barclays online banking webiste is that new comers can watch and listen to a demo, that takes the user step by step through the website. When registering with barclays the customer is sent a small device that resembles a calculator, this is called PINsentry and helps to eliminate identity theft and fraud. Whilst logging in you get a new passcode every time. Another advantage to the website is the "ask a question" feature, this is a search engine where you get instant questions as close to the question you asked. A safe keyring is also available for those who have a bigger account, this sends a new code everytime the user logs in.

Barclays could improve their online banking by making the safe keyring available to all customers, this could be a useful tool for students who would want to transport the keyring to different places.

I found the website easy to navigate around, tabs on the top panel make it easy to suit people's needs. There is also a box on the left hand side which enables people to either log in or register. This box is bold and highlighted, so it is easy to find. The website has to many links on the home page, this may increase the amount of time you spend looking for other features.