Acceptance: RBS Restricts Access to Rival Banks’ ATMs
- The Royal Bank of Scotland has decided to deny access to other banks’ ATMs to nearly one million cardholders. Basic account holders (Easycash Account), without overdrafts or cheque books, can only withdraw cash using RBS/NatWest, Tesco and Morrison ATMs. According to the bank, the cost induced by these transactions could not be sustained.
- Customers who signed up for a basic account since 4 July are already affected; former customers are now in process of being informed of these changes as the switch is set to happen over the months to come.
- RBS indicates that concerned customers will still dispose of about 20,000 acceptance points. Nevertheless, Consumer Focus, an organisation centred on the protection of consumers’ rights, urges the bank not to stand on its ground.
- This move is all the more constraining that it concerns almost 80% of the ATMs in the UK.
- This decision also reminds one of Lloyds TSB’s positions on the same matter. In this case, basic account holders (Classic Account) only have access to its automatons, while holders of Halifax Easycash accounts, belonging to the very same group, can use any ATM in the country.