Personal current accounts

Account guide

This guide explains the features of our current accounts and how each of these accounts work. You should read this guide with the terms and conditions of the account (which you will be given when you open your account or if any changes are made at a later date). If this guide and the terms and conditions of your account contradict each other, the terms and conditions will take priority.

We subscribe to the Banking Code, which means we have made a commitment to:

• help you to understand how your accounts work;
• give you information on our services and products in plain language, and offer help if you do not understand any part of it; and
• help you to understand how borrowing and using credit and debit cards, among other things, can affect your finances.

If you would like us to explain any other issues relating to your current account, please contact your local branch. If you have a Basic Bank Account, please contact the Basic Banking Centre by phoning 028 9034 6160.

A About our current accounts
1 First Trust Bank current accounts
2 Who can have a current account?
3 What form of identification do I need to provide to open an account?
4 How does a current account work?
5 Joint accounts   

B Online and Phoneline Banking
1 Online Banking
2 Phoneline Banking
3 Clearing funds transferred through the Online and Phoneline Banking services
4 Helpline

C Lodgements and withdrawals
1 Lodgements
2 Withdrawals   

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A About our current accounts

1 First Trust Bank current accounts

We offer the following types of account.

• Junior Saver Account
• Student Account
• Student+ Account
• Graduate Account
• Classic Account
• Packaged Account
• Plus Account
• Premier Account
• Basic Bank Account

The Junior Saver Account is for children up to 11 years old. This account pays interest, every quarter, on the cleared credit balance in the child’s account. Children over the age of seven can have a Banklink card, as long as they have permission from a parent.

The Student Account is for young people aged 11 to 18, and also pays interest every quarter, on the cleared balance in the child’s account. If you hold a Student Account, you will be able to apply for a Banklink card no matter how old you are.

The Junior Saver Account and Student Account do not provide overdrafts, chequebooks, Visa debit cards, direct debits or standing orders.

The Student+ Account is available to full-time higher-education students and student nurses. We will only issue chequebooks and Visa debit cards depending on your financial circumstances. These accounts are not available as a joint account. There are no service fees or monthly fees with the Student+ Account and certain other support service fees do not apply.

With the Student+ Account, you can apply for an interest-free overdraft of up to GBP1,850 with no fees (depending on your financial circumstances). You can also take advantage of commission-free foreign currency and a Banklink card which you can use to withdraw money from cash machines.

Our Graduate Account is available to all students who have graduated within the last two years. The account has similar facilities as the standard current account. These accounts are not available as a joint account. There are no service or monthly fees with the Graduate Account and certain other support service fees do not apply.

The Graduate Account facilities are available for three years. These include interest-free overdrafts of up to GBP1,000 with no fees (depending on your financial circumstances), commission-free foreign currency and access to our Online and Phoneline Banking services.

The standard Classic Account gives you quick, convenient and easy access to your money by providing you with a chequebook, a Banklink card or a Visa debit card (depending on your financial circumstances). You can use the cards at cash machines throughout the country and abroad. The Classic Account does not pay credit interest.

The Packaged Account has the same facilities as the Classic Account, but you will earn interest when your account is in credit.

For a flat monthly fee (due each month whether your account is in credit or overdrawn), you will receive:
• interest on the cleared credit balance in your account;
• an interest-free ‘buffer limit’ if you go up to GBP100 overdrawn;
• some support services free of charge; and
• favourable rates on First Trust Bank personal loans.

With the Plus Current Account, you will earn interest each month on cleared credit balances up to GBP1,200, as long as you have paid at least GBP1,200 into your account during that period. You will get the first GBP100 of your arranged overdraft interest-free. You will also enjoy free banking if your account is in credit and will also be able to avoid the monthly fee when your account is overdrawn if you carry out the following qualifying transactions.

• Two purchases using your Visa debit card
• Two debit transactions using either the Online or Phoneline Banking services, or both
• One purchase using your Visa debit card and one debit transaction using either the Online or Phoneline Banking services

(By ‘debit transaction’, we mean either transferring funds or paying a bill.)

If you do not carry out any of the above transactions within a month, our normal monthly fee will apply. For up-to-date details, see our price list which is available by following the link in the ‘Related information’ section above.

The Premier Account is a personal current account for customers who also have business banking accounts with First Trust Bank. Speak to your relationship manager for more information.

The Basic Bank Account gives you quick, convenient and easy access to all the money in your account by providing you with a cash card. You can have a Basic Bank Account if you are 16 or over and you do not have a current account or other basic bank account with another bank or building society in the United Kingdom. The account may be particularly suitable if you:
• want to have an account which will not allow you to go overdrawn;
• are happy to accept the limited facilities the account provides; and
• your main source of income is state benefits.

If you hold a Basic Bank Account, you will not be able to:
• apply for overdrafts or debit cards;
• use a chequebook;
• set up standing orders;
• set up a joint account; or
• earn interest on the balance in your account.

We will send you regular statements that show the balance of your account and what transactions you have made over a specific period. For more details or for an application pack, contact the Basic Banking Centre on 028 9034 6160 or by writing to:

Freepost
First Trust Bank
Basic Banking Centre.

2 Who can have a current account?
 
You can have a current account if you are 18 or over (16 or over if you want to open a Basic Bank Account), depending on your financial circumstances. So if you want a flexible and safe way to look after your money, a First Trust Bank current account could be just what you’re looking for. Junior Saver Accounts are only available to children up to 11 years old. Student Accounts are only available to 11- to 18-year-olds. Student+ Accounts are only available to full-time university students and student nurses. Graduate Accounts are available to people who have completed university degree programmes.

3 What form of identification do I need to provide to open an account?

When opening an account for you, the bank will need evidence of your identity and permanent address.

You can provide any of the following documents to confirm your identity.

List A

• Current signed UK passport
• Current signed Irish passport
• Current UK or EEA full or provisional driving licence or a blue disabled driver’s pass
• EEA Member State identity card
• Electoral identity card
• Current firearms or shotgun certificate issued by a UK police force
• HM Revenue & Customs tax notices
• Photo registration card (if you are self-employed in the construction industry)
• Government employee ID card (police, armed services, HM Revenue & Customs, civil servants), with a photograph and signature
• Benefit book or original letter from the relevant benefits agency confirming that you are entitled to benefits or State Pension (or both)

You can provide any of the following documents to confirm your address.

List B

• Current UK photocard full or provisional driving licence
• Voters roll search
• Recent utility bill (for example, electricity or phone), utility statement or certificate from the utilities supplier confirming the arrangement to pay for the services on prepayment terms (for example if you pay for electricity or gas by meter)
• Current Rates Collection Agency bill
• Letter from HM Revenue & Customs
• Original bank or building society statement, mortgage statement or credit card statement
• Benefit book or original letter from the relevant benefits agency confirming that you are entitled to benefits or State Pension (or both)
• Rent book or tenancy agreement issued by a reputable landlord
• Motor insurance certificate or schedule
• Home insurance certificate or schedule
• Vehicle registration document
• Original solicitor’s letter confirming you have recently bought a house or registered your details with the Land Registry

If you are not able to provide any of these documents, please speak to the member of staff opening your account and we will be happy to discuss other forms of identification we can accept. If you want to open a Basic Bank Account, please call the Basic Banking Centre on 028 9034 6160.

Basic Bank Account

To open a Basic Bank Account, you will need to provide two forms of certified identification when you return your application form to the Basic Bank Account centre. You can provide any of the documents from list A to confirm your identity, and any document from list B to confirm your address. You can generally provide just a certified copy of the document, although we may ask to see the original document in some cases (see the note below).

Note: By ‘certified copy’, we mean a photocopy of the relevant document which has been checked and approved by one of the following.

• A lawyer
• A mortgage broker
• An accountant
• A teacher
• A doctor
• A minister or priest
• A postmaster or sub-postmaster

This person must brand the copy with an official stamp, (if they have one), date it and confirm that it is a true copy of the original document. They must also declare that you were present when they confirmed the document was valid. They must use the following wording.

‘I, (insert name) certify this as being a true copy of the original document before me. I confirm that (insert applicant’s name) is present, in person, before me.’

The person confirming your documents must also provide their contact details so we can contact them if necessary.

If you are not able to provide documents from list A or list B, please call the Basic Banking Centre on 028 9034 6160. A member of staff will be able to suggest other documents we can accept.

4 How does a current account work?
When you open a current account other than a Junior Saver Account, Student Account, Student+ Account or Basic Bank Account, we will order you a chequebook containing 30 cheques (whether we order a chequebook for you will depend on your circumstances). You can use these to pay for goods and services or to withdraw cash from any of our branches. The amount you write each cheque for will then be charged to the balance of your account and shown on your statement.

We will issue replacement chequebooks automatically. If you need a replacement chequebook before we issue it, you should fill in the order form in your old chequebook and take it or send it to your branch at least 10 working days before you need the replacement chequebook.

You can also arrange to pay regular bills from your account by using either a standing order or direct debit (except if you have a Junior Saver Account or a Student Account). See section F for more information.

You can also apply for a Banklink card or Visa debit card (or both), which you can use to withdraw cash (up to a certain daily limit) from any cash machine at any time of the day. If you have a Visa debit card, you can use it to pay for goods or services at shops and other outlets displaying the Visa symbol.

Banklink cards and Visa debit cards are not available with Basic Bank Accounts. Visa debit cards are not available with Junior Saver Accounts and Student Accounts and are only available with Classic Accounts if you are over 18 years old.

When you open a Basic Bank Account, we will automatically order you a cash card. You can use this card to withdraw cash (up to a certain daily limit) from cash machines (see section C, subsection 2 for more details). When you receive your card, you will need to activate it by phoning our Basic Banking Centre on 028 9034 6160.

5 Joint accounts
You can open a Classic, Packaged, Plus or Premier current account in the names of more than one person (for example, you and your husband or wife). In this case, you will both be individually and jointly responsible for keeping to the terms and conditions of the account and for paying back any money either of you owe. If you separate or divorce, you will both continue to be individually and jointly responsible for any money you owe. If one of you dies, the other will be responsible for paying back any money either of you owe us.

When opening a joint account, you will sign a mandate (instruction) telling us how to authorise any withdrawals on the account (in other words, whether only one of you needs to give their signature or both of you). Unless the mandate says otherwise, in most cases any one of you can withdraw the whole balance of the account without the permission of the others. With a joint account, each of you is entitled to receive a bank statement, free of charge. You can arrange this with us. For other conditions relating to joint accounts, see section L, subsection 3.

B Online and Phoneline Banking (see note 1)

1 Online Banking
This is our internet banking service, which allows you to:
• check your account balance;
• check your statements;
• find out whether a particular cheque you have written has been paid;
• transfer funds between accounts;
• pay bills; and
• ask us to send you a statement.

We will give you your own registration number and personal access code (PAC), which you must enter every time you use the Online Banking service. You can get more details about this service by phoning our helpline on 028 9034 6034, by visiting our website or from any of our branches.

When can I use First Trust Bank Online and Phoneline Banking?
You can begin using our Online and Phoneline Banking services as soon as you receive your registration number and personal access code (PAC). The first time you use either service, you will need authorisation from us. Call First Trust Bank Phoneline Banking on 0845 793 0000 and enter your registration number and PAC when asked to. You’ll then be asked to change your PAC to a number you have chosen.

Once you have authorisation, you can use the Online and Phoneline Banking services from 7am to 3am GMT, seven days a week.

How do I use the Online Banking service?
• Turn on your PC, open your internet browser (for example, Internet Explorer) and go to www.firsttrustbank.co.uk/onlinebanking
• Type in your registration number and the personal access code digits you are asked to enter.
• Follow the simple instructions to view your bank account.

Note 1: As part of the Basic Bank Account, you will automatically be registered for Online and Phoneline Banking.

2 Phoneline Banking
You can also access your account details using our telephone banking service.

By registering for the Online Banking service, you will automatically be registered for our Phoneline Banking service. You can use these services at any time of the day or night.

How do I use the Phoneline Banking service?
• You need a touch-tone phone to use this service.
• Dial 0845 793 0000. (Your call will be charged at the local rate.)
• Using the keys on your phone, type in your registration number and the personal access code (PAC) digits you are asked to enter.
• You will automatically be given the latest balance on your account.
• To make an enquiry about your last five transactions, select menu code 1 and service code 2 when asked.
• When you have finished, type in 9 to end the call.

3 Clearing funds transferred through the Online and Phoneline Banking services
You can use our Online and Phoneline Banking services to transfer funds between accounts which have been registered for this service. If you transfer funds between First Trust Bank accounts, they will be available immediately for withdrawal and will start to earn interest (if this applies) the following working day. If the funds are being transferred to an account with another bank, it may take up to three working days for the funds to go into the account. The cut-off time on banking days for Online and Phoneline Banking transfers is 5pm GMT. Transactions carried out after this time will carry forward to the next working day.
4 Helpline
If you have any problems using Online or Phoneline Banking, or any questions about the services, you can contact our helpline on 028 9034 6034 from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. We’ll be happy to help.

C Lodgements and withdrawals

1 Lodgements
You can use your Banklink card to lodge money at any of our branches. You can also arrange for your employer to pay your salary or wages direct to your account.

If you have a Basic Bank Account, you can lodge money into your account at any of our Quicklodge facilities in our branches (the conditions for using these facilities are displayed at all Quicklodges), or at any of our cash machines which have the facility to lodge money. You can also have your wages, allowance or benefit paid directly into your account.

2 Withdrawals

You can withdraw funds from your current account in any of the following ways.

• By cheque.
• By handing a withdrawal slip or your Banklink card to the cashier at any First Trust Bank branch. If the cashier does not know you personally, you will need to provide some form of identification.
• By using your Banklink card to withdraw cash (up to GBP500 a day, depending on the balance of your account or your overdraft limit) at First Trust Bank Banklink machines and AIB Banklink machines in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. You can also withdraw cash from the cash machines of the Bank of Ireland, Northern Bank, Ulster Bank and any bank or building society displaying the ‘Link’ or Visa ‘Plus’ symbol. The minimum amount you can withdraw is GBP10 from First Trust Bank cash machines and €20 from certain First Trust Bank euro cash machines and AIB cash machines.
• By Visa debit card (see section E, subsection 1 for details).

If you are withdrawing local currency from a cash machine abroad (including the Republic of Ireland), certain extra fees will apply. For more details, see our price list for personal customers. All withdrawals depend on whether the amount you are trying to withdraw has cleared – see section E, subsection 8.

If you have a Basic Bank Account, you can also withdraw cash free of charge at any post office branch in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales using your cash card and PIN. The Basic Bank Account includes a ‘buffer limit’ of up to GBP9.99 to allow you to withdraw the full balance of your account (depending on whether the funds have cleared). For example, if you had a cleared balance of GBP15.57 in your account, you could withdraw GBP20. We would then take the overdrawn amount of the difference (GBP4.43 in the above example) from the next amount you pay into your account. We will not charge you any fees or interest if your account goes overdrawn as a result of you using the ‘buffer limit’.

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