Banking

made easy
Contents
Easy access 4-5

Your card 6-7

Payments into your account 8-9

Payments from your account 10 - 11

Protecting your account 12 - 13

Financial difficulties 14

Complaints 14

Financial Services
Compensation Scheme 14

Important notes 15
 3

Banking made easy

This guide illustrates how to
use your bank account and to
help make sure your day-to-day
transactions are as fast and
straightforward as possible.

For more information

Click hsbc.co.uk
Call 08457 404 404*
Textphone 1800 108457 125 563

Come in and see us in branch

*See important notes at the back of this leaflet
4

Easy access
We offer flexible accessible banking that puts you
in control. Just choose how, when and where you
connect with your money.

Internet Banking*
hsbc.co.uk
For the ultimate in flexible banking, why not manage
your money online? You can access your account and
carry out transactions anywhere in the world 24 hours
a day – all you need to do is log on. Check your balances,
make payments, transfer funds, view and cancel Direct
Debits and standing orders – you can even change your
personal contact details if you move house.
Telephone Banking
08457 404 404*
One call puts you in touch with our team. You can find
out about other products and services or discuss your
existing accounts if you have any queries. Alternatively
if you just want to check your account, transfer money
or pay your HSBC credit card, you can use our
automated 24 hour telephone service.
Branch banking
Just come in
If you want to talk to someone in person, just visit one
of our branches – we’ll be happy to help. You can use
our counter service or access our express banking self
service machines (see page 6 for express banking).
Alternatively you can book an appointment to see
someone in your local branch by calling 08457 404 404*
Your security number
To use our Telephone and Internet Banking services
you will need to set up a security number. This is a
6 to 10 digit number selected by you that we use to
identify you and keep your account secure. You will
need to quote or enter this number when asked, to
access your accounts. We will never ask you to reveal
your whole security number, just selected digits.
*See important notes at the back of this leaflet
 5

Services for disabled customers

We are committed to providing all customers with
a quality service. Customers with disabilities may find
the services offered through Telephone and Internet
Banking particularly convenient. In addition we offer
the following services:

}
textphone to textphone service*2


}
statements in Braille and large print


}
on request, items of literature in your

preferred format

}
cheque, pay-in slip and plastic card templates


}
larger style cheque books


}
note gauges


}
at least one hearing loop in every branch to assist

hearing aid users

}
new key pads on all self service machines to allow

easier navigation

}
sign language interpreter, speech to text translation

or lipspeaker services to assist with detailed
discussion/purchases (subject to notice).
*2 The textphone to textphone service is available to customers who
are deaf and/or have a speech impairment. Please call 1800 108457
125 563 to access this service.

To set up a security number

for Telephone or Internet Banking
Call 08457 404 404*
Textphone 1800 108457 125 563
6

Your card – the key

to your account
Withdrawing cash
You can withdraw cash (up to your daily card limit)
from cash machines worldwide wherever you see
the Visa logo.

Some Visa members may apply a direct charge

for withdrawals from their cash machines.*

Paying for goods and services

You can use your debit card to pay for goods and
services, wherever you see the Visa logo.
There is no limit to how much you can spend using
your card as long as you have sufficient cleared
funds available in your account or we have agreed
an overdraft to cover your spending.*

Cashback
Free and convenient access to your money. Many
retailers offer cashback of up to £100 (subject to
funds available in your account) when you pay for
goods with your Visa debit card.

*See our General Price List and Interest Rates leaflet, HSBC Premier
Price List or HSBC Amanah Finance Price List for details of charges.
 7

Chip and PIN

Chip and PIN terminals have now been installed by
most retailers to help prevent card fraud. Your PIN is
your four digit Personal Identification Number issued
with your card. You must enter your PIN to confirm
that you are the card holder when
you pay in person with your debit and
credit cards. See page 12 for advice
on protecting your account.
You can change your PIN using our
self-service machines.
If you are unable to use PIN please speak to a member
of staff at your local branch or call us on 08457 404 404
(textphone 1800 108457 125 563).

Speed through your banking

With our brand new range of automated services you can
eat your sandwiches in the park instead of on the run.

Find these at the front of our store

Express Bank Machines*
Pay your bills, transfer money, check your balances, view
and print statements, view, amend and cancel standing
orders, view and cancel direct debits, open Flexible
Saver accounts and get a quote on a personal loan.
Cash Machines
Withdraw cash, check your account balance, top up
your mobile phone, pay your credit card bill, get a
mini-statement, change your PIN and make a donation
to charity. We will advise HSBC customers if a cash
withdrawal will take them overdrawn or over their
current limit, which may or may not result in a charge.
Paying in machines*
Pay in cash at these machines. Some machines will
automatically count the money you deposit and credit
your account.
Cheque Deposit Machines*
Pay in up to 49 cheques in one go; you’ll get a receipt
with an image of each cheque paid in, so you know
your money has been deposited safely – for a more
useful record then just a stamp on a paying in stub.
­­­*In selected branches.
8

Payments into
your account
Payments sent directly to your account will normally
take two working days before they are available
for you to withdraw. Although if the payment was
sent as a Faster Payment the funds will in normal
circumstances be available within 2 hours.

Cash and cheques

To pay in cash or cheques just fill in a paying in slip
from the back of your cheque book or pick one up
from your local branch. Then use one of the paying
in machines or pay in at the counter.

If friends or family want to give you a cheque, it may

be more convenient to give them your sort code and
account number and ask them to pay electronically
direct into your account. Paying direct is safer, more
secure and in most cases quicker.

Regular payments
If you’d like your employer or anyone who needs to
make regular payments to your account (for example,
pensions, investments, benefits), you will need
to tell them your 8-digit account number and your
6-digit sort code.
Both can be found on your cheque book, statement
or on your debit card (see below).

Sort code Account number

 9

Cheque clearance
When you pay a sterling cheque into your account
in the UK, we have to obtain funds from the bank
who issued the cheque – this is know as ‘clearing
a cheque’. The central clearing cycle normally takes
three working days after the cheque has been paid
in before you can withdraw the money. The process
may be faster if the cheque you are paying in was
written by a customer of your own bank.

Any items paid in after 3.30pm Monday to Friday

or at the weekends will be treated as received the
following business day. Take a look at the example
below. The cycle may take longer when paying in
via some banks or an agent such as the Post Office.

Central clearing cycle example

This table shows how the central clearing cycle works:
on Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
M
C I A
C I A
C I B B A
C I A
C I A

C = The day the cheque is paid in

A = The day the money is normally available to withdraw
(Counters and cash machines)
B = The day the money is normally available to withdraw
(Cash machines only)
I = The day from when debit/credit interest,
if applicable, is calculated from, including the
cheque within your cleared account balance.
10

Payments from
your account
Direct Debits
A Direct Debit is when you authorise us to take
money from your account on instruction from
a third party.
All major utility companies will allow you to pay
regular bills automatically by Direct Debit. The
amount and date can vary according to your bill
and agreement with that company.
To cancel a direct debit, you can either contact
the third party company or you can contact us the
working day before the payment is due to be made.
We suggest you do both.

The Direct Debit Guarantee

}
I
f there are any changes to the amount, date
or frequency of your Direct Debit the originator
will notify you in advance of your account being
debited.
}
I
f a mistake is made in the payment of your Direct
Debit by the originator or us when a payment is
made we will give you a full and immediate refund.
If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you
must pay it back when the originator asks you to.

Standing orders
A standing order is when you instruct us to pay
a fixed sum direct to another person or business
account at regular intervals. You cannot set up a
standing order or direct debit from a savings account.
To cancel a standing order you need to contact us
either by visiting a branch at least one working day
before the payment is due, or if cancelling by phone
or online, by doing so before 11pm on the last
working day before payment is due.

Bill Payments and Faster Payments

A Bill Payment is a sterling payment where you
send money direct to the account of another
person or organisation. This can be done through
Internet or Telephone Banking or at Express Bank
Machines. Money will usually be taken from your
account on the same day.
 11

For Bill payments up to £10,000 provided we receive

your payment instruction by 11.45pm
and the recipient’s bank is able to accept the payment
via the Faster Payments service, the payment will
be deducted from your account immediately and will
normally be credited to the recipient’s account within
2 hours. We will tell you at the time you ask us to make
an immediate payment if the recipient’s bank has been
able to accept it. Payments that are not processed via
the faster payment service will be dealt with as set out
in our General Terms and Conditions.

Writing cheques
When writing a cheque make sure that you write the details
clearly to help prevent fraud. We recommend that you:
– Use ink that cannot be erased
– Do not leave a gap between words or figures
– Add further information such as a reference name or
an account number when you make a cheque payable
to a large organisation, bank or building society
– Draw a line through any unused space on the ‘pay’ line
– Do not sign a cheque before you use it
Cheques that you write also pass through clearing (see
page 9). Normally there will be two working days before
the money is deducted from your account. Cheque
books are not available on Basic Bank Account, HSBC
Passport, Livecash, MyAccount or Savings Accounts.

Stopping a cheque
You can stop payment of a cheque that you have
written as long as:
}
I
t wasn’t guaranteed with your cheque guarantee card
}
i
t hasn’t already been paid from your account

} e have not told the payee or their bank that we will
w
be paying them
To stop a cheque contact us with the cheque number,
the date of the cheque, who the cheque was payable
to and how much it was for. There is usually a charge
for this service.*
*See our General Price List and Interest Rates leaflet, HSBC Premier
Price List or HSBC Amanah Finance Price List for details of charges.
12

Protecting
your account
Our Internet and Telephone Banking services employ
industry standard security technology practices. To
access these services you must enter your security
details known only to you – see page 4.
In addition you can help by protecting yourself:
3 Never reveal your passwords, security numbers or
PIN to anyone – not even a member of HSBC staff.
3 Don’t allow anyone else to use your card.
3 Don’t keep your card and cheque book together.
3 Never write down or record your PIN, security
numbers or passwords.
3 Destroy the letter containing your PIN immediately
after you’ve memorised it.
}
hen changing your PIN don’t choose numbers
W
that are easily guessed (eg, birthdays, 1234, 4444)
}

Take care when storing or disposing of information
about your accounts. Take simple steps such as
shredding printed material.

www.getsafeonline.org
This is a website created by the
Government and leading businesses,
including HSBC Bank. It provides free
expert advice to help protect yourself
against Internet threats including
viruses, spyware and online fraud.
 13

Keep your details up to date in case we need

to contact you
Please make sure you let us know as soon as
possible if you change your:
}

name, address, phone number or email address,
if this is how we communicate with you.
Regularly check your statements
Your statement is the record of your account, we
will send you a statement of your accounts on a
monthly basis. Or depending on the product, as
advised when you opened your account.
You should read your statements carefully when you
receive them. If you do not recognise any transaction
or think that it is incorrect you must tell us as soon
as possible.
Mini statements are available at ATMs or via our 24
hour automated Telephone Banking. Alternatively check
your statements online through Internet Banking where
you can view and print current and historic statements.
If you do use online statements you can do your bit
for the environment and choose not to receive
paper statements. Just select the option within
Internet Banking.

Contact us immediately if you spot anything irregular

on your account, suspect anybody else knows your
PIN or security details or if your card or cheque book
has been lost or stolen.

24-Hour emergency numbers

From UK, Channel Islands
and Isle of Man 08456 007 010*
Textphone 1800 108457 125 563
From abroad +44 144 242 2929*
Textphone +44 1792 494 394
*See important notes at the back of this leaflet.
14

Financial difficulties
If you do find yourself in a position of financial difficulty
or you are worried about your finances please contact us.
Our leaflet ‘Putting your finances in order’ contains
further details.

Complaints
If you have a complaint please let your local branch
manager or the manager of the department concerned
know. We will endeavour to resolve your concerns and
put matters right. If your complaint is not settled to your
satisfaction you may be able to refer it to the Financial
Ombudsman Service in the UK, the Financial Services
Commission in Jersey or Guernsey and the Financial
Services Ombudsman Scheme for the Isle of Man. Our
‘Listening to your comments’ leaflet contains further details.

Financial Services
Compensation Scheme
We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation
Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS can pay compensation
to depositors if a bank is unable to meet its financial
obligations. Most depositors – including most individuals
and small businesses – are covered by the scheme.
In respect of deposits, an eligible depositor is entitled
to claim up to £85,000. For joint accounts each account
holder is treated as having a claim in respect of their share
so, for a joint account held by two eligible depositors,
the maximum amount that could be claimed would be
£85,000 each (making a total of £170,000). The £85,000
limit relates to the combined amount in all the eligible
depositor’s accounts with the bank, including their share
of any joint account, and not to each separate account.
First Direct and HSBC are both trading names of
HSBC Bank plc and customers who hold deposits
under both trading names will only be eligible for one
claim of £85,000 in total.
For further information about the scheme (including the
amounts covered and eligibility to claim) please ask at your
local branch, refer to the FSCS website www.FSCS.org.uk
or call 020 7892 7300 or 0800 678 1100.
FSCS limit is correct as at 31 December 2010.
Important notes
General: Any foreign currency debit card payments (including
cash withdrawals) are converted to Sterling by VISA or
MasterCard (as appropriate) using wholesale market rates
applying on the day the conversion is made. These transactions
are subject to our foreign exchange charge of 2.75%. We will
deduct the payment from your account once we receive details
of the payment from the card scheme, at the latest the next
working day. Details of the current wholesale market rates can be
obtained by calling us on the usual telephone numbers.
Cash Machines: There is an ATM transaction fee currently 2%
(minimum £1.75, maximum £5.00) for withdrawing cash at cash
machines overseas. HSBC Advance, HSBC Advance (Graduate),
Premier and HSBC Premier MyAccount customers can make
withdrawals at cash machines overseas free of ATM transaction
fees from HSBC and will therefore not pay this fee.
We will deduct the amount of the transaction fee from your
account once we receive details of the payment from the card
scheme, at the latest the next working day.
Some cash machine operators may apply a direct charge for
withdrawals from their cash machines and this will be advised on
screen at the time of withdrawal.
Shops and retailers: There is no transaction fee for using your
debit card to pay for goods and services overseas.
HSBC Bank plc, 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ is authorised
and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). You
can check details of HSBC address and statutory status by
calling the FSA on 0845 6061234 or via their website at www.
fsa.gov.uk. We advise on our own life and pensions products
and a range of specifically selected investment products from
HSBC and other providers. Written details of our products and
services are available from any of our branches, or from the
address on the back of this brochure. All of our credit facilities
and bank accounts are subject to status. Your account is subject
to our General and Current Account Terms and Conditions. Our
Telephone and Internet Banking services are subject to scheduled
maintenance periods. Lines are open 8am to 10pm every day
(except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day). To help
us continually improve our service and in the interests of security
we may monitor and/or record your telephone calls with us.
In the Channel Islands, HSBC Bank plc is regulated by the Jersey
Financial Services Commission for Banking, General Insurance
Mediation and Investment Business and licensed by the
Guernsey Financial Services Commission for Banking, Insurance,
Collective Investment Schemes and Investment Business.
Licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission.
In the Channel Islands and Isle of Man our Financial Planning
Managers provide independent and impartial advice on our
own and third party products. For accounts held in the Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man the local law of the island where your
accounts are held will apply.
Easy access – wherever you
are. Just choose how, when
and where you connect with
your money, 24 hours a day.*

For more information

Click hsbc.co.uk
Call 08457 404 404*
Textphone 1800 108457 125 563

Come in and see us in branch

*See important notes at the back of this leaflet

hsbc.co.uk
Issued by HSBC Bank plc
Customer Information:
PO Box 757, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4SS
PO Box 14, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8NJ
PO Box 31, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3AT
PO Box 20, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1AU

©HSBC Bank plc 2010. All Rights Reserved.

97811-2 MCP37897 12/10 AC13767