How many bank accounts can you open?

A question about : How many bank accounts can you open?

Just following on from someone's advice to have separate accounts for bills etc etc, how many CAN you have open? We were turned down for a new account a while ago but think that may be because we applied for the wrong account (another one with overdraft etc, which we don't need). But it must be possible to get a few on the go if it is being advised? Does anyone have a few on the go? Any advice on where to go for a bog standard cash in and DD/SO out kinda bank account?

Best answers:

• I have quite a few bank accounts:
  joint account with Mr Penny-wise with Alliance & Leicester
  Wages go into this account and some money gets transfered out to:
  Halifax joint account which pays all our monthly/annual bills
  and
  my barclays account for my train fare to work and grocery shopping.
  i have an account with Natwest which i do not use
  I have just opened an account with Cahoot which will replace my Halifax account as although they only deal with Direct Debits they cannot seem to do this right and keep cancelling odd ones (in last 12 months Council Tax and Gas and Electricity payments cancelled and they put a stop on my account for no reason - no direct debits paid)
  Would i recommend Halifax? Only to someone i did not like.
• In theory, you can have as many accounts as you can get. But as you have found, if you want an overdraft, you will be credit checked, so the number you can get depends on your credit record.
  You should be able to get a simple basic bank account. No switch card, just a cash card but you manage many of them online and set up DDs & SOs.
  There's a list of them here
  https://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/public/bank_account.pdf
• I went into the Natwest to see about a basic account as Halifax are phasing out the Solo card and Tesco online do not take (nor are they planning on taking) Visa Electron.
  I saw a lovely customer adviser who said she would have no problem whatsoever with me having a basic account (and that was after I'd told her all my past credit history), and had a lovely cup of coffee and a whinge about ex's with her in the process.
  It's so nice to speak to someone face to face for a change instead of a computerised phone line.
• Even going in to a branch and speaking to Halifax staff is a nightmare - worst bank account i've ever had but I just can't be bothered to change again
  10 days to cash a cheque....flippin' ridiculous!
• Malestrom
  I know exactly what you mean, we've been with the Halifax for 15 years and when I went in to complain about the loss of my Solo card and to see if they could just give us a Switch card without an overdraft or chequebook I basically got told it was my tough luck for having a rubbish credit rating and I had to put up with what I could get.
  As for the 10 day cheque clearance!! I have banked two cheques in the last 2 weeks and both have cleared within 3 days so I don't know what is going on there They tell us one thing and then do another.
• Moggins: Yes I know exactly what you mean. My wife was in the bank the other day and a message flashed up on the assistants screen telling her that we were eligible for upgrade to a chequing account, from the cashcard account. She made us an appointment and the wife and I duly attended. After about 20 minutes we were refused. Apparently "The computer says nooooooo." The same computer that originally said yes I gather.
  Obviously one of the Little Britain's had a Halifax account.....
• My partner and I have just opened a Nationwide Flex Account. The woman we spoke to was really lovely, and we told her how we're on the verge of bankruptcy etc, and there was no problem. It's just the most basic account with Direct Debit and Standing Order facilities, and a cash card. All we need! :-)
• Cahoot told me today that I can have up to 3 current accounts with them.
  They told me this when I asked for a 4th saving account with them, and they said 'no, but you can have up to 2 more current accounts if you want'.
  So, if you can get a Cahoot account, this may be a option for you.
  HTH
  Darryl.
• That's why I try to do most of my banking online, I haven't found a helpful person in there yet and at least you can set up all your standing orders and do transfers online.
  One of the few times I prefer a computer to talking to a real person
  Once I get a passport I shall be voting with my feet and moving my account.
• I have
  3x Halifax Accounts
  3X Natwest Accs
  1x First Dir Acc
  1x RBS acc
  (applying to open a nationwide account- off on hol soon)
  1x Egg savings
  1x ING savings
  3x credit cards and 1x store card
• I do have a few current accounts left hanging around from various banks but for majority of banking we have Nationwide Flex Account, then for all the different bills etc. we just have multiple E-savings accounts hived off that. The interest is better on the e-savings and we can see what we have for each set of bills/holidays/cars etc. all on one screen and just have standing orders set to move money when our wages land in the main current account. However, our bills then actually get paid from one of the current accounts so we need to manually move the money back from the e-savings after the bill is paid or the day before(generally the current account already has cash in it for food purchases so we don't go overdrawn or not for more than 24 hours). So far not found a limit on number of e-savings accounts and we are up to 10 or so. Barclays allowed something similar aswell.
• I have a HSBC current account (I agree with martin PANTS!)
  Smile current account
  Nationwide flex account
  Yorkshire bank current account
  and
  Intelligent finance current and saving account (been told there reducing my saving rate from 4.75% to 2.75% - therefor applied for a .....
  Abbey premier plus online account, and got refused! They offered me a basic bank account with visa electron. Could this be becuase I selected overdraft facility? Or have too many bank accounts? Ive sent them an email explaining that I do not require an overdraft, cant see why they cant offer me an account then as what risk am i to them? Apart from running all my income through them?
  Paul
• Is Halifax the one that has the current series of adverts with the excellent Mark Benton.........you know, the ones with "Brand new customers only...." and "Saving account......a pound!.."?
  If so, then judging by the comments on this thread, it looks like they used their own customer service as the example for the 'bad' company.
  If not, then I guess their advertising isn't that effective - if I can't even remember which company it's for!
• those adverts are for nationwide ... "proud to be different"
  its far and way the best advertising campaign ive ever seen for any bank.
  "Abbey premier plus online account, and got refused! They offered me a basic bank account with visa electron. Could this be becuase I selected overdraft facility? Or have too many bank accounts? Ive sent them an email explaining that I do not require an overdraft, cant see why they cant offer me an account then as what risk am i to them? Apart from running all my income through them?"
  paul the risk is that visa debit has a cheq guarantee facility of Ј100 on it. 25 cheques in a book = Ј2500 of credit (in effect).
  and believe me, ive seen people do it.
  so there is a risk, however small
• Lloyds classic plus overdraft rate is 15.5% AER