LATEST SANTANDER BANKING STATEMENT.
We love Santander as heres their latest banking statement in full, This website get 4m pageviews pa so well done to them.
Following my email last week, I wanted to give you an update on the support that we are making available to our customers during this difficult and uncertain time.
First of all, I want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to keep our call centres and branches open. However, as I mentioned last week, we now have fewer colleagues available to work. This is because we have asked our more vulnerable staff to stay at home and others are self-isolating to help control the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, we have reduced opening hours in our branches (10-2pm, Monday to Friday), some of our branches may have to close temporarily on certain days, and unfortunately there are longer wait times than usual when calling our contact centres. We are sorry that we cannot provide our normal level of service, but hope you will understand.
Under these extraordinary circumstances, I would ask that you only call our contact centres or visit our branches if absolutely necessary, so that we can continue to prioritise these services for our more vulnerable customers and those most in need. There is a range of information available on our webpage to help you, including up to date information on which branches are open today, as well as access to our online chat service. Even if you have never used this before, it is incredibly easy, and I would encourage you to give it a try.
Supporting you
I appreciate that you might be worried about the impact of the current situation on your finances, and since my last email, we have launched various initiatives which may provide some help and comfort:
- Mortgage payments: If you are worried about making your mortgage payments, we have made it possible for you to apply for a mortgage payment holiday online so you don’t need to call us. You can find some FAQs and information on how to apply on our website. We have already helped over 100,000 customers through this service.
- Overdrafts and credit cards: From 6 April, we will provide a £350 interest free overdraft buffer for three months. This means we will automatically waive interest on up to £350 of any agreed overdraft limit. From 30 March until 6 July, we will also remove fees for late payments and cash advances on our credit cards. Both measures will be applied automatically so you don’t need to do anything. More details will be available on our website next week. If you find you need to borrow more money, we will, where possible, try to increase your overdraft or credit card limit.
- Access to savings: If you need to access any savings you hold in fixed rate bonds and ISAs, we won’t charge you a fee for doing so.
- Contactless payments: From 1 April, in coordination with other banks and the retail industry, we will increase the maximum payment for a contactless card from £30 to £45 to allow more purchases to be made without the need for physical contact.
- Business banking: We have also established a new process to get businesses the right support, tailored to their individual circumstances. This includes access to capital repayment holidays and additional liquidity across overdrafts, working capital, trade finance and loan facilities. Find out more information in our latest tips for businesses. Santander is also participating in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) in conjunction with the British Business Bank. There is an online form available here.
- STAY SAFE FROM FRAUDSTERS: We are continually updating our website to include our latest hints and tips, including how best to manage your money and staying alert for fraudsters, who sadly are trying to take advantage of the current situation. Remember, we will never ask you for your full PIN or password or ask you to move money from your accounts. Please be especially alert at this time.
We hear stories every day of the heroic efforts of our NHS workers and other key workers who are truly on the front line of this crisis. We have made our Santander Cycles in London free for use by NHS workers, police, social workers, care home workers and TfL critical workers. We’re also making sure that those docking stations closest to hospitals are prioritised, ensuring as many cycles as possible are available to NHS workers.
Once again, thank you for your support and understanding during this time. I hope you, your family and your friends remain safe and well.
Kind regards,
Susan Allen
CEO, Retail and Business Banking