Phone Banking

It's what we're famous for

Our award-winning Phone Banking is one of the things our customers love most about us. You can call us any time of day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year - for anything from checking balances and moving money around to applying for a loan and paying a bill. Whenever you call, you'll always get through to a lovely, warm, real human being, right here in the UK - no 'press 1 for...' nonsense, no overseas call centres.

What is Voice ID security?

We'd recognise that voice anywhere

Voice ID is a voice verification tool. It will recognise and remember your voice when you call us, making banking with us even easier.

What do I do?

Here's the good bit - you don't have to do anything. You can carry on banking in the same way that you would do normally, if you need to call us for anything, Voice ID will work away in the background.

Are my details secure?

Our Phone Banking service is already very secure, and has been ever since we launched in 1989, but when new technology emerges that will make things even more secure, and better for customers, we'll adopt it.

Unlike a password, your digital voice 'print' can't be written down or guessed by others. This is bad news for fraudsters, but great news for you because it gives you even greater confidence that nobody else can access your banking details.

Voice ID video

Here's a video to explain how it works

Everything you need to know about Voice ID

Open all

• How does Voice ID work?

  Here's the technical bit - when you speak, the system measures how you use your lips, mouth, vocal tract and diaphragm - as well as behavioural things like speed of speech, pronunciation and your accent. It measures about 140 different things that, all together, are totally unique to you. It does all this in around two seconds, and lets us know that it's definitely you.

  We don't take an actual recording of your voice - instead, we take a digital 'print' of what's going on when you talk, and we attach that print to your account, so it's there whenever you call us.

• Do I have to say anything specific?

  No. Voice ID focuses on how you say things - not what you say.

• Does it mean I have to talk to a machine?

  Definitely not. You'll still get through to a real person, 24 hours a day, every day. Same as always. Same as it will ever be.

• What if I don't want Voice ID applied to my account?

  Voice ID makes banking with us easier. But if you really, really don't want Voice ID applied to your account, we'll be happy to discuss all the options with you - just give us a call.

• Will I still need to remember and provide my existing security questions?

  For the time being, yes. But in time, once we have an accurate voice print for you, you won't need to remember as many security questions when you call.

• What if the Voice ID system doesn't recognise me or can't hear me properly?

  If in the unlikely event that we can't verify you using Voice ID, don't worry we'll be able to verify you using a different method.

• What if I have a cold or a sore throat?

  Even if you have a cold or a sore throat, the way that you generate speech is still the same, so we'll still be able to verify you using Voice ID. It might be tricky if your voice is severely changed for medical reasons, but we'll still be able to verify you another way.

• What if I have a disability affecting my voice?

  If you have a disability that affects your voice, you can opt out of Voice ID and we can still continue to verify you on the phone in our usual way. If you're completely unable to use your voice, either temporarily or long-term, please contact us either by secure message or post, and we'll answer any concerns you have.

• I rely on a text-phone system, how will Voice ID work for me?

  If you currently rely on text-phone, the way you operate your account will remain the same.

• Can I use Voice ID if I live overseas?

  You can indeed.

• Will Voice ID apply to all areas of first direct?

  Yes, all of our teams will be able to verify you using Voice ID.

• Where will my voice print be stored?

  Your voice print will be stored securely alongside your existing account information.

• What about if my voice changes with age?

  All voices change as people get older. We make sure that when you do talk to us we update your unique characteristics as they develop.

• What if I'm a carer or hold power of attorney for another customer?

  The process for carers and people who hold Power of Attorney will stay the same as it is now. If you're a first direct customer already, we'll verify you using Voice ID which will give you access to your accounts and any others you're authorised to manage. If you're not a first direct customer but would like to access accounts you hold Power of Attorney on via our phone banking, please give us a call on 03 456 100 100 and we'll be happy to help.

Video relay service

Our video relay service, provided by SignVideo, means you can now do your banking using British Sign Language (BSL). We'll connect you to a qualified interpreter, via your computer or mobile, who'll translate the conversation to us.

This is a free service which is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, except for public holidays.

This video explains it all

How do I use it?

Before you can use our Video relay service, you'll need to download the software to make sure your calls are secure and the video quality is good - start using Sign Video here opens an overlay.

Once you've done this, select the SignVideo icon to open a secure video link to a qualified BSL interpreter. You'll need to have your account and security details to hand.

Your information will be relayed in real time - so SignVideo won't store your details, and any information you provide will be protected in line with your Account Terms and Conditions.

What you'll need

To use this service you'll need a device with a webcam and one of the following:

• iOS 8 or above
• Android 4.4 or above
• PC or Mac with an i3 processor or above
• Internet Explorer 9 or above or the latest versions of Firefox (Windows) or Safari (Mac).

You'll also need at least a 0.3MB internet connection but we recommend 0.5MB or more. If you don't know what speed your internet is, please contact your supplier.

If you need help

If you have any technical questions or problems please contact SignVideo directly by email at help@signvideo.co.uk or by calling 0203 388 0771.

If you have any questions about using this service to access your account, please give us a call anytime on our standard number 03 456 100 100 or via Text-phone 03 456 100 147 and we'll be happy to help. If you're abroad you can call +44 113 234 5678 or use Text Relay by calling +44 151 494 1260.

Because we want to make sure we're doing a good job calls may be monitored and/or recorded, we hope you don't mind.