Halifax and Lloyds customer warned about £200 payments

A banking customer considering a switch to Lloyds Bank to bag a £200 incentive was warned they might need to visit a Halifax branch to confirm their eligibility. Lloyds Bank is enticing new customers with a £200 bonus for opening a current account.

One person intrigued by the deal reached out to the bank, uncertain if they met the criteria. They queried over X: "I’m looking to switch to Lloyds current account to get the £200 reward. It says I cannot have had switch cash from Halifax since 2020 to qualify.

"I did set up a Halifax account after this date but can’t remember if I got switch cash. Is there anyway you can check?" According to Lloyds' website, the offer is void if you've accepted a switching bonus since April 2020 from "any Lloyds, Bank of Scotland or Halifax Bank account", all part of the Lloyds Banking Group.

In response to the query, Lloyds' social media team informed the saver that they couldn't look up customer details but would assist as much as possible. They inquired whether the saver still held the Halifax account, suggesting that contacting Halifax could be more fruitful in that case.

The saver indicated the Halifax account was closed, prompting Lloyds to recommend a visit to a Halifax branch where staff can review closed accounts and determine if a switching bonus was ever granted. The customer then reached out to Halifax for assistance, hoping to avoid a branch visit.

In response, Halifax stated: "It sounds as if you may have had the incentive payment previously." The bank then suggested that they might be able to provide the necessary details over the phone, thus saving the customer a trip to the branch.

They advised the customer to call their helpline at 03457 203040, which operates from 8am to 6pm seven days a week. In another instance, a customer asked Lloyds to clarify the rules regarding the £200 switch payment.

They queried via X: "Does your switch offer exclude switching from NatWest? I know Bank of Scotland accounts don't qualify and given NatWest is part of RBS [Royal Bank of Scotland] I wasn't sure if moving from NatWest would fail to qualify for the offer to?" In response, Lloyds clarified: "Bank of Scotland is part of Lloyds Banking Group. RBS is a different bank, you would be able to switch from NatWest. I hope this helps."

It's worth noting for savers that Royal Bank of Scotland is a subsidiary of the NatWest Group, which is separate from Lloyds Banking Group.