Savings
Identification Requirements
When you apply to open an account, we are required by law to verify your identity and address. This helps to protect our customers and members of the public against fraud and misuse of the UK banking system. We will not open an account for you until we have verified your identity and address.
We also have an obligation to maintain up to date identification for all our customers. This means that we may require additional identification from time to time, even for customers who have held accounts with us for some time.
Our identification requirements for individuals and businesses are provided here. If you require any assistance please contact us on 0161 923 8065.
Individuals
We will carry out an electronic search with a credit reference agency (CRA) to verify your identity. To do this, we will supply your personal information to the CRA and they will give us information about you. The identities of the CRAs, the data they hold, and the ways in which they use and share personal information are explained in detail here
From time to time however, we are required to ask for further documentation as the information we have access to may not be complete. If we are unable to verify your identity through an electronic search we will contact you and ask you to provide documents to verify your name and address as detailed below.
- If you are a UK National, we require one document from Section A and one document from Section B.
- If you are an EU National, we require one document from Section A and two documents from Section B.
- If you are a Foreign National, we require two documents from Section A and two documents from Section B.
Please note: we recommend that you do not send original documents through the post, please send certified copies.
A certified copy or an original valid passport which shows your photograph, full name, date of birth and passport number.
A certified copy or an original valid photo-card driving licence which shows your photograph, full name, address, date of birth and licence number.
A certified copy or an original valid “old style” driving licence which shows your full name, address, date of birth and licence number.
A certified copy or an original valid firearms certificate.
A certified copy or an original letter or document dated within the last 12 months showing entitlement to any of the following:
- State or local authority benefit,
- Tax credits,
- Pension,
- Educational or other grant.
A certified copy or an original letter or document dated within the last 12 months from HMRC showing notification of your tax code.
For non-UK nationals, a certified copy or an original of your valid National Identity Card.
A certified copy or an original Bank or Building Society statement dated within the last 3 months showing your name and address.
A certified copy or an original electricity, gas, water or telephone bill (not a mobile telephone bill) or statement dated within the last 3 months showing your name and address.
A certified copy or an original current council tax demand letter or statement showing your name and address.
A certified copy or an original credit card statement dated within the last 3 months showing your name and address.
Businesses
There are currently no business savings accounts available. If you would like to be informed when we launch a new account please contact us on 0161 923 8015.
We offer business savings accounts to the following business entities who are registered within the UK:
- Private Companies
- Registered Charities
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
- Partnerships
- Sole Traders
In order to qualify for one of our Business Savings Accounts, your business entity must be classed as a small sized enterprise, meeting at least two of the following criteria:
- Number of employees – not more than 50
- Annual turnover – not more than £6.5m
- Balance sheet total – not more than £3.26m
Our Business Savings Accounts are not available for the following business entities:
- Financial Institutions
- Credit Institutions
- Investment Firms
- Insurers
- Collective Investment Funds
- Pension and Retirement Funds
- Public Authorities
We will need to verify the identity of the business entity opening the account as well as the identity of each partner, director, and signatory to the account, and any shareholder with a holding of 25% or more. The documents required to verify the identity of the business entity are detailed below:
- Certified copy of the company’s Certificate of Incorporation.
- Confirmation of the names of all directors.
- Confirmation of the names and addresses of any individual who has a shareholding of 25% or more (if the shareholdings are held by a corporate body, unfortunately we are unable to proceed).
- An original letter from a director, or a certified copy of Board meeting minutes which confirms that the signatories are authorised to act on behalf of the company.
- A cheque for the opening deposit drawn on an account held in the name of the company.
- Certified copy of the Constitution of the Charity (or other governing document).
- Confirmation of the names of all officers.
- A cheque for the opening deposit drawn on an account held in the name of the charity.
- Certified copy of the company’s Certificate of Incorporation.
- Confirmation of the names and addresses of all the partners of the company.
- A certified copy of Board meeting minutes which confirms that the signatories are authorised to act on behalf of the company.
- A cheque for the opening deposit drawn on an account held in the name of the company.
- Certified Copy of the Deed of Partnership.
- Confirmation of the names and addresses of all of the partners.
- A cheque for the opening deposit drawn on an account held in the name of the firm.
- Identity for the owner in accordance with our normal ID requirements for individuals.
- A cheque for the opening deposit drawn on an account held in the name of the firm.
Notes
We are unable to accept statements or bills printed from the Internet.
Where copies are provided these must be clear photocopies and must be certified by an independent professional person. The person signing the document must state on the copy that they have seen the original and (if the document bears a photograph) that the photograph is a true likeness of the individual. They must provide their full name and signature, occupation or status, address and telephone number.
For the purposes of certifying copy documents, we consider that a professional person includes the following: Accountant, Bank / Building Society Official, Barrister, Chemist, Civil Servant, Company Chairman / Director, Councillor, Dentist, Doctor, Fire Service official, Justice of the Peace, Member of Parliament, Officer of the Armed Services, Optician, Person with Honours (MBE, OBE etc), Police Officer, Post Office official, Social Worker, Solicitor, or Teacher.
All documents will be returned to you.
If you are unable to provide any documents from the lists provided, please telephone us on 0161 923 8065 to discuss alternative arrangements that may be possible. We will do all we can to find a suitable alternative to take account of your individual circumstances, however we regret that we cannot open an account without necessary identification.
