While there are a lot of online savings accounts out there, only a few offer high-interest rates. If you are looking for such, though, then this Barclays Online Savings review is perfect for you.
Obviously, the recent pandemic has brought a lot of changes in people’s day-to-day lives. For a time, most of us were restricted to go out unless necessary, and it was during that time when people relied so much on anything digital — including banking.
In fact, an article published by Reuters says that digital banks “have won over more U.S. customers during the coronavirus pandemic” most particularly because of the fact that it has helped process stimulus payments faster. Thanks to digital banking, people survived.
But then, pre-pandemic era, digital banks have already captured a lot of consumers/customers in the country, especially young people. It was just that during the pandemic, even older customers have seen how valuable online banks are.
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In a study conducted by Statista, it was found that in 2018, roughly 61 percent of Americans are using digital banking and that experts project it to increase to 65.3 percent by 2022.
We would not be surprised, though, if the number rises higher than projected given the turn of events in recent years.
Moving on, as the number of digital bank users is increasing, the same goes for the number of existing digital banks. Customers have so many options that sometimes it can really get overwhelming to choose one.
However, at the end of the day, it all boils down to what your needs and preferences are as a digital bank user. One example is – are you looking for an online savings account that provides one of the best – if not the best — rates out there?
If your answer to this question is a yes, then you got to keep reading this Barclays Online Savings review.
In this review, we are going to provide you with thorough information about Barclays Online Savings, and the bank itself, which is very important especially if you are a first-time customer or a first-time digital bank user.
In particular, this Barclays Online Savings review will touch on the following:
- What is Barclays Bank?
- Who is Barclays Bank best for?
- What are the products offered by Barclays Bank?
- What is Barclays Online Savings?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of Barclays Online Savings?
- How to do banking with Barclays Bank?
- Is Barclays Bank safe?
- What to like about Barclays Bank?
- What not to like about Radius Bank?
WHAT IS BARCLAYS BANK?
Before we even go into a detailed review of Barclays online savings, it is important that we get to know the bank itself first.
Knowing about the bank will greatly help us be confident with the institution that will help keep our money.
So, with that said, here are a few important things you need to know about Barclays Bank —
Barclays Bank is a London-based bank that services 48 million people from all over the world since 1690. The bank’s operation in the United States, however, is online-only, which means, it does not provide traditional or conventional banking products and services.
However, the online-only bank is known for providing customers one of the best annual percentage yields on savings accounts as well as certificates of deposit (in this review, though, we are just going to particularly focus on the savings account).
Since it is an online-only bank, at least in the country, similar to other all-digital banks out there, it lacks a branch network, making it suitable for customers who prefer online banking or those who do not require in-person assistance.
If you are interested to know more about Barclays, we recommend you check this video out:
WHO IS BARCLAYS BANK BEST FOR?
As mentioned in the previous section, Barclays Bank in the United States is an online-only bank, thus, making it ideal for people who prefer online banking, and does not need in-person assistance.
Apart from that, Barclays also appeals to customers who are looking for an online-only bank with savings account that provides competitive rates. In this case, though, Barclays Bank’s savings account, as well as its CDs are known to be one of those that provide the highest annual percentage rate in the market.
Furthermore, the online-only bank is also suitable for customers who are looking for a digital bank that does not require a minimum balance, as well as does not charge monthly fees.
Ultimately, Barclays is best for those who want to have the ability to set and achieve savings goals.
WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS OFFERED BY BARCLAYS BANK?
When looking for an all-digital bank such as Barclays, it is important to look into the products and services available. This helps a lot in deciding which bank to put your money into.
As a customer, you would want your bank to serve you the best way possible. Needless to say, be able to easily access different banking products and services.
With Barclays, though, the online-only bank is limited to providing customers with only two products. These are:
- Barclays Savings Account, and
- Barclays Certificates of Deposit.
Later on, we are going to tell you more about the savings account. For now, let’s talk about the Barclays Certificates of Deposit.
Barclays Certificates of Deposit
Barclays Certificates of Deposit also provides one of the highest annual percentage yields (APY) in the industry. It is particularly slightly better for customers who are interested in 3-month CD terms. At the moment, for a 3-month CD term, the APY is 0.35%, while a 60-month CD term has 3.10% APY.
The online-only bank’s CD terms range from 3 months up to 60 months.
To open a CD account, the bank does not require a minimum opening deposit, which means you can save any amount you can afford. This is actually what we find really convincing to opt for Barclays CDs.
WHAT IS BARCLAYS ONLINE SAVINGS?
As mentioned earlier, while we are providing you relevant information about the bank, ultimately this is a Barclays Online Savings review. Thus, we provided a separate section just to tackle this product.
Barclays Bank offers one of the highest annual percentage yields nationwide, which is absolutely great, to begin with. As of January 2021, the APY for Barclays online savings account is 0.45%. The rates vary every now and then, so, it’s best to always check.
Because of the savings account’s competitive interest rate, the effects of compound interest are more obvious.
Unlike other online savings accounts, Barclays does not charge monthly maintenance fees, withdrawal fees for online withdrawals as well as fund transfers to other banks. More so, the online-only bank does not require a minimum balance, however, Barclays has the right to close the account if you have a balance of less than $1.00 for 180 days.
Additionally, the bank does not have a minimum initial deposit requirement as well, which means, you can open an account in as little as $1.
However, it does charge the following:
- $5 each for Excessive Transaction (after the allowed six withdrawals or external transfers per month),
- $5 for Official Check,
- $5 for Returned Deposit Items,
- $5 for Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF),
- $0.50 for Statement Copy, and
- $25 for Express Mail/Rush Delivery Charge.
Since Barclays does not come with an ATM card, it means customers need not worry about ATM fees.
Since Barclays is an online-only bank, to open an account, all you need is to access the website or download the mobile app. You may contact the bank’s customer service every day from eight in the morning until eight in the evening (Eastern Time).
Barclays is an FDIC member, which means all accounts are insured up to $250,000 in case of bank failure.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BARCLAYS ONLINE SAVINGS?
Since this is a Barclays online savings review, we are going to provide you with a list of the advantages and disadvantages of the account. Hopefully, this insight will give you a clearer picture of what and what not to expect in this online savings account.
Advantages
- Very Competitive Rates – As stated, Barclays Bank’s online savings account provides one of the most competitive interest rates among its contemporaries. Currently, it’s at 0.45%, but in the past, it has been as high as over 4% APY.
- No Monthly Maintenance Fee – Unlike other online-only banks, Barclays does not charge a monthly maintenance fee.
- No Minimum Balance Required – Another perk that we like about Barclays online savings account is that it does not require a minimum balance, which means, you can leave as low as $1 in your account and you won’t be charged for anything.
- No Minimum Initial Deposit Requirement – Another great advantage of Barclays online savings is that you can open an account for as little as $1. It’s definitely one of the most flexible accounts out there.
- Low Insufficient Funds Fee – While the bank does not have a minimum balance requirement, it, however, charges accounts with a $0 balance. The charge, though, is relatively low at $5 as compared to $30 charged by many other banks.
- 24/7 Online Access – Since Barclays is an online-only bank, at least in the United States, you can easily access your account anytime as long as there is an internet connection.
- Easy Online Transfers – With Barclays online savings account, you can easily transfer as well as receive funds.
- Allows Linking Your Savings To Your External Checking Account – Last, but not least in our list is that you can link your online savings account to your external checking account without any fuss.
- Remote Deposits – Barclays online savings account provides an option for remote deposits through the website. The process is simple and fast. However, deposits made after 3 PM Eastern Time will not be available until the next working day. It is important to note, though, that there are limits when using this feature such as $5,000 maximum individual check amount, $10,000 maximum daily amount, 10 maximum daily number of checks permitted, 50,000 maximum 10-day amount, and 20 maximum 10-day number of checks permitted.
Disadvantages
- No ATM Access – Unfortunately, Barclays online savings account does not come with an ATM card, which means, have no access to ATM transactions. If you are someone who prefers having the ability to withdraw cash from your savings account, then, you might have to look for another bank.
- Excessive Transaction Fee – While other online-only banks offer unlimited transactions, Barclays does not. The online-only bank charges a $5 excessive transaction fee per month after the allowed six online withdrawals and external transfers.
HOW TO DO BANKING WITH BARCLAYS BANK
Barclays is an online-only bank. Thus, opening an account and all the other banking transactions are done using either your smartphone or computer.
Similar to any other banks, you are required to provide personal information like your Social Security number, mobile number, and email address. Make sure to prepare a government-issued identification like a driver’s license and passport to complete the account application process.
Since everything is done online, expect to finish the account application process in just a few minutes.
Furthermore, if you have questions, you may reach the bank’s customer service every day from eight in the morning until eight in the evening (Eastern Time).
IS BARCLAYS BANK SAFE?
When people talk about digital banks or digital banking, one of the major concerns is safety and security. This is valid, though, given the fact that there have been a lot of fraud and identity theft cases that happened in the past.
So, we would not be surprised if you, too, are concerned about this. That is why in this section of our Barclays online savings review, we are going to talk about the safety and security measures that the bank has.
As mentioned earlier, Barclays has been around as a bank since 1690. With that kind of longevity in the industry, it is safe to say that the bank already knows what to do to ensure their customers’ money and personal information are safely kept.
Following all standard safety and security measures in online banking, Barclays Bank assures that all their customers’ money and personal information are safe and secured.
Additionally, the bank is a proud member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which means every account is insured for up to $250,000 in case of bank failure.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT BARCLAYS BANK?
While this is specifically a Barclays online savings review, we thought it is also beneficial that we provide you with an overall summary of the things we like about Barclays Bank. Yes, as a whole. Anyway, we already provided you with a list of the highs and lows of the online savings account earlier.
To help you decipher if Barclays is indeed the right one for you, here are a few things that we particularly like about this online-only bank:
- Competitive Rates – We honestly like the fact that Barclays offer very competitive rates and is one of the highest interest rates in both online savings accounts and certificates of deposit. It definitely is one that makes this online bank very appealing to customers.
- 24/7 Online Access – As mentioned earlier, since Barclays Bank is an online-only bank, obviously, customers get to access their account and make bank transactions anytime, anywhere for as long as there is an internet connection.
- No Minimum Opening Deposits – For both online savings and certificates of deposit accounts, Barclays does not require a minimum opening deposit, which means, anyone can open an account in as little as $1 only. This feature also means anyone, regardless of status in life is able to open an account.
- No Monthly Maintenance Fees – Another amazing perk that Barclays Bank offers is that it does not charge a monthly maintenance fee, which is contrary to its competitors. Again, this applies to both savings and CD accounts.
- FDIC-Insured – Of course, we also love the fact that Barclays Bank is a member of the FDIC, which gives an extra layer of assurance to its customers that whatever happens especially in the event of a bank failure, they will get something and that their savings will not be put to waste.
WHAT NOT TO LIKE ABOUT?
In the last section, we provided you with a summary of the things we like about Barclays Bank. This time, to complete our review, we are going to share with you some of the things that we do not particularly like about this online-only bank.
This includes:
- No Physical Branches – Although Barclays Bank is a conventional bank that is based in London, unfortunately, its U.S. operations do not have access to physical branch locations. Thus, it is tagged as an online-only bank in the American market. But, who knows? Maybe in the future, Barclays will eventually have bank branches here as well?
- No ATM Card – Barclays in the U.S. is an online-only bank. This means that everything is done entirely online and without ATM access. So, if you are an ATM-reliant kind of customer, then, this one’s not fit for you.
- No ATM Cash Deposits and Withdrawals – Since the bank does not issue an ATM card, it obviously is not surprising that it does not offer cash deposits and withdrawals as well.
- Limited Account Options – Barclays Bank in the United States only offers two products — the online savings account and the certificate of deposit account. Unfortunately, the bank does not offer checking accounts. Although, it allows you to link your savings account to an external checking account.
- Excessive Transaction Fee -Barclays Bank only allows up to six transactions per month. Anything over the allowed number will be charged $5 per transaction. This includes online cash deposits and transfers.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BARCLAYS ONLINE SAVINGS REVIEW
Barclays Bank is a banking institution that has been around for so long, and while it only offers online accounts in the United States, it does offer one of the highest savings and CD accounts in the market.
Similar to any other online-only bank, it sure has its advantages and disadvantages. But we would like to say that the advantages that the bank offers are still overpowering the disadvantages.
Particularly on its online savings account, we got to say that it definitely has the best offerings in terms of rates among other online savings accounts out there.
So, have you decided about opening online savings account on Barclays yet?