Totally OT: Bank account advice

[GB]

Having online banking, I can log in and transfer money to all and sundry. However, my bank, the Co-op, does not have the facility to make a note next to the payment to say what it is for - like the notes I would put on a cheque stub if we still used such things. So, by the time I come to do my accounts, I am FUBARed.

So, can anyone recommend an online bank account that allows this facility?

Better still I am looking for one that is integrated with a very basic cash book accounts system hosted on the bank's system? I just want one or two spare fields, so that I can allocate the expenditure to one of a number of simple expense codings. The idea is to go online, make the payment, make notes about who/what has been paid, and do the rudimentary book-keeping all in one go.

[John Williamson]

If you speak to your bank, they will have a recommended accounts package which will integrate with their on-line banking. Just fire up the accounts package, and log in to your account.

Sage springs to mind, but it's not cheap.

[Andy Burns]

Sage has claimed to link to Natwest online banking for several versions, I've never managed to get it to do much more that produce a CSV file of things that should be transferred.

It's not horrendous, but they do know how to keep turning the screw.

[stuart noble]

I just copy and paste the transactions into Excel so I can manipulate the data in any way I want. I also extract text to identify direct debits or whatever, and to automatically enter the name of the supplier in a separate field. Has worked well for me for a decade or so.

[dennis]

You can make notes on HSBC payments. It may not suit you as there are security checks to overcome when you setup a new payment.

[dennis]

The HSBC one may be OK for you then, you can download the transactions in excel format.

[Man at B&Q]

Virgin One Account lists the payee against all transactions, no need to add notes. You can categorise payments but I've never used that facility so i don't know what else you can do.

MBQ

[John Williamson]

I've recently started using GNUCash and the export to Microsoft Money format facility from Barclays online banking, but as I can't work directly on the account data without importing it, I doubt that'll do what the OP wants.

Still, it costs nowt to try it...

[stuart noble]

Same with Santander, but I find copy and paste to be faster.

[Tim Streater]

I print out the slip like it says you can, write on it what its for, then file it with the bank statements. Simples.

[andrew]

Assuming it is similar to my Smile accounts, which are the Co-op too, you h= ave the option of 'make transfer' or 'pay bills'. The 'pay bills' option is= just a transfer with the option of adding a reference. The reference is vi= sible to the recipient too, which might not be ideal, but you could use it = to make a note of the purpose and add an expense coding.

A

[hugh]

In message , "dennis@home" writes

LTSB have one but I can't remember what it's called and I've never used it

[GB]

the option of 'make transfer' or 'pay bills'. The 'pay bills' option is just a transfer with the option of adding a reference. The reference is visible to the recipient too, which might not be ideal, but you could use it to make a note of the purpose and add an expense coding.

Brilliant, if it's as simple as that! I'll report back. :)

[chris French]

In message , GB writes

You can also give Smile bank transfers a name/reference as well. AFAICT this is just for your own use, it doesn't get passed onto the recipients.