HSBC Online banking fail - Fixed 04/12/11

Yesterday i had to pay a amex bill through the system and it looks like they have fixed the problem

After entering all the details this message appeared

Then on the next screen it gives you the name you require for future




This is the original post

This is a prime example of putting perceived security over usability.

Tonight Michael I have to pay some corporation tax and i want to use the HSBC bill payment system

So I enter the account details, sort code, reference and amount from my tax bill and i am presented with this message. (Right here is where the problem could be solved if only they had stopped and ponder)

Okay so I go through the beneficiary list and find two HMRC Corporation Tax Accounts (much like PAYE).

Unfortunately the bill I have in front of me has no indication of which Accounts office i'm supposed to pay to.

Why don't i just check the sort code and account number with the one in the beneficiary list?

Unfortunately you can not! there is no way to find this information. No matter how far you go through the payment proccess the infomation never appears.

Not even on the statement!

Why is this?

I see the 'security' hammer trying to knock this reason home.

"You could open an account with us and pass all our security checks then gain access to a list of account numbers and sort codes."

"Do you realise this could lead to fraud?"

Anyway as i'm in my office, and i've been doing PAYE for the last year, I know Cumbernauld is the companies accounts office.

By the way when Cumbernauld is shortened on the statement "HMRC CORP TAX CUMB" or "HMRC PAYE/NIC CUMB" it always confuses me. If you know my surname then you might understand.

Also comparing the details on my bill with a quick HMRC search can also find the info needed http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/payinghmrc/selfassessment.htm#5

Why get so worked up over something so little?

Back when I was a student , Back when i was first a student , I used the beneficiary list to pay for a British Gas bill. After been sent many angry letters I had to spend several phone calls trying to sort it out. The funds had gone into a British gas account that no one at the customer help desk had access to.

Also i couldn't find a way to vent at a HSBC person. Even if i did it would never make it to a developer as we hit the complaint box issue.

How could this be solved?

Remember i mentioned the problem could have been prevented two steps in. This could have been done in a couple of ways :-

1. If they had just let me create duplicate record in my beneficiary list. They have to store the history anyway. Whats wrong with a little look up that automatically adds it to the bulk transfer.
2. They could have displayed the account name (and which of the sublists it is in) in the error message. Two queries and they have already checked to see if the info added is in the beneficiary list now they just need to look up the name.