# Social Category > General Chat Forum >  Comparing SA Banks

## mother

In your opinion (experience), which bank offers the best all-round service for personal banking and for business banking? Specifically if you compare personal service, online security, bank charges... What else would you consider key criteria?

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## Pap_sak

Capitec for personal FNB for business (purely because Capitec does not do business accounts) and Capitec for merchant services.

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## mother

Wow Pap_sak, you are obviously VERY happy with Capitec. Funny, I've never even considered them.

(You see, growing up in a small town, you never realize that there's life beyond "Volkskas". It took enormous courage way back to break with Volkskas and move to Trust Bank... only to end up back in the same friggin pot again! Hehehe. But for some reason I've never considered any bank other than the obvious household names ... Absa, Standard, FNB, Nedbank)

It's time I opened my mind a bit! Was it not Capitec that launched that marketing campaign a while back to show how their bank charges are the lowest, since they do not occupy extravagant premisses?

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## Dave A

I was looking at business account costs not that long ago, and FNB came out trumps. Standard Bank is the most expensive just at the moment.

Part of the problem is the situation is pretty fluid. It wasn't that long ago that Standard Bank was the cheapest, but in my situation moving business accounts around isn't exactly straight forward.

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## johnwarner75

make sure best value = best service, and don’t get conned into paying  for platinum service when you only need a reasonable one. I say that (sceptically) as I find all banks offer the same packages one way or another

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## mother

You know, I remember way back when I started earning a salary, how truly aspirational those silver / gold / platinum packages were. Nowadays, it seems everyone qualifies for gold, as if the criteria have dropped radically ... or have my perceptions just changed?

I am seriously considering moving my personal accounts somewhere else. But like Dave mentioned, changing your bank is no joke. My business is with "Bank A", and I am quite happy with them. Service great, and bank charges acceptable. The bank fees on my personal account "Bank B" are 5 x higher than the bank fees of my business account, with less than 10% the number of transactions. Shocking!

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## AmithS

Capitec Merchant Services?

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## wynn

Dave, how about running a poll on this matter, a 1 to 10 type thing where you name your bank/banks and give them a rating for service, care, cost, response etc.

???

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## Blurock

As Business consultant and ex banker I get to deal with a diverse group of clients who all have different banking requirements. I agree with Dave; FNB is by far the cheapest and Standard Bank the most expensive, closely followed by Absa. I have also had good reports on Capitec, although I have not dealt with them yet. Absa's internet banking for small business is by far the most expensive and is pricing them out of the market. With FNB internet banking is free. 

Unless you have turnovers running in the region of R100 mil, forget about building personal relations with your bank as in the old days. Today you are just a number. Banks have turned into call centres where you push buttons for various services. If you do have someone that listens to you at any bank, hold on to him/her as they are precious and a dying breed. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Dave A

> Dave, how about running a poll on this matter, a 1 to 10 type thing where you name your bank/banks and give them a rating for service, care, cost, response etc.


I think the vBulletin poll functionality is too simplistic for that level of survey detail. It would take something like monkeysurvey to pull that one off.

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## wynn

You're the expert can we do this and include the results in the wiki for posterity? or maybe do it in the blog and extrapolate the results?

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## tec0

I cannot tell you who are the best but ABSA BANK GROUP are probably the worst. As a check-acount holder you don’t get a “Smart Card” you get an easy to clone piece of crap and you can complain about it but the manager’s nose is in the air so they don’t hear you…

Banking there is like having your tonsils removed via an old used toilet scrubber. There is always a bad attitude with management and that is only the start of it. 

You don’t get assistance when you need it. The elderly have to stand in long rows because there is only 1 person aiding them, if you want information about your car finance you have to use a RED PHONE after you stood in a row at the help desk for about an hour! An HOUR!!! And you need a printout, now the help desk staff cannot understand that I as a customer need a print out. That damn RED PHONE doesn’t come with a PRINTER!!! But that is incomprehensible for the help desk.  

If you ask the help desk in your home language HE OR SHE can never understand you if you speak in English you have to repeat yourself constantly! An “Majority person” can do banking in his/her own language. They “the help desk” are NOT audible at all most of the time so it is like talking to the wall. They cannot assist you even on the simplest request.  :Slap: 

They will claim that they called you several times if you have to come in for something but your phone records do not reflect this. They will misplace your motor vehicle’s ownership papers and claim you are to blame.  :Confused: 

There ATM’s are always out of funds or never working!!! When you want to swipe your card inside the mall they cannot process the information or you get an error claiming the card is no longer in use!!! OR your damn unprotected card gets cloned and you magically lose money!!!  :Mad: 

There bank charges are really high and if you want to transfer money from bank to bank they take a good helping for “processing the funds” fact is they keep your money ransom that is the truth! You cannot get your money out of ABSA BANK without losing a massive amount! Honestly it is like steeling! 

If you have a "good" amount of money in ABSA Bank you have my sympathy, but if you can close your account and GET OUT of ABSA do so… They are truly the worst bank in South Africa.

And basically I am forced “due to their high banking fees” to keep my account open because I will lose simply too much in banking cost to move my account else were. In short I am being blackmailed.  :Frown:

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## Blurock

You have choices in life mate. Change your bank. It will cost you nothing and you will save in the long run. As consumers we do not have to put up with bad service. We can take our business elsewhere. Stop wingeing and do something.  :2guns:

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## tec0

The transfer cost or even a check will set me back more then what I am willing to lose, they didn’t earn it. But I am slowly working my way around that maybe soon.

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## wynn

Teco, the way you do it is to open an account at the new bank then all future business goes there, you don't have to transfer all your funds there immediately.
Eventually the account at the old bank will wind down, sure it will cost you PM to keep the old account for the month or two it takes to wind down but in the end it will be worth it.
Don't say anything to the old bank until the new account is up and running perfectly, you don't want to burn any bridges until you are sure of the new bank.  ;D

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Blurock (02-Aug-11)

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## wynn

Someone else is unhappy with her bank

http://www.newstime.co.za/column/Bev...ways/110/3744/

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Dave A (03-Aug-11)

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## Phil Cooper

I switched from Std to Nedbank a few years back - did not last long!

I find the Std internet banking is outstanding (it is compared to Nedbank) - don't know how it compares to others.

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## mother

True, Phil, Nedbank's internet banking feels a little archaic compared to the other banks.

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## Dave S

It seems that all banks, yes... all, are nothing more than money-making, greed fueled, apocalypses. Watch the relatively new Capitec, it's a matter of time before they too go up ahead and down the tubes. The kicker is if you took all your capital and stuck it under your mattress, paid everything cash, you would be left with more cash at the end of the month, but of course, you can't do this because your damn salary has to be paid into an account!

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## murdock

no it doesnt you can have it sent directly to your phone....

my wife did the experiment...she got fed up with standard bank and moved to fnb....because they sounded like the best option...free this and that ...cheaper rates etc etc

she wont be moving all her stuff there because she has been trying to up load beneficeries said there are pass word after password...and if you get it wrong you start all over again ...thats not the worse part...if you need halp you call them and it costs R50 per call...how many of you knew that...which thety only tell you once you make the call....mmmm maybe i will just keep getting ripped off by standard bank for now.

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## Blurock

There is a difference between business banking and private banking. For private accounts there are different options not available to businesses and vice versa. The fee structures also differ.  :Confused: 

If you are considering switching your business account, take the trouble to do some homework, decide on one or two options and get the bank to come and see you to explain the options. Very often the decision will be based on cost of internet banking (nobody uses cheques any more) and cash deposit fees if you are in that line of business.  :Detective: 

For personal accounts there are different packages available, depending on your lifestyle. A premium package may suit you if you have debit orders and want a fixed monthly charge. You may choose this option if you fly often as it allows you access to  private airport lounges. On the other hand, you may want a cheaper option and opt for a debit or credit card only with internet access. You can still make transfers, online payments and also use the credit card option when buying stuff. 

Explore - there are many options available and you do not have to have them all with the same bank. :Hmmm:

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## Livespace

I am considering a personal account with FNB because of all the benefits, mainly Ebucks and fuel rewards. The only disadvantage is that I have heard from family and friends that their service isn't always that good. I am currently banking with Absa and i find their service to be exceptional but their bank charges are a killer!

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## Pap_sak

Banks, unfortunately constantly change what and how much the charge for a service. The know, at the end of the day, as consumers, we are just too lazy to move our accounts. With FNB - 1 year ago you could deposit cash into an ATM into a savings account and they wouldn't charge for it - about 6 month ago that changed to 5 times a month - last month, 0.65% of all cash deposits. Nice, that will up bank fee's by around R400 p/m. (Making a list of suppliers I can now pay cash to if i go pick up stock  :Smile:  ). Emailed payment confirmation - for ages was free, then  (after everyone had updated their "recipients" , suddenly it became 50c, then 55c, think it's now on 60c - to now "modify a recipient" you now need 2 sms's.

every time i see FNB place a full page advert in the Sunday Times (at around R400K) telling us how great they are, I want to scream. In fact I now never read large adverts in the ST as a rule - they are always inserted by the rip off artists - banks or mtn and vodacom, and I certainly do not care what they have to say.

For a personal accounts I would still stay with Capitec - as well as their merchant services - I now have three of their GPS machines. as said before, the day capitec offers business banking is the day I will say goodbye to the big 4 for ever.

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## Basment Dweller

Don't forget bank statements.

Absa bank statements are cryptic and hard to read whilst FNB statements have nice pie charts, fee calculations, graphs showing what you spent in what sectors etc...makes a big difference.

Another thing, ATMs, FNB ATMs are everywhere and have better interfaces and are faster than Absa. ATMs is one of the blockers I have with getting a Capitec account, where do you draw cash? 

FNB has these nice new ebanking stores that are open on Sundays with nice couches and swish looking lighting, I walked in there the other day an upgraded my credit card to platinum no problem, they sell ipads and other electronics. 

Ebucks are awesome, I accumulate about R1500 a year in rewards. Absa rewards CHARGE you a fee every month, I think I'm losing money.

FNB>ABSA

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## IanF

Capitec you can draw cash at till points at checkers etc.

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## andrecv

I would say African bank is the best... :Whistling: ...hehehe...

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## Houses4Rent

African Bank is the cheapest to by, but they suspended trading....

Capitec was good, but now got too greedy and gravitated towards mainstream banks. They dropped the decent interest rate twice in the same time when prime went up...

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