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Home > Finance > Banking & Personal Finance > Internet Banks > Smile

User Reviews

for Smile

Rating Summary based on 127 reviews

  • 5 Stars
    		82
  • 4 Stars
    		25
  • 3 Stars
    		2
  • 2 Stars
    		3
  • 1 Star
    		15

Detailed rating

  • Additional Charges
  • Competitiveness of APR
  • Ease of Application
  • Product package
  • Quality of Customer Service
  		• 3.5
  		• 4.0
  		• 4.3
  		• 4.0
  		• 3.9

Review attribute filters

Previous page Next page Page 1 of 13 | 1 to 10 out of 127 Review(s)
  • 42 of 42 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of angelman

    angelman

    5 Stars Been smiling ever since smile opened their doors 20/08/2002
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages The BEST bank by far

    Disadvantages Disadvantages not quite the most competitive interest rates and internet only

    Background: I have been a customer from year1. I had (still have in fact) accounts with barclays and abbey national however they are now used only for emergencies now. Disatisfied with both I looked at the newly advertised smile. The great interest rates - ethical banking (it being part of co-op) made me think it seemed to be good to true. Eventually I plucked up the courage and went for it. Initial impressions: It was not clear and some people still seemed confused by the application criteria. YOu need EITHER your SALARY to be paid in regularly OR at least £1000/month ie. if your salary is ... more
  • 67 of 67 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of ia_young

    ia_young

    5 Stars Left me Smiling all the way to the Bank 08/10/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages secure service, good rates, fast site, easy to use

    Disadvantages Disadvantages none

    If you talk about internet banks the chances are that someone will mention Smile.co.uk, this is partly due to the large advertising campaign they ran on TV insisting that everyone smile (a nice thought!). The first internet bank that I set up with was First-e, but due to the fact that at the end of September 2001 they stopped trading in the UK I had to get a new account. The only place that I could think of was Smile, this appealed to me for several reasons, well just the one, I wanted a card with a smile on it! ** Services Offered** Current Account - They offer you a whopping 3.29% gross AER ... more
  • 10 of 10 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of rlmjam

    rlmjam

    5 Stars A bank account that you can smile about 14/07/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Ease of use of the web site, excellent rates of interest

    Disadvantages Disadvantages None so far

    Like a lot of people I was fed up with my existing bank and decided to change to an internet bank. I phoned Smile's customer service line to find out how easy switching my account would be and was impressed with the knowledge and helpfulness of the operator. My wife and I applied for individual accounts and a joint account and were very impressed with the efficient way in which the switch was handled by Smile. We did have some problems switching but these were all the fault of our old bank. Smile were always helpful when we rang to check what was happening the operators are always polite and ... more
  • 103 of 103 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of flashpointz

    flashpointz

    5 Stars SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT 28/11/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages easy to apply for, easy to operate, safe, good security, backed by the Co-op

    Disadvantages Disadvantages not much

    If you are worried about Online banking, you could do a lot worse than dip your toe in the water with SMILE My first successful attempt at banking online was with First-e, but when that French based ‘online-only’ outfit withdrew their operations from the UK Some three months ago, it left me looking for an alternative. I did not want anything fancy or complicated. My intention? To be able to put my online earnings – eBay auctions, Ciao, Dooyoo etc – to good use, but basically as a savings medium. I looked at the competition – EGG, IF, CAHOOT and settled, in the end ... more
  • 31 of 31 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of assethound

    assethound

    5 Stars Pink Is The New Red 26/12/2002
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Easy to use, customer centered

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Still haven't got a million in there yet

    A letter arrived from my bank. After a rather extended period of student and graduate banking covering my ordinary degree and Masters, they kindly informed me that my TIME WAS UP. Not wanting to bother me with unnecessary paperwork, they told me that I didn't have to worry about a thing - they would simply change the status of my account from graduate to current. That £1800 pound overdraft could stay, but from the end of June 2001 I would be paying hideous amounts of interest and charges to use the account I had been using for free for the last four years. Now I had grown weary of the usual ... more
  • 40 of 40 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Amadahn

    Amadahn

    5 Stars A Cheshire-cybercat is born 21/03/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages ETHICAL! Good interest rate. £500 overdraft

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Nasty cerise logo that scared my budgie

    My first response to ‘Smile:The Internet bank’ was not a particularly positive one. In fact, upon catching a glimpse of its logo, my instinctive reaction was to shield my eyes, recoil in horror, and scream “Aaarghhh! No! Bright cerise! Bright cerise!” in a kind of mogwai-voice. It may be that the use of this ‘funky’ colour was intended to promote a fresh and ‘funky’ image that would appeal to a young and ‘funkier’ consumer. If this is the case, then I can only conclude that I am somewhat lacking in ‘funk.’ However, after ... more
  • 43 of 43 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of xalala

    xalala

    5 Stars Smile - A Reason To Be Cheerful 12/09/2005
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages More ethical bank, great service

    Disadvantages Disadvantages No branches - telephone and internet access only

    Smile is an internet and telephone bank, one that does without the high street branch. But that doesn't prevent it offering great customer service, and a variety of decent products. It's part of the Co-operative Bank, so its customers can make use of Co-op branches if really necessary, however in the 4 or so years I've been a customer of smile, I've only had to use a branch once - everything else I was able to complete online or over the telephone. My first Smile product was a cash ISA, but that was joined by a Smile (joint) current account about three years ago, and a credit card shortly ... more
  • 28 of 29 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of jacksonandy

    Level 3 jacksonandy

    Member since 08/08/2000

    Reviews written: 68

    5 Stars Smiling all the way to the bank 14/05/2002
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Easy to use, top rates, 'socially responsible'

    Disadvantages Disadvantages none that I have found

    Fed up with mean interest rates from my standard savings account and even more fed up with losing money from buying shares, I decided to take a look at the extremely dull world of cash ISA's. After researching a fair amount on-line to find the best deal, it seemed that Smile (run by the CO-OP) offered the best rate of interest for a no strings attached plan. (I have deliberately not stated the interest rate as they change frequently, and by the time you read this, could mislead you.) If you are a tax payer, you are allowed to invest up to £3000 per year (April to April in a cash ISA) - You can ... more
  • 16 of 16 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of Brax

    Brax

    5 Stars Great service 14/05/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages Oddles

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Setting up Standing Orders

    I'd been considering opening an internet account for some time and Smile's consistent position at the top of the ratings, high interest rate and the fact that they were not a bank (and don't I hate them) attracted me - oh, and one of the zany adverts. Positives (lots): - easy to use, intuitive and professionally presented (if rather garish) - easy to check current balance, recent transactions and view statements - statements are always there on time without the vagaries of the post - easy to view, amend and delete standing orders (but not create, see below) - easy to view and delete direct ... more
  • 46 of 46 Ciao users found the following review helpful
    Picture of harvster

    harvster

    5 Stars smile - A bank that knows who its customers are 03/06/2001
    User recommends the product

    Advantages Advantages High interest rates, Full banking services, Free cash withdrawls

    Disadvantages Disadvantages Pink colour scheme

    OK. I've been with Smile for nearly a couple of years now. I've had a Student Account (now converted to a normal Current Account), a Savings Account, a Personal Loan and an ISA account with them. In fact, I am so happy with their service and policies, that I finally told my existing bank (the Halifax) where to stick their accounts and moved over. The interest rates are high, and if you're a student, so's the overdraft of 2k as standard in your final year. Bonus. Smile are part of the Co-operative Bank, and is a pure "internet" Bank - i.e. you can get to them 24/7 by phone or the web. To ... more
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