Gallery

Lloyds TSB

Posted on 9 Apr 2008 at 15:18

<a href="http://www.lloydstsb.com" target="_self">www.lloydstsb.com</a>

<strong>Rating:</strong> 4/6

Lloyds TSB's site has one of the more robust login methods. User IDs are a non-user-adjustable set of random letters and numbers, and after ID and password are entered you have to enter three characters of your "memorable information" (a combination of words and numbers of your choice). This is done by clicking three drop-downs and selecting the characters. Consequently, a PC infected with a malicious keylogger is less likely to glean your login details.

Once you're in, the site boasts the same logical layout that's served it well for many a year. It's let down by the recently introduced Bill Manager, which allows bills to be sent to you from companies that have registered to take part in the scheme. The feature is hard to find and confusing once you're there. On top of that, few companies are available: just 15 are on the list, including the obscure likes of Colchester Borough Council and Wessex Water.

One advantage of the old-fashioned design is that it all works flawlessly on Firefox, Opera and other browsers, but many options that should be clearly presented are hidden in drop-down menus, leaving you to hunt around.

You can search and download statements all the way back to 2002, but the method is infuriating: you need to enter a specific search period, and the maximum window is only three months. That means if you want to view all your payments to the gas board for the past two years you'll need to make eight separate searches of three months each. At least statements are available in Quicken/Money format as well as Excel- and OpenOffice.org-compatible CSV.

Mini text-message statements to your mobile are free, and you can choose the day of the week and approximate time of day to receive them. Limit alerts, which nudge you when you're near an agreed overdraft limit, cost £2.50 a month for each account. It isn't exactly the paragon of 21st-century web usability, but we like the secure approach and full-refund guarantee against online fraud, provided you take reasonable steps to keep your details secure.All this makes Lloyds TSB a solid choice.

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