Features

Rating: 5/6

The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the few online banks to issue hardware security devices, although unlike Barclays' rather bulky PINsentry device, the RBS reader is slim enough to slip easily into a jacket pocket or handbag.

You don't need the PIN reader to simply access your account. Instead, you're asked to enter your customer number (which is your date of birth plus a random four digits), followed by a second screen that asks for three random digits from your assigned security number and three letters from your password. As with its sister bank NatWest, drop-down menus would have been preferableto the plain text-entry boxes.

The PIN reader only comes into play once you start making transactions. At this point, you place your bank card in the device, enter your usual PIN and then enter the six-digit number that appears on the reader's screen. The reader provides the peace of mind that passwords

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alone can't match, although it can prove annoying if you want to paya bill at work but forget to pack the device before you set off that morning.

The flat but functional homepage provides an instant summary of all your accounts, with details of the six most recent transactions - handy if you simply want to check whether a cheque has been cashed or your salary's gone in. The page also provides easy-to-find links to key services, such as applying for overdrafts or loans or requesting a new chequebook, meaning you never have to hunt through menus to find a particular feature.

Statements can be viewed online, but only go back six months. At least they can be exported into a wide variety of formats - Excel CSV, Quicken, Money and Sage - giving customers scope to create their own statement archive.

RBS also offers mobile banking services, but started charging for this in 2008. It now costs 20p to check your balance and 25p for a mini-statement, which is in line with some other banks, but disappointing nonetheless.

We also had problems installing the software on our Nokia N95 test handset.

While none of the features offered by RBS are unique, it's a strong all-round display of cutting-edge security, mobile banking and account management.

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