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Smile Bank: Current Account reviews

Name: Current Account
Rating: 3.87 (104 reviews)

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3.83

Based on 104 reviews, last reviewed 5th Apr 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

56%

19%

21%

Latest highest rating:

5

Secure Online portal . Online portal works perfectly, feels secure. Reviewed on: 5th April 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Failing to provide an adequate service have been a customer for almost 25 years, and service now seems to be at the worst level in all of that time. Anything more than a nominal payment wit... Read more Reviewed on: 19th March 2024

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About this product

Smile Bank is an ethical online bank. Its Current Account doesn’t charge a monthly fee and is available for individuals and as a joint account. Every Smile Current Account comes with a £500 overdraft. Applicants must be eligible for the overdraft to open the account.

Considering opening an account with Smile Bank? Find out what existing customers have to say first. Discover the ins and outs of the account by reading the Smile Current Account reviews on Smart Money People.

Find out more about the sign-up process for this online bank. Learn how long customers have had their accounts with Smile Bank and how satisfied they are with the Current Account. Find out the pros and cons of the account and what people think of the bank’s customer service team. Make an informed decision about your new account by reading our Smile Bank Current Account reviews.

If you have a Current Account with Smile Bank, take a moment to share your experience with others. Tell us how long you’ve had your account open and whether this is your main bank account. What is your favourite feature of the account and is there anything that you feel could be improved? Have you encountered any issues with the account, and if so, how well were they resolved? Would you recommend the account to your family and friends? Whether good or bad, write an honest Smile Bank Current Account review today. Together, we can help others like you make better financial decisions.

Smile Bank Current Account reviews (104)

Review of the Smile Bank, Current Account:

Disgraceful banking service

I’m likely to be taking my issues with smile to financial services ombudsman. Today, I contacted the number on my smile banking app about a disputed or fraudulent payment. The customer service operator refused to help, citing that I need to log my concern via livechat / webchat. I tried explaining that I don’t have easy access to undertake such process, I get easily anxious with unfamiliar websites. I also don’t find it easy to articulate myself in written form, I have dyslexia. It takes lots of preparation for me to form something in writing. I personally don’t feel confortable using webchat or live chat (as smile call it) When I tried explaining this over the phone to his manager he was dismissive and not prepared to take my learning difficulty into consideration. Im saying this as non-verbatim recollection of the call, but he suggested cause “him and his son are dyslexic then, I shouldn’t have any issues with using website” - I’m genuinely confused what relevance this had with me struggling to use the web chat facility. He was very dismissive of my problems and anxiety. I was questioned on my motives for opening an ‘internet’ bank which I’ve had open for many, many years. This manager refused to consider my condition and assist me any further over phone. Despite having a smile account for many years, I have never used this webchat facility. I simply wanted them to understand my condition and current position. I’m having to escalate this matter to the complaints procedure and then the ombudsman. I feel very upset and let down by smile and the coop bank - they preach ethical practice. However, my experience today is anything but ethical. I’m going to get some guidance on my recent experience with smile, on what I view as possible discrimation. I’m also interested in understanding my rights with accessing my data over the telephone, whenever I satisfy the identification process, this I’ll take up with the ICO. My advice - Its better to use a bank service that you can communicate over the telephone, especially if you are like me anxious with using an instant webchat service. Smile always offered telephone support for general queries and since they have taken that facility away. It’s a banking service is substandard. This use to be an amazing bank, with today’s experience, I will be looking to leave smile and coop for ethical reasons. I recommend anyone reading this review to avoid opening a bank account with the coop and smile. Just read at all the reviews and the disappointed customers, that should give you an indication this is a substandard bank that has lost its way. I still haven’t resolved my query relating to the disputed / or potentially fraudulent payments I hope coop / smile take some learnings from the customer dissatisfaction and improve its service. They need to deal with telephone banking enquiries when they arise and listen to people’s concerns without dismissing them out of hand. I was once very loyal to Smile and the Coop bank. I will instead be leaving them after today’s experience! Reviewed on: 13th June 2018

Great customer service

Great customer service and they really take fraud seriously, and help with any unusual transactions which they spot really quickly. Thank you. Reviewed on: 30th March 2023

Ethical internet bank

Convenient, online current account with free overdraft, optional savings account and phone app that makes it easy to manage money.From the cooperative bank which aims to support ethical causes. Reviewed on: 30th March 2023

Long standing reliable bank

I've been a customer of smile for around 10 teen years now, and I've never been disappointed with their customer service. I mostly message them and I know I'll have an answer with an explanation. Sometimes a bit of a pain all the security steps, but all banks use them and they are for my benefit! Reviewed on: 16th March 2023

Friendliest Bank

Most customer friendly bank, lovely staff. Reviewed on: 16th March 2023

Simple and straightforward online banking

I joined smile many years ago because I liked their business model and clear communications. I also needed a bank I trusted after a security breach on my Lloyds account. I have been very happy with the service received and security of my accounts ever since. Reviewed on: 9th March 2023

What happend to Smile?

I've been trying to transfer some money out of Smile. It's supposed to be by "faster payment" but every transaction is blocked for several days for security checks, even if the payment is going to a destination that has been used previously. It takes over an hour to get through on the phone and they take 4 or 5 days to reply to secure messages. They used to be so good but now, well, now they don't make me smile. Reviewed on: 9th February 2023

A decent on line option

On line banking, easy to operate Reviewed on: 1st February 2023

They hate you to bank!

Absolutely awful. Continually blocks my online purchases and each time, to fix, I have to sit in an hour long queue for customer services to unblock my card. They explains it’s done for security reasons but it happens every time! Renders my account unusable online. I’ve resorted to transferring the sum to a different account to make the purchases now, while I arrange moving away from this bank. I’ve been a customer for about 10 years so it’s a shame but they really don’t want my custom any more. Reviewed on: 25th August 2022

Awful Bank, awful no existent customer service

Twenty minutes plus wait to speak to someone and then when they answer they say hello and cut you off. Their call centre is overloaded as they are having a major problem with the implementation of Visa 3d secure(11 August 2022) which seems to be randomly blocking cards for online payments even when the credentials are correct. If you want to continue to pay for goods online I suggest you change banks as no one seems to know how to fix this despite multiple calls each one waiting 20 plus minutes on hold. The sister bank Co-op is just as bad. Wish I'd changed banks years ago. Reviewed on: 11th August 2022

Dreadful

I’ve been with Smile from the beginning What was once an innovative and forward thinking Bank has become impossible. Technically outdated, some of the worst customer service and simply dreadful. I was shocked when my partner recently opened an account with another Bank provider at how creative and focused they where and the online options . Smile has stopped making me smile ! Reviewed on: 25th July 2022

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