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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

100% increase in 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 Current Account reviews (104)

Review of the Smile Bank, Current Account:

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 with a debit or credit card to a new or occasional payee is stopped, due to overly cautious fraud prevention controls. There are very long delays when calling customer service (an hour or more is common), and menus are unduly cumbersome to get to call handler. However, I have found call handlers are helpful and polite if you have the time and patience to wait for someone to become available. Responses from online messaging normally take days, rather than hours. App and online banking are both unreliable, with frequent and long-lasting outages, with no proper indication of timescale for availability. What were once class-leading interfaces were overtaken by competitors some time ago. Reviewed on: 19th March 2024

Hopeless Customer Service

Tried to contact Smile over unrecognisable debit for £90. Gave up on their phone line after an interminable wait. Equally unsuccessful on their Secure Message system which does not fulfil promise of a reply in 24 hrs. Reviewed on: 9th May 2022

Enough is enough

I have been banking with Smile almost since it started. But the dreadful waits for customer service on the phone and the very poor capabilities of the website. Reviewed on: 5th May 2022

shocking lack of responsibility for money missing in their system

€ 3000 euros was paid into my account from Belgium but never showed up. Endless messages (from me) either met with incomprehension or, most recently, a refusal even to try to trace the money. My offers to give them information that might help, if they could tell me what they needed, were not answered. Impossible to get through on the phone. A next day letter was never answered. Nearly three weeks later, I am at a loss how to proceed. Any ideas? Reviewed on: 14th April 2022

Poor customer service, outdated website

Impossible to get through on the phone, the website is archaic and poor. Additional security often required after log in and to undertake tasks. Very trigger happy to block cards and slow to release on suspicion of fraud. They may be ethical but they are crap! Reviewed on: 11th April 2022

Simple online banking

I’ve been with SMILE for several years. I am a pensioner so need simple IT. The website is simply laid out. I like that I can do my banking online from home. I rarely receive cheques, but if I do, I can easily pay it into my SMILE account at my local Post Office. Reviewed on: 4th April 2022

What has happened?

Shockingly bad customer service Payments being blocked No indication from smile they they’re blocked 1 hour wait on the phone Messaging doesn’t work I now have a missed payment on my credit report because of this bank I’ve been with them for 20 years and this is what I’m getting Awful Reviewed on: 2nd April 2022

Reliable, consistent service

always good service, reliable portal, secure and prompt replies to any query. Reviewed on: 30th March 2022

Like a parody of an online bank.

Consistently awful in almost every way imaginable. It's like they have made a commitment to being hard work. The App has so many missing features and functionality compared to the competition and despite frequently being off line for maintenance, never really gets much better. In terms of ease of communication, couldn't actually be worse. I used the Starling App today for instant live chat, no problems, no wait. This however isn't an option on the Smile App, literally no option to message your bank via the App. It does tell you that you can use the online banking option to message them though and they will respond within 72 hours..... Nearly laughable, but not funny. Should you be unfortunate enough to need to phone them you'd do well to make a flask of coffee first as it's going to be a marathon event. It look an hour and ten minutes today to check a transaction and change my address. The lady I spoke to seemed to confused as to how to do it and told me I could do it online if I wanted. I told her seeing as I was 50 minutes into the call I'd like to just finish doing it over the phone. When I had an issue with a scam purchase abroad, they look months and got got nowhere. Want to pay a cheque in via the App, like every other bank? Nope.. Want to pay it in over the counter, also nope as they have closed most branches. So you'll have to go to the post office and hope they have a paying in envelope, because when they say they will send you some it's actually just not happening. They will not actually answer some queries if you phone and tell you they are an online bank, but don't have credible alternatives to communicate with. No idea how they can still operate. Reviewed on: 16th March 2022

Ethical bank, easy to use online

I like the values of Smile, and their ethical policies. My account is easy to use online and I can find answers to any questions I have. Reviewed on: 15th March 2022

Do not bank with them. Terrible customer service.

I have been banking with smile for 20 years. Today, I learnt that they denied a payment, while I have enough on my account and an agreed overdraft limit. Tried to contact them on the phone... left hanging for 30 minutes and gave up in despair. They blocked my card without reason so I cannot even withdraw £10 !! Appaling customer service. Will change bank as soon as possible and advise any current client to do the same !!! Reviewed on: 27th December 2021

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