In preparation for receiving my MK this week I started looking at what was involved in getting my banking setup on my Mac instead of my phone. I’m with Starling Bank.
It turns out you need a smartphone with the starling app to authenticate every time you log on to Starling on a computer. They offer absolutely no alternative to doing this.
No worries. I’ll put it on my Boox Palma instead. No, can’t do that either as the app requires a selfie camera to take a video to send to Starling to authenticate.
Talk about a system that locks people into smartphone ownership.
Guess I’ll have to look at changing banks or keeping a smartphone in my drawer.
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You can’t do anything these days it seems without giving up your privacy. You ever notice how everything requires an account now? And that account requires a verification, and that verification sometimes requires a phone number? And that phone number requires a verification. And like you said, you find yourself taking a selfie and a photo of your drivers license.
Or maybe you just want to search Google using a VPN? Sorry, you need to click 8 fire extinguishers and 4 crosswalks before you can search anything.
I am just about done with banks tbh. I am debating going 90% cash.
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I agree. Right now I pay my bills on a pay day and withdraw all that’s left.
The worst thing is Revolut IMO as they don’t even support web app alternative to smartphone app.
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You’re right, they gotta sink their teeth into all that juicy smartphone data
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ive got the same. ditch it and use Nationwide instead.
Starling bank is an app first bank, and while the app is really good and it really does work well for a current account. it only works if you’re on a always on always connected device
There is imo a mind shift that needs to happen for people looking at the Kompakt and the idea of digital minimalism and mindfulness its self.
its also more than just ownership. now its hard to say definitively whats better. apps like staling essentially manage your money for you, it categories your spending, immediately notifies you of spending as you do it. theres no real reason to every know how much money you have and what your spending is like because the app does the thinking for you.
an alternative, go back to how banking has always been done, keep receipts, know your spending, know your balance, use more cash and card and track your spending generally so you actually know what your spending rather than relying on the app to tell you what your spending.
im realizing how reliant i am on these banking apps to essentially manage my money for me and while they’re really convenient and useful… it essentially removes any burden on my to actually purposefully manage it myself in a more active way.
im finding nationwide works quite well. it uses SMS to authorise credit card spending, and uses that, or card reader for debit spending (online etc.) and payees. no app needed though they have a decent app and it probably looks good on eink (not tested it) i probably wont se if it can be installed (and it probably needs google play services) also bank apps have an incredible amount of tracking in them for fraud stuff… so i might just try without any banking app and actually keep a proper spending ledger and use online banking of needed.
as you said though, with starling theres no possibility to use online banking without an app… sad but thats the reality, nationwide still seems to hold to giving people other ways to bank be it phone, online, or in branch (for now)
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Yes, absolutely agree. It’s a shame, I actually liked Starling but I think I’ll be moving to a traditional bank that offers more flexibility. I was thinking HSBC but now you’ve mentioned Nationwide, I think that could be a better fit and definitely a more agreeable business model. Thanks for the suggestion 
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i say ditch it… but its probably more like a transition for me, i use it for a lot, but ive been slowly using nationwide more and testing out authorising online payments etc (when it comes up) with non app options, and it works perfectly.
ive been using my physcal card more over apple pay… and it works perfectly fine, really not an inconvenience (might sounds weird, ive been using apple pay for years)
i dont want to sideload bank apps on my phone, despite the convenience, theres an element of this non-intentionality to these apps like there is with many apps, that its instinctive to use rather than purposeful.
now that said, i cant deny the usefulness of some of these apps, theres probably a balance to be had. at the same ive just thought to myself wait… cheques are actually kinda useful. 
tempted to order a cheque book in case anyone does need money i can just write them a cheqeue, replacing the app money transfer 
rarely does anyone need money instantly, and bank apps these days often hit this instant gratification dopamine hit like many apps do even if unintentinoally
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I agree, the 2FA, ‘prove you’re human’ and ‘prove you’re you’ stuff is really getting over the top. If their security features actually worked perhaps I wouldn’t have to jump through circus hoops to get access to money stored in my name.
I find the online banking stuff helpful in some ways, if I can actually get into my bank accounts (it’s hit and miss really) - it certainly is convenient to make online payments.
But to me cash is always preferable 
It’s like holding a book in my hands versus reading an eBook.
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i’ll note, i think theres a use it or lose it aspect here as well. make use of branches, or lose them. make use of cheques or lose them, make use of cash or lose them.
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I’ve noticed this can be the case. A big bank in Australia has just closed all of their branches except the ‘headquarters’ in one city, and shifted to online banking only, stating as a reason that over 90% of their trade is online. Funnily enough, they don’t have 2FA or crosswalks to find…
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