Hey, Im in the same boat as you, I have a basic bank account but they wont upgrade it, been discharged over a year now and really frustrating. I found a solution (hopefully only short term) to enable me to buy things on line, or in shops etc. I have signed up for a 'pay as you go' credit card. There is an initial charge to take out the card ranging from £10 to £30 depending on what your initial top up amount is, there is a charge to top up a percentage of how much you put on and a montly admin charge of about £2.50 and each time you use the card they charge you 20p. Its not ideal but it means I can still shop without having to carry lots of money around or if i want to purchase items online I still can. There are a few out there Im with EasyKard. Worth a look and no credit check required.