Yes, it is absolutely true. I never had any problems with the money moving over from salary account to card account. By the way if you do consider they have not moved enough over they are always happy to discuss.

I no longer bank with Think Banking not because of the way the account worked but simply because the Maestro card supplied did not work for me (I make a lot of online transactions and the card was not always accepted) I was however, with them for 10 months or so and extremely happy with the service.

Thanks very much for your response it has eased my concerns. Reading some of the other posts sounded like it would be a battle to get hold of my funds each month but as long as it is transferred by about 7.00am and they hold what I have asked them to hold for my DD's I will be happy. Though you're another person saying your card isn't alway accepted I wanted this account so I didn't have to carry so much cash but if the card is going to be declined all the time I will still need to carry enough to cover every transaction. Thanks again. :-)

Hi

please don't worry about using the card for your day to day payments i.e. restaurants, shops, atm machines, petrol, aborad for goods and services etc etc it always worked very well for me. I found it difficult to use online and to book hotels and things like Ticketmaster and other box office vendors.

The major online merchants i.e. Amazon, Ebay, Tesco etc take it no problem.

Hope this helps - you have made a brilliant choice to open this account - I personally can't praise it enough.

Hi Andy - just to allay your fears. I opened a Think Banking account a few weeks ago and can't praise them enough! I set up an account with them on the 10th November which allowed me to advise both mine and my husband's employers of our new bank details. My husband's salary went in to the account on the 17th November where I received a text message at 07:40am that morning advising me of the company depositing the credit/amount. We received our maestro cards on the 17th November which I actived and advised my Money Manager of my direct debit details on our account - all the details were taken and added to the account in a matter of minutes. I received my salary in to my account on 24th November and again I received a text confirming the details. I have recently used the TRANA and TRANB texting to 81122 where you receive an instant text confirming the details of both your salary/bill account. It couldn't be simplier! I am really impressed with their service and have called a few times to speak to a Money Manager without any problems in getting through. This account is just what both my husband and I needed as we were constantly paying Lloyds TSB over £500 in bank charges each month - even with a premier account! We are now on the road to recovery and I cannot thank Think Banking enough! So no more rip off bank charges!!!!

Next chapter.................

After being with GP & think banking for about 12 month, I took a big risk & jumped ship.

I am now with a company who basically offer to dispute all of my debts with the creditors because of all the charges & interest they have piled on & get the debts reduced or cleared altogether. I pay them less then what I was with GP, they make the minimum amount possible while argueing the amounts with the creditors & put the rest in a high savings account.

When the creditor (Hopefully) come back & say "ok, we have taken the charges off & here is whats oweing", I will then have payed enough to pay the vastly reduced amounts & clear my debts. Apparently too, because the debts/accounts are in dispute, creditors are supposed to back off & not add extra charges. To date they haven't hassled me or added extra interest.

They told me to move my account & gave me a list with different accounts on with different banks & I decided to try Natwest. I was completely bowled over when Natwest offered me the Advantage Gold (One of their top accounts). It costs me £12.95 pm but offers a vast array of benifits for that including breakdown cover & annual travel insurance which saves me about £20 pm or so. I go abroad twice a year by the way.

I also get extended warrenty, id protection, online banking, 24hr telephone banking, mobile phone cover incase I lose it & they send me texts to let me know when my account goes below £40. Best bit of all, I haven't gone overdrawn since opening the account in July because of the last facility mentioned above & haven't had ANY charges.

I am now back in control of my money, I don't have to wait 40 mins in a damn que because they have kept too much money in the a account & am a lot more happier then I was.

I was dubious at first at what they were saying but took a hugh chance & it's paying off, I will be debt free 8 years earlier than if I was to stay with GP & think banking.

However, I must still thank gp for starting me on the road to revovery. They were really good.

hi Andy

I've been with think banking 10 onths now and to be honest its the best moe I ever made. no more late SO's or DD's my bills are paid on time and with xmas round the corner no hassles of being overspent because as soon as your salary is paid in all your money for bills for that month is kept separate. As for places not taking maestro, these I find are fewer and I have to honest I haven't had any problems. But for online things I also have a mycash plus prepay credit card for just those instances if Maestro not accepted so its all good. The money managers are very good and for the piece of mind you get its worth it having an account I'm a fan

Dear all

have been reading all your comments regarding think banking and as I have said many times before totally agree with the principal and the way the account works.

However, I just feel it is such a shame that for those of us who have struggled with finances that we should still face charges upon charges. I totally agree with the think banking monthly account fee - worth every penny but the maestro card does not do its job and therefore you have to use a pre-paid credit card which also attracts a monthly fee.

I just feel that in the current economic climate that the banks should be looking at serving ALL of us not just those that can afford to pay high bank charges or have lots of cash. Its about time we got something back!

Think banking - pay some interest when the card and bills accounts are in credit and - I personally had well over £2K in my account for 2 - 3 weeks each month.

Pre-paid credit cards - join the cashback scheme!!

I applied for a think bankning account. everything seemed ok, i didnt like not have total control of my money but i got myself into a bit of a mess so i needed help getting out of it. they gave me a sort code and account number and wanted me ton transfer my husbands wages immediately. but i said i would rather wait until i had my card etc through and then would do it asap. thank god i did say that as the details NEVER arrived. they keot ringing asking me to tranfer everything but i said i wont until i know how i can actuall access my money and have everything in writing . they got a little stroppy and demanding but i stuck to my word. they kepot saying they would send it first class and to be signed for so now i can transfer money, but the paperwork simpy never cam, that was 3 months ago and it still hasnt arrived to this day. its a shame as i thought they were going to me my saviours but i have now lost confidence in them. x

also, my father has a gold account with natwest and that comes with a MEASTRO card and he has never ever had problems with anywhere taking it.x

this is because the TB card is managed by a building soceity - cant remember which one but one of the smaller names - but I have had quite a lengthy communication with them about the way they poll the transactions and the security restrictions placed upon think bankinig customer's cards.

Newcastle Building Society are the owner of the Maestro card. The only problem I had with it was paying my BT bill over the telephone. I gave the details a number of times to BT who advised my card had failed - no decline, just their systems wouldn't accept it as a Maestro.

I contacted Think Banking and they advised it was BT and their systems, which they are apparently aware of. I took the cash from the ATM paid my bill over the counter and subsequently set up a direct debit to BT. Whilst advising the Money Manager of my dilema he advised that he had seen over 200 payments go through with BT on other customer accounts and advised he was not aware of the so-called problems with BT - gremlins in the system!

Apart from this encounter I've been impressed with Think Banking, but I did open a normal cash card account with Barclays in the meantime so that I had two separate accounts active - the setup of this account took nearly 4 weeks but I did receive a chip/pin card displaying the visa logo, so I can always tranfers monies in to this account as well as paying in cheques so all in all I feel I've got the best of both worlds.

No more £3K bank charges to Lloyds TSB anymore!!!!

So is Natwest.

My Husband & I have been with Think Banking for about 6 months now, at first it was hard to only have a proportion of our income transfered to our second account, but we soon got use to it. Now we are only able to spend the money we have actually got. This saves going over an overdraft, like we did with normal banks & getting charged the earth for it + for £12.50 per month i have peace of mind not worrying how much we are going to be charged.

we have saved over the past 6 months nearly £1500 in charges

We also have complete control, It is we that can canel or set up DD & to be honest at least we know that ALL our bill are paid when they should be, By March this year we will finally be debt free thanks to the way Think Banking is structured.

The staff are always friendly & understand, We plan to continue staying with Think Banking its the best thing we ever did.

I'm sorry to say that think banking isn't working for me and I can gladly say I'm going to another bank.I have been with them for 19 months. And I thought it would be the end of worrying about direct debits, how wrong was I !After setting up the account and telling them ALL my direct debits amounts and so on.I am finding that every few months I have to call them, as they are not holding enough or holding to much money for my direct debits.I find it very frustrating that when I pay money in to my account via newest (bank) which takes 3 working days to clear(which I can excepted). Then you have to call think banking on the day the money is due to clear, to ask them to transfer the money to the card account. If you don't call them they think it is a cheque which take 8! days to clear and I just sits on there account doing nothing.I must have admit I forgot once to tell them when I paid money to cover a DD. The DD bounced and cursed me allot of hassle. Luckily I got it sorted no thanks to think banking.At the end of the day. I just fined it frustrating having to pay £12.50 a month fee and having to pay a another £3/5 (a month) on phone calling them to make changes to my account or telling them 2 get the account right. Also my girl friend is having the same problem and she have been with them for longer.

I would rather they hold too much money than not enough, but so far i have not had any problems. I do check my statement tho, but i always have!