Managing your account

It's your cash, so we've made it easy for you to get at it.

Electronically

You can transfer your cash electronically between accounts, set up standing orders and pay all your bills online. We also give you a nifty contactless Visa debit card to use in outlets worldwide.

Cash

You can withdraw cash:

• From a cash machine – up to £250 per day. Some cash machines (usually those in stores or remote locations) will also charge a fee, but you’ll be warned of this in advance
• At any UK Post Office® – up to £250 per day. You just need your debit or cash card and your PIN
• At a Co-operative Bank branch – more than £250 per day if you need to.

Cheques

A cheque book is available with this account.

If you've written a cheque which is paid into a bank or building society, it should debit your account after 2 working days.

Putting money in

There are loads of ways to pay into a smile current account.

Electronically

You can transfer cash electronically from another bank account.

Cash

You can pay in cash:

• At any Co-operative Bank branch using your debit or cash card
• At any UK Post Office® – maximum £2,000 a day, and £10,000 over any 12 month period. You’ll just need your debit or cash card, and your PIN.

Cheques

You can pay in a cheque:

• At any Co-operative Bank branches
• At a Post Office® – you’ll just need a Post Office® envelope and a paying in slip
• By freepost (no stamp is required) – simply send your cheque and a completed paying-in slip in an envelope to 'Freepost Co-operative Bank Cheques'. The processing time may vary depending on how you send it and where from, so please allow time for us to receive your cheque
• By normal post (a stamp is required) – simply send your cheque and a completed paying-in slip in an envelope to the address below. This method is best if you’d like your cheque to arrive sooner. Send your cheque to:

Co-operative Bank p.l.c
PO Box 12672
Sandringham House
Sandringham Avenue
Harlow
Essex
CM20 9QR

Note: We no longer accept foreign currency cheques to be paid into accounts.

How long does it take to clear?

The clearing time for cash deposits depends on the way you’ve deposited it:

• Using your debit card at a UK Post Office® or Co-operative Bank branch – available immediately
• Using a slip at a Co-operative Bank branch – available by the end of the day
• Using a slip at a UK Post Office® – should be available within four business days.

Cheques will clear and credit within two business days once we’ve received it. The clearing time for cheque deposits depends on the way you’ve deposited it:

• Into a Co-operative Bank branch – within two business days
• At a Post Office® – should be available within four business days
• Posting a cheque to us – it can depend on how long the post takes to reach us, but once we receive the cheque, it should be available within two business days.

If a cheque you deposit doesn’t clear, then a credit won’t appear on your account and we’ll send you a letter to notify you.

Using Direct Debits

Setting up Direct Debits couldn't be easier. When companies send you a Direct Debit form, complete it and send it back to them and it'll all get organised.

With other companies, you can set up a Direct Debit over the phone simply by giving them your smile account number and sort code. They then send details of your instruction to us electronically.

Cancelling Direct Debits is easier still – you can do it yourself by clicking on the Direct Debit icon when you're doing your banking.

Because Direct Debits are agreements between you and the companies concerned, we can't set them up for you (nor can any other bank); our job is to act on your instructions.

In all cases you'll be covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

If you are asked to quote a bank/branch address when setting up a Direct Debit please use:

smile PO Box 600
Delf House
Skelmersdale
WN8 6GF

Using standing orders

You can set up a standing order online from your smile account in minutes.

Paying bills online

It’s easy to pay bills online using your smile account. You can:

• Pay as many of your bills as you like in this way
• Get a record of every payment you make
• View and cancel Direct Debits
• Set up, view, amend and cancel scheduled payments, to leave your account at a future date – including one-off payments and standing orders.

Sending money

With smile, it's easy to transfer money

• Online to any other smile account – instantly, if made before 9pm. If the transfer's made during a weekend the money will be there straight away, but it'll appear on your statement with Monday's date.
• Online to any other UK bank account by the end of the next business day, if made before 9pm. We will send payments using the faster payments service 24 hours, 7 days a week meaning most cases the funds will be available in the recipient’s account within two hours.
• By phone from accounts at other banks into your smile account, provided the other bank offers this service. Simply give your smile sort code and account number to your existing bank. This takes four working days.
• To most other UK accounts the same working day, using a CHAPS payment (see account tariff). To make a CHAPS payment, send us a secure message.

Foreign transfers

• To accounts in some European countries using euro CHAPS it'll be completed on the same day. Payments can be made between 8.30am and 2.30pm (see account tariff). To make a euro CHAPS payment, send us a secure message.
• To accounts in the USA and some European countries using TIPANET – takes 5 to 7 business days.
• To all countries using SWIFT, if urgent – takes 1 to 4 working days, if non-urgent takes 5 to 7 working days.
• To all countries within the European Union using structured payment – will be made on the same business day.

Charges

We won't normally charge you for using your smile current account, but there are some fees. You will be charged debit interest for using an arranged and/or unarranged overdraft. There is also a charge for sending money outside the UK. You can read about all our account charges (PDF).