Customer hits £200 limit, leaving bank stumped | Personal Finance | Finance

A Halifax customer was left confused after they were hit by a cash limit which appeared to differ from the guidance on the bank’s website.

The bemused person contacted the bank over social media to query: “How do customers withdraw large cash amounts when your branches have either closed or don’t open outside the working week/ working hours? Your ATMs are also limited to £200 which is not what it says the limit is on your own website.”

They voiced their frustration with the ordeal, branding it an “utter faff” to deal with. They said they had a standard current account with Halifax.

Information on the Halifax website states: “You can withdraw up to £800 a day from a cash machine.”

The bank responded to say they were unsure what was causing the issue. A representative said: “I don’t know why the limit is showing as £200. If you use our Online Banking service/Mobile Banking app, you can send a secure message to allow one of our colleagues to check your account.”

The person tried this avenue but were told by banks staff it should “always be £200”. They were also told they could only verify the £800 figure if they had a Lloyds account.

The bank replied to explain the general rules for withdrawal limits, stating that those with a basic, current, student, reward and ultimate reward account have a daily withdrawal limit of £800.

This differs from Cardcash, Easycash & Expresscash accounts, which have a limit of £300. However, the bank warned that for some individual customers this may not be the case.

The bank explained: “It is possible that your specific limit has been reduced at some point. If you message our team again via the mobile app, my colleagues can check if this is the reason your limit is lower and request for it to be increased.”

But the team was mystified as to why the customer had been told about needing to have a Lloyds account. The bank said: “I’m unsure why they’d have made a reference to Lloyds Bank; while we’re part of the same banking group, we’re an entirely separate bank.”

TSB Bank recently clarified the restrictions as regards its savings and current accounts. A customer asked: “What is the max figure I can make a payment on in from my savings account and my current account? Can I send £100,000 to someone from each of those accounts?”

In response, the bank stated: “For savings accounts, they cannot make external transfers. You can only transfer to other TSB accounts in your name.”

The provider went on to explain how the rules differ for current accounts. TSB said: “For your current account, you can send up to £25,000 per day as a faster payment through your Online Banking. For larger payments, you’d need to either arrange this over multiple days, or visit a branch with your card and valid photo ID.”

The rules are more generous when making a payment in branch. The group explained: “In branch, they can send up to £100,000 per day as a faster payment, or arrange a CHAPS payment with no limit for larger payments.”