I cannot remember when last I stepped into a bank and that is because I do all my banking online.
I have been banking with Lloyds TSB for the past 12 years and have never experienced a problem with them. Over the years their website has changed with the times and has become very user friendly and a pleasure to use. So naturally when I got my Samsung Galaxy S II, I was hoping there was going to be a Lloyds TSB Android App.
I logged into the Android Market and searched for Lloyds TSB and up it came, but to my dismay it only had a 3 star rating. I was slightly disappointed to read through the comments and see people complaining about the user interface and performance. I decided I would install it and keep an open mind. Here are my thoughts on the Lloyds TSB Mobile Banking Android app.
The app loads up into a pleasant green screen that is synonymous with the Lloyds TSB theme colours. The front page has some useful quick links such as:
An ATM near me (uses the GPS to find automatic teller machines).A Branch near me (uses the GPS to find a Lloyds TSB branch).ATM/Branch by address or Postcode.
Clicking into the Advanced Search menu gives extra options for ATM’s or Branches or Both which can be checked such as:
Open now, open on weekends, No fee to use ATM,Accessible via wheelchair, Mobile Phone top-up, Audio assistance & Tactile assistance.
The Login screen is exactly the same as the desktop website with a User ID and Password. There is a checkbox that allows one to save the User ID (useful). After successfully entering the username and password there is an added security screen asking for 3 characters of a memorable password. On my SGS2 accessing the letters or numbers was very easy and it was difficult to make a mistake because each character had to be accepted before moving onto the next one. I know other banking sites do not have this level of security, instead have a unique pin for quick access. Lloyds TSB take their security very seriously, and I am glad they chose to stick with the same security formula as their desktop website.
Once logged in successfully the interface is very much like the desktop be it in a smaller compact view. It is very easy on the eyes and on the fingers. One is able to see all your accounts in a clear order (current account at the top and all subsequent accounts below). I have a quite a few accounts with Lloyds including a loan, a credit card and various savings and an ISA accounts and they all listed. Each view shows the account name, the sort code, account number and the balance.
Tapping into an account shows a bit more detail such as the Money Available, Overdraft limit and there are options to Make Payment, Make Transfer and extend overdraft. Below this is statement showing the latest 10 entries and there is an option to see even more statements. There is also some quick links at the bottom to my other accounts, help, a link to the desktop view, a contact us link and a log out button.
One thing I noticed is that the app adopts the three-click rule, which according to Wikipedia is;
The unofficial web design rule concerning the design of website navigation. It suggests that a user of a website or app in this case, should be able to find any information with no more than three mouse clicks. It is based on the belief that users of a site will become frustrated and often leave if they cannot find the information within the three clicks.
Since every option has less than 3 taps the user experience is perfect and movement around the screens is very quick. I am not sure what people are complaining about in terms of speed and performance. I found I could do everything the desktop version could do with the added advantage of banking where ever I had data access, for example on the train, in the car park, in a coffee shop, in a waiting room etc, the possibilities are endless. Failing all of the above I have the option to access the desktop version.
My rating for the Lloyds TSB Banking app is 5/5. If I were to ask Lloyds TSB for one thing it would be to have the ability to send money from my mobile phone number to another mobile phone number. Barclays are currently rolling out Pingit, which is exactly that. I am sure Lloyds will see this app to be very popular and will follow suit.
You can download the Lloyds TSB Mobile Banking app in the Android Market.
Mike Bowen
A late nighter, formula 1 mad, a married man, a N900 geek, Android, a gaming man, a website builder, an honest man, a UK citizen, a music lover, a positive person, a logical thinker, a practical joker, an application support team leader, a gambler, my Smartphone is a SGS2, a keen photographer, a hard worker, a world traveller, a cat man, a blogger, a patient man, a beer drinker, a simple eater, a fun person to be around!
http://www.mysgs2.com
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