Halifax - possibly others - delaying internet payments

[NiceCupOfTea]

When I made payments to people using my internet Halifax account I used to be able to make the payments on the date I was actually doing the payment - I would call that immediately. Now, with the Halifax, there's a calendar type 'point to the date you want the payment to go on' thingy. Today's date doesn't exist, even if you jut paste it in.

Why the earth not???

[Postdog]

I have this on my IF account (part of the Halifax). I find it easy to use. The only time I cannot specify a date is if it falls on a non working day.

[dzug]

Maybe they are now asking the date you want the payment to arrive??

[NiceCupOfTea]

No - you definitely can't do a payment on the same date. I've sent an e-mail asking why so I'm confident that I'll hear from them soon.

[SlackAlice]

This has also now appeared on my Halifax online banking. Will be interested in your reply from them.
Keep us posted

[Postdog]

Just saw that there were additions to this post, and as a result, actually read the post properly. I assume it is the the same with IF, and I used to have a Halifax account as well, so I always noticed similarities.

Basically, there never has been an immediate payment facility on accounts. In the old days, you made a payment on a certain day, which left your account by the end of the day, but this was not transferred to the payee there and then as it went through the normal BACS system which took a few working days. Halifax is not a clearing bank, so theoretically could take a little longer.

BACS is free, but my new IF option also gives me the option of paying for a faster transfer.

The simple answer is do what I do - you know when they want the money so transfer it so they will get it by then, not on that day.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Postdog: The simple answer is do what I do - you know when they want the money so transfer it so they will get it by then, not on that day.

I always allow for a three working day payment period (at least). It's just annoying that I now have to allow for that as well as taking into account that the payment won't leave my account on the day I actually instruct, but at some weirdly indeterminable date in the future, which has so far been the day after I instructed, three days after I instructed and 'unavailable' and had no bearing on working days between the day I sat at my computer doing the instruction and the day I could reasonably call the next working day. So please don't be pedantic. Rant over.