Renfrewshire Council

Many people use a bank account to manage their day to day money.

There are different types of bank accounts that you can choose from to suit your own personal circumstances.

Basic Bank Account

You can pay in cash, benefits, wages and pensions. You can also pay in cheques for free. You will get a cash card. You can set up direct debits and standing orders. You cannot go overdrawn by more than £10 (if at all).

Current Account

You can pay in cash, cheques, benefits, wages and pensions. You will get a cash card or debt card and cheque book. You may get an overdraft, interest on your money and extra facilities or services such as travel or mobile phone insurance

Savings Account

You will usually receive interest on your money. You may get a passbook or cash card to access money. Access depends on the type of account opened. It may be instant, fixed notice (e.g., 30 or 90 days notice required to withdraw money) or via internet or post only.

Banks will ask you to provide identification and address verification before you open an account.

This is to help prevent criminal activity and also to protect your money. The identification requested may vary from bank to bank. Banks will ask you to provide one document to prove your identity and another separate document to prove your address.

The general rule is that you cannot use the same document to prove both your identity and your address.

This table details some of the documents that may be accepted: