Barclays Launches Student Package for 2011

August 07, 2011

Barclays, awarded Best Student Account Provider in the Consumer Moneyfacts Awards 2011, launched its new student package for 2011 on Monday 11 July. Barclays Student Additions includes an interest-free overdraft facility of up to &163;2000, a free SMS alerts service to help students keep on top of their finances, and an exclusive mobile phone deal with Phones 4u giving &163;75 cashback on any monthly phone contract on top of any other promotion offered by the retailer.

Students opening a Barclays Student Additions account can apply for an interest-free overdraft of up to &163;2,000 for the duration of their time at university, regardless of their year of study, and a further &163;1000 at a rate of 8.9 per cent.

With research showing that over two thirds of students opt for online or mobile banking over branch and telephone banking, this year’s student offer is focused on mobile communications to help students manage their money closely through their university life.

For the second year running, Barclays has teamed up with Phones 4u to offer customers a range of exclusive mobile phone and tablet deals. Students opening or already holding a Barclays Student Additions account will be able to choose any monthly phone or monthly tablet deal (on any tariff or network) and get &163;75 cashback automatically on top of any other Phones4U offer, or &163;5 cashback on any Pay as You Go phone. They will also save 25 per cent on any accessories purchased with the retailer up until 30 June 2012. Students will be able to access the offer by calling 0800 294 6063 or through phones4u.co.uk/barclaysstudents.

To help students keep a close eye on their finances, the Barclays Student Additions account provides a free SMS service including near overdraft limit notifications and alerts for large debits and credits. Barclays also offers all current account customers free Kaspersky Internet and Mobile security technology to protect customersphones and computers.

Barclays mobile phone banking service (Barclays.mobi) allows customers to view balances, mini-statements, transfer funds between Barclays accounts and send payments to a third party. There are also useful tools such as finding the nearest branch or ATM and a currency conversion calculator.

Dan Wass, Current Accounts Director at Barclays, said "Students are now having to grapple with increased tuition fees as well as a tough economic environment so finances are more likely than ever to be their top priority. It is vital that students take control of their money throughout their university life and give themselves the best possible start. We have designed our student account with this in mind, providing a very competitive interest-free overdraft, free SMS text alerts and cashback on any phone from Phones 4u a combination that will help to boost their bank balance and keep track of their spending.

Other services for students include:

10 per cent discount on Barclays Travel Insurance and Barclays Student Possessions Insurance.

Ongoing access to a dedicated student telephony team who will be able to answer queries on student banking including managing their overdraft.

Online banking.

A branch within 1.5 miles of 94 per cent of the UK's top universities.

Contactless debit card contactless technology enables the card to make transactions of &163;15 or less by holding it up to a special reader, without the need to enter a PIN or insert the card into a terminal. The majority of student debit card transactions amount to &163;10 or less.

Barclays continues to offer a Graduate Additions bank account which has a range of benefits and features. For just &163;7 a month, graduates can apply for an interest-free overdraft of up to &163;3000 in the first year after graduation, alongside mobile phone insurance, RAC breakdown cover and cardholder protection.

For further information students can go to barclays.co.uk/students or visit any Barclays branch to open the Student Additions account. For further information, graduates can go to barclays.co.uk/graduates.

Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail banking, ISAs, credit cards, savings accounts, corporate and investment banking and wealth management with an extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs nearly 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for 48 million customers and clients worldwide.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website barclays.com.