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193 high street banks to close next year – check if your branch is on the list, plus alternatives
High street banks including HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds are set to close at least 193 more branches next year – we've rounded up the planned closures for each bank and what the alternatives are if you still want face-to-face banking.
Here's a list of the banks that have announced branch closures for 2023 – click on your bank's name for a full list of the affected branches and alternatives:
If your branch is shutting, you may want to consider switching to a bank that still has a local branch nearby – although bear in mind there's no guarantee that too won't close. See our Best bank accounts guide for the full list of banks offering switching incentives.
Face-to-face banking alternative: Book an appointment on the Barclays van or at a 'pop-up' bank
Barclays runs an educational and support van that enables Barclays and Barclaycard customers in England and Wales to access certain advice and help in their local area at specific times and dates each month. You can check if a nearby town is covered on Barclays' website.
Under the 'Barclays van' service customers can get advice on:
- Buying a new home.
- Online banking.
- Saving for the future.
- Setting up a business.
You can access similar support at one of Barclays' pop-up banking sites, located in spaces such as community centres, libraries and business hubs – find your nearest on the Barclays website.
However, the Barclays van service and pop-up locations don't have cash or counter services, so you won't be able to manage your money there. If you need to access to these services you can use a Post Office branch.
Face-to-face banking alternative: See if a 'community banker' is visiting your area
Halifax 'community bankers' may visit an area for a short period of time after a branch closes. They'll have a dedicated office space in a local venue for you to chat in private and can offer support with account enquiries.
There's no need to book an appointment in advance – you can check if a community banker is visiting your area on Halifax's website and then just turn up.
However, be aware that community bankers don't offer cash or counter services, so you won't be able to manage your money with them. If you need to access to these services you can use a Post Office branch.
Face-to-face banking alternative: See if there's an HSBC 'community event' near you
HSBC runs education and support 'community pop up events' in selected local areas across the UK. The bank says it has 350 of these events planned for 2023. You can check if a nearby town is covered on HSBC's website.
At the events, you can speak to HSBC staff and get:
- Information about its products and services;
- Help with online and mobile banking registrations and resets;
- Tips and info on digital banking, banking at the Post Office and reducing the risk of fraud.
However, the events don't have cash or counter services, so you won't be able to manage your money there. If you need to access to these services you can use a Post Office branch.
Face-to-face banking alternative: Check if Lloyds' 'mobile branch' service is available in your area
Lloyds runs a mobile branch service that enables customers in England and Wales to access certain services in their local area at specific times and dates each month. You can check if a nearby town is covered on Lloyds' website.
Some of the services available as part of the mobile branch service are:
- Cash/cheque deposits.
- Managing standing orders and direct debits.
- Paying bills.
- Sending money outside the UK.
- Withdrawing cash.
Alternatively, you can also use the Post Office for some everyday banking services including cash deposits and withdrawals.
Nationwide – one branch closing
The building society has so far only announced one branch closure for next year:
London – 46 Portman Square, W1H 6LZ – closing on 23 February 2023.
Face-to-face banking alternative: Here, the simplest option is to use another nearby branch – the nearest is 1.1 miles away at 225/226 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7QF.
Face-to-face banking alternative: See if there's a 'mobile branch' or RBS branch near you
NatWest runs a mobile branch service that can be found at various locations throughout the year, for up to five days at a time. The service lets you do everyday banking including making deposits, withdrawing cash and paying bills.
You can find out where your nearest mobile branch is, or when it will next be in your area, on the NatWest website.
NatWest customers can also use Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branches for everyday banking such as cash deposits and withdrawals and paying in cheques – find your nearest RBS branch.
Alternatively, you can use the Post Office to access cash, pay in cheques or check your balance.
Face-to-face banking alternative: Use the Post Office – see below for more on this.
You can access some banking services via the Post Office
Customers of most UK banks, including Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Santander, can access certain services from any of the Post Office's 11,400 branches. Use the Post Office's branch finder tool to locate your nearest. Services available include:
- Cash/cheque deposits.
- Checking your balance.
- Withdrawing money.
More 'banking hubs' to open next year – see if one is coming to your area
As bank branches continue to disappear from the high street, another alternative being rolled out is shared 'banking hubs'.
These operate in a similar way to bank branches, but their facilities are shared, with banks providing staff on rotation so that trained specialists from different banks are available on different days.
Four hubs are now open at the following locations:
- Brixham, Devon – 62 Fore Street, TQ5 8EF
- Cambuslang, Lanarkshire – 158 Main Street, G72 7EL
- Cottingham, East Yorkshire – 121 Hallgate, HU16 4DA
- Rochford, Essex – 38-40 West Street, SS4 1AJ
There are plans for more than 20 other hubs across the UK – for more on how they work, and to check if there's one planned for your area, see our Banking hubs MSE News story.
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