Online account

This is a normal bank account, which is generally opened via the internet or bank counter and is managed by the account holder via the online home banking service. Generally this type of current account has a minimum cost of management and a yield, speaking of interests, slightly higher.



THE ONLINE ACCOUNT
The online account is more suitable for those who spend a lot of time on the Internet, are familiar with the computer or have little time available to go to the counter.

Online banks, significantly reducing operating costs, manage to be much more competitive and dynamic than traditional banks. It is estimated that there are more than 17 million current accounts enabled for home banking and over 10 million are current accounts exclusively online.

In recent years the spread of this type of accounts is increasing, due to the search for savings and thanks to new technologies available to defend our privacy on the web.



online account

ADVANTAGES OF AN ONLINE ACCOUNT
First of all, we must bear in mind that all transactions are carried out online and the bank's management costs are kept to a minimum. The online account is a choice made by an increasing number of account holders wishing to save time and money.

This type of account, allowing the Bank to avoid the presence of employees at the counter, allows you to guarantee much more favorable economic conditions and lower management costs compared to the traditional current account . Many banks are able to offer a current account at zero expense. Alternatively, we can find current accounts with a reduced fee or zero fee in the presence of certain conditions.

Summarizing the advantages of an online account are the following:

higher interest rates;
lower management costs;
possibility of carrying out most of the operations autonomously (credit transfers, payments, F24, etc.);
flexibility in the time to access the current account 7 days a week, 24 hours a day;
possibility of checking the situation of the account in real time;
lack of queues at the counters and time savings;
maximum security with certified data protection systems;
DISADVANTAGES OF AN ONLINE ACCOUNT
The online account can be opened at an institute that works simultaneously in the branch. In this case, if the account holder needs it, he can ask for clarifications to any desk. If, on the other hand, the online account is opened at a bank that has no branches in the territory, we will have to avail ourselves of the customer service that can be reached by telephone.

Before opening an online account, it is good to keep in mind the possible disadvantages we might encounter:



we will have to pay close attention to the informatics privacy issue , installing a good anti-phishing system on the computer and keeping the current account under control;
carefully check the number of free transactions and evaluate the convenience of any additional costs;
lack of an operator to ask questions and ready to solve problems related to the account;
possible difficulty in proceeding with the online operations of registration, access, management of the current account, for those unfamiliar with the personal computer;
WHO AGREES AN ONLINE ACCOUNT
Generally this type of checking account is suitable for those account holders who spend a lot of time on the computer, are familiar with the Internet, have little time to perform banking at the counter and prefer to do it independently and at any time by connecting online. The online operation is always chosen by more young people, looking for simplicity and comfort, but also by more mature customers who in recent years have come closer to the network.

How to open an online account

First of all it is necessary to determine what type of product we want to receive and, if the characteristics of the online account are right for us, we can:

go to the nearest bank desk. In this case, the account opening operations will be activated personally by the operator and the subsequent management of the current account will be carried out via the internet connection to the Credit Institute online platform;
connect directly to the Internet site of the Credit Institute. This procedure involves the completion of an opening form, which must be printed, signed and accompanied by the required documents, such as a photocopy of the identity card and the tax code.
WHAT ARE THE OPERATIONS THAT FOLLOW THE ACCOUNT OPENING REQUEST
The Bank, after receiving our request to open an account, carries out some checks on the veracity of the data entered and provided for by the anti-money laundering law. This type of control can be done through one of the following methods:

if we are already holders of another current account, the Bank may ask us to make a transfer to the new online account with the purpose of verifying the data of the account holder;
if we do not hold a different current account, a first contact is generally requested through the branch of a bank branch. In the event that the Institute does not have a physical location in the territory, it could provide for the sending of an operator directly to the account holder's home to perform the requested operations, or request a first contact exclusively in one of its branches;
WHAT OPERATIONS CAN BE MANAGED WITH INTERNET BANKING
Thanks to the development of technological platforms, the Bank's customers have also been able to acquire greater freedom of movement within the management of their assets. With Internet Banking each of us is able to decide, in total autonomy, the necessary operations at any time of the day.

The same opportunity is now also offered to holders of a traditional current account, where the Bank has a suitable internet banking platform. Among the transactions available on the online account there are all those provided for by the traditional current account.

WHO TO CONTACT IN CASE OF NEED
What does not allow a total diffusion of online current accounts is the idea of ​​not being able to address a desk employee in case of need, but having to deal with customer services that are not always efficient and timely. Each credit institution that operates online has a service specifically dedicated to customer assistance, which is often available via a toll-free number.