Both FD and HSBC are more basic than other banks. I prefer the layout with FD but wish FD mirrored a few things that the HSBC app does eg the balance reflecting what is actually available and not forcing you into account to see what you have remaining.
Now they’ve updated the HSBC one, maybe they’ll give some attention to the FD app.
That’s the thing. With the wider HSBC strategy to simplify the operation, I can’t help but wonder if eventually FD will just fold into HSBC.
For me, that wouldn’t be the end of the world providing the support doesn’t go. First Direct was built on being able to contact someone anytime and I’m not sure HSBC offer that on all accounts
How long does it take from when you receive the email about the app upgrade to actually getting the new app? I received the email mid last week and still without the new HSBC app.
I think they do now offer a 24/7 service. But the FD team is here in the UK. The HSBC (Bank Account & Advance Account) call centres are offshore, with only the Premier account having a UK call centre.
I think the first direct approach of charging no foreign fees on your normal debit card is simpler and better for most people. Global Money has its uses but your average traveller probably doesn’t need it.
Only for Premier, per the HSBC contact us page:
All lines are open from 08:00 to 20:00 every day, except Premier which is 24/7.
I wonder when FD will have notifications for credit cards?
HSBC have both Mastercard & Visa credit cards and manage to have push notifications for both. So it can’t be todo with the payment networks, surely?
I think the FD credit card is effectively a white label version of some early naughties legacy HSBC card. The bills still come with a bank giro credit slip attached and it’s almost impossible to pay it from within your own account.
On the contrary, it’s extremely easy to pay your credit card from your First Direct account. You have to save it as a payee, using the bank details on the statement, but after that it only takes a matter of seconds to pay the bill.
Ok, though it’s not quite as intuitive as every other bank credit card I’ve used which appears as one of your own accounts and allows you to do a direct transfer.
Yes, I hear you. Other banks you can just transfer from your current account to your credit card - such as HSBC. With First Direct you have to initially save payment details as a payee - but after that it’s quite straight forward.
But you do wonder why it is this way…
FD recently reached 2million customers - you’d think they would be aiming for a lot more and the pace of change is very slow. The one thing I love about my HSBC account is the Balance Forcast feature - be great to see that at FD in the near future 
I think it’s slow for a reason. FD’s target audience are not bothered by too many bells and whistles, they just want to be able to check their balance, pay bills, and transfer money. They have a very loyal band of customers who would be annoyed by a lot of changes.
Kinda surprised they don’t have more customers 
I’ve had a FD account for a considerable time and have always paid the CC in full by DD. I’ve never had a problem.
It’s certainly not impossible, and having had an FD account and credit card since the mid noughties, I’ve successfully used and paid it back. I presume when you mean “transfer from your current account to your credit card” you mean like Nationwide do and have it as a payee set up by default?
Once upon a time of one of the ways to pay your FD credit card, there was a way to automatically set up the credit card payee by paying the FD credit card at an HSBC cash machine. But with the switch to Mastercard this is no longer available (or the HSBC integration), as the machines treat the Mastercard as any other bank’s card.
Plenty of other options though - from the setting up the payee manually, to even taking the giro slip with some cash and paying it off at an HSBC branch, I used to do this back in the day when it was about 3 working days for payments to be made before faster payments, it would credit the same day.
One of the many benefits of switching to Mastercard 
This also got me, I had to contact support who told me about creating new paye and search for the First direct Gold card among businesses, then use long card number as reference
True, change of supermarket aisles layout annoys me every few months.
It means I can’t just do my quick run throughs.
May have opened one of these again🫣
Decided I prefer the simplicity to HSBC.
Remember to collect £175 for your troubles. 