The fd app is far nicer than HSBC has achieved.
What do you think is missing?
No global money - although it’s free to use the FD card abroad at least. Shame there isn’t access to GM.
No eligibility checkers - I think the overdraft is the only one.
Notifications are a bit hit and miss - not always in real time.
No reward credit card either.
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To be fair this is the same with HSBC broadly. Both of them are hard checkers for anything which I hate.
If you apply for anything - credit or current account - it should be soft search until you accept it. If I had the power I’d make that the law.
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HSBC at least allow credit card eligibility checks. I think HSBC loans as well are now on an eligibility checker.
FD has none of this 
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 
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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.
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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.
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