Do you want to open a bank account in the UK but are worried about your imperfect credit history? Don’t be!

Banks are known to be tough on consumers applying for a bank account – they want to make sure that their clients have good credit history. But in these pressing times, like it or not, many of us do not exactly meet this requirement. However, some banks can still provide you a bank account that you need – basic bank accounts.

Now you might be wondering, what are basic bank accounts?

Well, basic bank accounts are those offered by banks to consumers that do not have a perfect credit history but are still insistent in having one. A basic bank account provides users with an account to receive their salary or schedule debits from. It also often comes with an ATM card or cash card which you can use to withdraw money from hundreds of tellers.

What makes an ATM card different is that you cannot make credit purchases unlike that of a credit card. An alternative to this is that some banks offer “Visa Electron” or “Solo” debit card function to your basic bank account. This is an added plus because you could use your card to shop over thousands of shops, pay via phone or buy stuff through the internet. You can’t spend more than the total amount available in your bank account, though.