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Cash and banking services at post offices

The Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) report, published in 2000, made it clear that the Post Office network needed to work harder to introduce new products and maximise its commercial potential to help offset the reduction in traditional declining business.

Government’s support of £480 million helped the Post Office introduce the ‘Horizon’ system which computerised every post office in the network This has helped the Post Office to increase and improve its range of products, particularly its financial services. 

Each of the UK’s major banks, along with the Nationwide building society, have made a Basic Bank Account product accessible at the Post Office. The Post Office is uniquely placed to provide the banks with additional physical outlets and some banks have taken advantage of this by securing arrangements with the Post Office that allow their current account customers to use the network to take out and pay in cash – free of charge.  Please check with your bank or with Post Office Ltd to see if you are able to benefit from these services using your account.

Access to bank accounts, along with the introduction of the Post Office card account fulfils the Government’s commitment to allow people to access their pension and benefit in cash at post offices if they choose to do so. 

The Government has put in place a strong management team to run the Post Office network and continues to support the company’s efforts to identify ways to ensure that post offices offer attractive and innovative products and services. The company has seen some success, most notably, by becoming the UK’s leading supplier of foreign currencies. But the network must continue to evolve and adapt to meet changing customer needs in a competitive marketplace if it is to be seen as a provider of choice – not of obligation.

For more information about the range of services available at post offices contact Post Office Limited using the contact details below:

Post Office Limited
Address: Freepost, PO Box 740, Brampton, Barnsley S73 0UF
Telephone: 08457 22 33 44
Post Office website

Information on the role of Basic Bank Accounts in tackling financial inclusion is available from:

The Financial Inclusion Taskforce
Address: HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ
Financial Inclusion Taskforce website

British Bankers’ Association
Telephone: 020 7216 8800
British Bankers Association website