Barclays launches Video Banking service

The round-the-clock service will allow customers to communicate with Barclays staff via their computers or personal devices.

It will be available for Premier customers from 8 December and be rolled out to mortgage, business and wealth customers from early next year, before reaching all retail customers.

If possible callers will be matched to a member of staff they were speaking to last time they used the service.

Video Banking follows the use of video technology in branches including Sign Video, which allows customers who know British Sign Language to speak to an interpreter via video.

Steven Cooper, chief executive of personal banking says: “We will finally be able to interact with customers completely on their terms, rather than ours.

“While many of our customers are increasingly using digital channels to complete routine transactions, for the important moments, you just can’t beat face-to-face conversations, yet traditional branch opening hours don’t always give customers that choice.”

The introduction of Video Banking follows dozens of branch closures by Barclays and other banks, which are disappearing from high-streets, even if they are the last in a town or village.