Halifax is shutting down its banking app (Image: Getty)
Halifax customers have been warned they must switch to the Lloyds banking app as the lender prepares to shut down its existing service as part of a major rebrand. Customers have been urged to make the move by the end of today, October 21, after receiving an alert warning that access to the Halifax app will close from tomorrow.
The message, sent through the banking app, tells customers: “You need to move to the Lloyds app today so you’re set up and ready to manage your accounts.”
It adds: “Access to the Halifax app will close from tomorrow. It only takes a minute.” The move is part of the parent company Lloyds Banking Group’s plans to phase out the Halifax brand and bring its services under the Lloyds name.
Halifax customers have been told to switch to the Lloyds Banking app (Image: Getty)
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said most customers had already switched to the new app, but confirmed the Halifax version would be withdrawn permanently at the end of October.
“We’re encouraging some customers to move to the Lloyds app ahead of time, where they can continue managing their banking seamlessly – most customers have already made the move over,” the spokesperson said.
“Our Halifax app will close for good at the end of the month.”
The warning was first reported by The Sun.
Customers who have already moved to the Lloyds app will be able to continue managing their Halifax accounts through the new service.
Those who have not yet received an invitation to switch should not panic, as Halifax is moving customers across in stages and will notify them when it is their turn.
Halifax has said the transition will be guided through its existing app and online banking service, with customers directed to the Lloyds platform when they are ready to move.
The bank has also reassured customers that the rebrand will not mean their accounts are closed or their money transferred elsewhere.
Account numbers, sort codes, card details and PINs will remain the same. Standing orders, Direct Debits, payments and repayments will also continue as normal.
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Customers will not need to transfer money themselves as part of the change.
Lloyds Banking Group announced in July that Halifax would be replaced by Lloyds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The change will also see existing Halifax branches rebranded, rather than closed as a direct result of the move.
The group said the transition would allow it to concentrate on one leading brand while maintaining the services customers already use.
However, anyone who relies on Halifax’s digital banking will need to move to the Lloyds app or online banking before the old service is withdrawn.
Customers should follow instructions provided through official banking channels and remain alert to potential scams. Lloyds Banking Group has warned that customers should never be asked to transfer money or share security details as part of the rebrand.
