What Is the Post Office and Its Banking Services?
The Post Office as a Banking Hub
The Post Office's network of over 11,000 branches across the UK provides banking services for customers of more than 30 UK banks and building societies. This makes the Post Office one of the largest banking access points in the country — particularly valuable in areas where bank branches have closed.
What You Can Do at a Post Office
- Cash withdrawals: Withdraw cash from your current account using your debit card
- Cash deposits: Deposit cash directly to your current account
- Balance enquiries: Check your current account balance at a Post Office counter
- Cheque deposits: Pay in cheques to most participating bank accounts
- Business banking: Business cash handling for many banks — useful for retailers and small businesses
Which Banks Partner with the Post Office?
Most major UK banks participate, including Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Santander, Halifax, and many building societies. Notably, most digital-only banks (Monzo, Starling, Revolut) do not currently support Post Office cash deposits — this remains a meaningful gap for customers who handle cash.
Why This Matters for Digital Bank Customers
The inability to deposit cash is the most commonly cited limitation of digital banks. Starling has been working toward Post Office cash deposit capability. Until fully resolved, consumers who regularly handle cash — market traders, those paid in cash, small businesses — may need to maintain a traditional account alongside their digital bank.
Post Office Financial Products
Beyond banking access, the Post Office offers its own financial products: savings accounts, travel money, travel insurance, credit cards, and a basic current account (the Post Office Money Current Account). These are competitive in some areas, particularly travel money exchange rates, which are often better than airport bureaux.
