Money Grouse: Florist made blooming angry

MARTIN SCOTT runs a florist's shop in west London and often needs to change notes for coins to provide himself with a float of change. Last week he asked for pounds 60 of change at a nearby branch of the National Westminster, which also happens to be the bank he uses for his business account.

He does not usually go to this NatWest branch for change because there are branches of other banks closer. The NatWest counter staff asked him in future to fill out a form in order to change his money.

He says: 'They said that in case there was a mistake with the transaction they could check it on the form. They also said that they were considering a quarterly charge for change.'

Mr Scott was astounded to be told that he might soon be charged for changing money at a bank. 'Pretty soon they will be charging us to go through the door like an old toilet,' he complained.

'I could understand it for large amounts, but not for three pounds 20 notes.'

But the practice of charging businesses for change is not, it seems, a new twist in the sorry saga of spreading bank charges.

Judging by the official response to Mr Scott's grouse, he has been lucky to escape charges so far. National Westminster says that the form he was asked to fill out has existed for years.

'It is standard procedure to charge for cash exchanges if you require quite a lot of them,' claimed a spokeswoman.

A business that qualified for low charges through the bank's small business tariff - which applies to accounts paying out less than pounds 100,000 a year - probably would not be charged.

'But, if a small business is asking for a lot of change, chances are it won't be on the small business tariff and it would be charged at an individually negotiated amount as part of its overall quarterly charge,' she added.

'If you fill in one of the forms, it does not necessarily mean you are going to be charged.'

Midland, where Mr Scott usually gets his change and where he says he has never been charged, claims its policy is to charge non- customer small businesses at a rate of 2 per cent of the transaction. The minimum charge would be pounds 2.

Lloyds normally charges 55p per pounds 100 of coinage up to pounds 25,000, and a spokesman said this would apply to customers and non- customers. Small businesses that were in their first 12 months as customers of the bank would not be charged, however.

Barclays would charge businesses with annual turnover of more than pounds 100,000 a negotiated fee for change. Non-customers regularly changing money at branches are also charged, but this is passed on to the business's own bank, which in turn said Barclays would decide how it dealt with the matter.

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