Overview
- Lloyds now requires joint, premium, student and executor accounts to be opened online, with current‑account switches from other banks also handled digitally.
- Branch staff will no longer set up these accounts over the counter and will instead guide customers through the online or in‑app process.
- A Lloyds statement says anyone visiting a branch to open an account will receive help to do it there using digital channels.
- Customer complaints on social media highlight concerns for elderly and digitally excluded people who struggle without in‑person account opening.
- Lloyds says support remains available and directs customers to its website and branch‑locator tool, as 26 branch closures are scheduled between January and October 2026.