Third-party access to bank accounts

There may be circumstances – now or in the future – where you or someone else will need a bit of help with managing money. There are many types of third-party access available, so it’s important you choose the right one.

Third party access

Choosing the right option

You’ll need to carefully decide which option works best for you – for both now and the long term. You can always change
it in the future, if your needs change.

Select the options below to find out more. Or if you need a little more help deciding, use our side-by-side comparison
table below

Power of attorney

A power of attorney (PoA) is a legal document that gives someone the authority to make decisions about property and finances on someone else’s behalf.

Authorised users

If you want help managing your account, you can sign up someone you trust as an account supervisor or additional cardholder. You’ll stay in control and can set limits on what they can do.

Third-party authority

A third-party authority is a temporary arrangement between you and someone you trust to access your bank accounts with us on your behalf.

Court of Protection order

The Court of Protection (CoP) has the power to appoint a deputy to act on someone else’s behalf if they no longer have the mental capacity make their own financial decisions.

Appointeeship

This allows a delegated person to manage benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on behalf of someone who’s unable to make financial decisions for themselves.

Guardianship (missing persons) order

A court can appoint a trusted person to be the guardian of a missing person’s property and financial affairs.

Not sure which type of authority is right for you?

Take a look at our comparison table to help you decide on the right option.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

Third-party authority

General power of attorney

Lasting power of attorney

Court of Protection order

I need short-term support

Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

I need someone to have a card on my account to help me pay for things.

Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

I want to be able to set permissions for someone to spend from my account and limit how much and where they can spend my money using the app

Yes No No No No No

I want someone to be able to see my account balance and transactions.

No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

I want someone to be able to set permissions for me to spend from my account and limit how much and where I can spend my money using the app.

No Yes No No No No

I'm preparing for a time when someone I trust may need to take control of my finances.

No No No No Yes No

I need to take control of someone s finances who has limited mental capacity.

No No No No Yes Yes

I need short-term support

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

Yes

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

Yes

Third-party authority

Yes

General power of attorney

Yes

Lasting power of attorney

No

Court of Protection order

No

I need someone to have a card on my account to help me pay for things.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

Yes

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

No

Third-party authority

Yes

General power of attorney

Yes

Lasting power of attorney

Yes

Court of Protection order

No

I want to be able to set permissions for someone to spend from my account and limit how much and where they can spend my money using the app

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

Yes

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

No

Third-party authority

No

General power of attorney

No

Lasting power of attorney

No

Court of Protection order

No

I want someone to be able to see my account balance and transactions.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

No

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

Yes

Third-party authority

Yes

General power of attorney

Yes

Lasting power of attorney

Yes

Court of Protection order

No

I want someone to be able to set permissions for me to spend from my account and limit how much and where I can spend my money using the app.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

No

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

Yes

Third-party authority

No

General power of attorney

No

Lasting power of attorney

No

Court of Protection order

No

I'm preparing for a time when someone I trust may need to take control of my finances.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

No

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

No

Third-party authority

No

General power of attorney

No

Lasting power of attorney

Yes

Court of Protection order

No

I need to take control of someone s finances who has limited mental capacity.

Authorised users  Additional cardholders

No

Authorised users –  Account supervisors

No

Third-party authority

No

General power of attorney

No

Lasting power of attorney

Yes

Court of Protection order

Yes

Other options not shown above include appointeeship and guardianship.

Help and tools

Illness

Living with illness or disability

How to get the right support with your finances and for your wellbeing 

finances

Handling your finances after loss

Losing someone can affect more than how you feel

After Clare lost her husband, her life changed dramatically. She was worried about looking after her finances and staying on top of things.

bereavement

Bereavement

How we can help and support you

Dealing with the financial affairs of someone close to you when you’re grieving is never easy. We hope our guide will help you through this difficult time.

Extra help and advice

Citizens Advice

Get free advice on legal, debt, consumer, housing and other problems.

Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

Information about managing money for someone else.

Financial abuse

Information on how you can keep your money safe and where to find help – either for yourself or someone you know.

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Get help or contact us

Choose the best option to suit your needs. Or explore other ways to get help.

Call us

If you’ve already registered for Telephone Banking and need to make a transaction on someone’s behalf, call us on : 0345 734 53451(1)or +44 (0)7684 21002(2) if you’re abroad. We re here Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.

Find a Barclays Local

See where to find us in your community, and the services we offer at each location.

Book an appointment

You can book an appointment to speak to us on a video call or at a Barclays Local.

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Get the Barclays app

Join the 10 million Barclays app customers. If the account’s just for you and you’re over 18, you can use our app.

Important information

  1. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm.. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor and record phone calls. Call charges.

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  2. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor and record phone calls. Calls to 0800 numbers are free when calling from a UK landline or personal mobile but charges may apply when calling from abroad. Calls to 03 numbers use free plan minutes if available. Otherwise, they cost the same as 01/02 prefix calls. Call charges.

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