16 May 2023 , 12:03
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Barclays is cutting opening hours across hundreds of its bank branches from this summer in a major shake-up for customers.
Opening times vary across the UK with some branches currently open from 9.30am until as late as 5.30pm during the week.
This will be cut to 9.30am until 3pm at the majority of locations from August 7.
Standard opening hours on Saturdays will be 9.30am and 1pm across most branches - at the moment, most places close between 2.30pm and 4pm.
But counter opening hours will increase at the majority of sites, staying open until 3pm in line with when branches close.
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At the moment, some counters shut at 2pm and others close an hour before the bank shuts its doors.
A small number of sites won’t see any changes to opening times due to lease agreements.
Barclays told The Mirror some of its banks already close at 2.30pm, while others shut for one day during the week.
The bank added that 96% of personal customers and 97% of business and corporate clients only visit branches before 3pm.
Barclays has more than 440 branches in the UK at the time of writing.
You can see if your local branch is affected by using the online Barclays bank finder tool.
Santander also slashed its opening hours in a similar move last July, with hundreds of branches being moved to a 3pm close as well.
A Barclays spokesperson said: “Our new midweek opening hours of 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday will bring consistency to branches across the UK, reducing confusion and ensuring we are open during the times customers visit most.
“These changes also include aligning our counter service to opening hours midweek, so our counter is open until the branch closes.
“Customers, including SMEs, can continue to bank outside these hours across a range of channels including the Barclays app, our telephony service and via video banking appointments.”
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It comes as Barclays plans to shut at least 110 branches this year, as more banks disappear from the high street.
You can see a full list of banks that are closing for good in 2023 here.