Barclays Bank has an extensive presence in Europe, the United States, Africa and Asia, providing a wide range of services for both individuals and businesses. Barclays has a long history that extends over three hundred years, and from its central office in London, it oversees operations that extend to fifty countries and more than 155,000 employees.
Barclays Bank lends, invests and moves money for more than 48 million people all over the world.
The History of Barclays Bank
The earliest roots of Barclays go back to 1690, when Thomas Gould and John Freame started operating as Goldsmith Bankers in central London. Seventy years later, Goldsmith Bankers moved into a large banking house, and subsequently joined up with nineteen other private banking concerns under the name Barclays and Company Limited, which provided the bank with a combination of 182 branches as well as deposits amounting a massive £26 million. At this point in time, Barclays and Company was well connected to the community through family and religious links; hence Barclays and Company was often called the Quaker Bank.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the Barclays and Company started expanding rapidly, taking over notable banks such as the Bolithos Bank in the South west of England and the United Counties Bank in the Midlands. By 1918, Barclays and Company had combined with London Bank South Western Bank and Provincial Bank to become one of the UK’s five biggest banks.
By 1925 Barclays had become a truly international organisation with the merger of the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa. This led to a great deal of business through the Middle East, Africa, and the West Indies.
Barclays Bank has always been an innovative company. In 1966 Barclays became the first bank to offer a UK Credit card. The following year it was the first bank in the world to offer cash machines to its customers and by 1972, it had become the first bank to try TV advertising. Barclays Bank became the first UK bank to have shares listed on the Tokyo and New York Stock Exchanges in the late twentieth century, and consequently it moved into a high paced exchange whereby in 2006 a full 50% of its profits were being made outside of the UK.
Barclays Bank Services
Barclays offers a number of different services that you can take advantage of. Barclays presently offers:
- Barclays current accounts such as the classic Barclays Bank Account, the Current Account Plus, Additions Active, Premier Life, Cash Card Account, Barclays International Bank Account, Student Bank Account, Graduate Bank Account and even Children’s accounts.
- Barclays savings accounts: Barclays Instant Access, Tax-Free Savings, Short and Long Term and Children’s Saver accounts.
- Barclays Bank loans: personal loans, homeowner loans, graduate loans and career development loans.
- Barclaycard credit cards: Barclaycard Platinum (and Platinum with balance transfer), Barclaycard Classic, Barclaycard Initial, Barclaycard Goldfish and Barclaycard OnePulse.
- Barclays Bank insurance: Barclays Home insurance, Buy-to-let insurance, Life insurance, Travel insurance, Car insurance, Health cover, Business Insurance and Student possessions.
- Mortgages: Barclays arranges fixed-rate, tracker, offset, buy-to-let and first time buyer mortgages through the Woolwich Building Society.
As a Barclays Bank customer you may also be eligible for a debit card, online and telephone banking and have access to a banking network with more than 1,700 branches.