Among retail banks, TSB has long been associated with longer opening hours than most, but paradoxically it has lagged behind the big banks in offering 24-hour, electronic home-banking services. However that's about to change, as selected customers have just been invited to join a pilot telephone banking scheme called TSB Online.

Like other banks, (in fact, described by one TSB branch cashier as "like Banking 365" - Bank of Ireland's electronic banking service), it provides 24-hour, seven-day access via local-call numbers. Customers can transfer funds between their own TSB accounts, pay bills to utilities or other nominated accounts, request account balances, statements or chequebooks, and perform various other typical transactions.

Also like other banks, security is arranged via what the bank calls a Personal Access Number (PAN). When customers call they are asked for two digits from this number, although the first time they call they must choose and enter the entire PAN over the phone.

For those who dislike dealing with machines, there is a separate number to talk to a customer services adviser. Staffed 14 hours a day, 365 days a year, this highlights how things have changed from the days when staff at the main banks (although not, it must be said, TSB) resisted even lunchtime opening.

But while the use of the term "online" suggests Internet access to accounts, in reality TSB has yet to offer banking over the Net. This means overseas customers will have to spend their saved DIRT tax on international phone calls to Ireland. But even this is problematic, as Telecom Eireann confirms that 1850 numbers cannot be called from abroad.