First Direct

File:First Direct - Wakefield Road - geograph.org.uk - 807671.jpg, Leeds.]]

First Direct was formed on 1 October 1989 by Midland Bank, one of the 'big four' banks in the United Kingdom. It became a part of HSBC in June 1992, when HSBC acquired Midland Bank. First Direct took its first call on 12:01{{nbsp}}am on 1 October 1989; more than 1,000 calls were taken within the first twenty four hours.

The launch of First Direct in 1989 was advertised twofold. Firstly, there was an advert for Audi which was interrupted by a broadcast purportedly back in time from 2010, celebrating the 21st anniversary of the company (the interruption was agreed with Audi beforehand).

Secondly, there were two different adverts running concurrently on ITV and Channel 4, one offering a negative view showing the aspects of normal banking (with a blues song mimed by Steve Punt) and the other a positive view of First Direct (with a gospel song mimed by Jeremy Swift), with the two crossing over at a key point.{{cite web |url=https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/short-history-british-television-advertising/|title=A short history of British television advertising |publisher=National Science and Media Museum blog|access-date=1 May 2020 }}

By May 1991, the bank had 100,000 customers on its books, and by March 1993, it had 250,000. It achieved break even in December 1994. In April 1995, the bank gained its 500,000th customer.

In May 1999, it launched text message (SMS) banking, a service through which the bank alerts customers by SMS if the balance on their current account goes below a certain amount, and, if set, will send weekly mini statements also by SMS. The bank began limited trials of internet banking in July 1997, launching the service fully in August 2000.

In July 2001, the bank's Offset Mortgage was launched. In January 2004, the bank launched First Directory, a service whereby additional services were added to current accounts such as free text message banking, annual travel insurance and mobile phone insurance for a fixed monthly charge.

In April 2004, the bank launched Internet Banking Plus, a service whereby account information was taken by third party internet banking from the bank's other accounts with different banks and the information was unified under First Direct's Internet Banking Plus service.

In October 2006, the bank launched a first generation mobile phone banking service in partnership with Monilink, pre dating mobile apps.{{cite press release |url=http://www.newsroom.firstdirect.com/press/release/hsbc_and_first_direct_break_ne |title=HSBC and first direct break new ground with launch of next generation mobile phone banking through MONILINK|date=4 October 2006 |access-date=24 August 2015 }} In February 2007, First Direct became the first bank in the United Kingdom to introduce a fee for , fuelling concern for the future of fee free banking in the country for personal customers.{{cite web |url=http://www.themoneystop.co.uk/112006/hsbc-becomes-first-uk-bank-to-end-free-banking.html |title=HSBC Becomes First UK Bank To End 'Free' Banking |publisher=The Money Stop |date=16 November 2006 |access-date=14 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927010913/http://www.themoneystop.co.uk/112006/hsbc-becomes-first-uk-bank-to-end-free-banking.html |archive-date=27 September 2013 }}

File:Concourse of the First Direct Arena, Leeds after a Manic Street Preachers concert (2nd May 2018) 002.jpg.]]

In May 2013, First Direct secured naming rights until 2018 for the new Leeds Arena, to be known as the First Direct Arena. In March 2017, it was announced that First Direct had extended its naming sponsorship of Leeds arena for a further five years.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/live/read/leeds-arena-extends-naming-rights-deal-with-first-direct/067845 |title=Leeds arena extends naming rights deal with First Direct |publisher=Music Week |date=15 March 2017 |access-date=19 August 2017}}

In September 2016, First Direct introduced voice ID technology to verify customers' identities when calling into the bank, the first bank in the United Kingdom to introduce the technology on such a large scale. The following year saw the introduction of a new native mobile app, for both Apple and Android platforms.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

In July 2018, First Direct transferred from being a division of HSBC Bank plc to a division of HSBC UK Bank plc, as part of the bank's ringfencing restructure.{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/23360f90-7de0-11e8-bc55-50daf11b720d|title=HSBC completes 'ringfencing' of UK high street banking unit|date=2 July 2018|website=Financial Times|access-date=12 January 2019}}

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