HALIFAX is getting rid of a key service for thousands of its customers – but you’ll be able to opt out of the major change.
The high street bank will no longer send all customers paper bank statements, and will instead send digital ones by email.
Halifax is automatically moving customers to digital bank statements only from November[/caption]
In a letter sent to customers last month, Halifax told customers it was moving to paper-free statements from November 26.
“When you next log in before 8 October 2025, we’ll take this as your agreement to receive paper-free statements. We’ll send you an email to confirm this,” it said in the letter.
Customers will be able to view their digital statements in their “digital inbox” in the Halifax app or via online banking, and statements will be provided in a PDF format.
Users can also opt out of going paper-free, the bank added.
“We’ll include an opt-out link in the email confirming the move to paper-free around 4 November 2025,” it said.
You can also call its customer service line by 22 November to inform Halifax you’d like to opt out.
The bank also told customers that they can update their preferences at any time through their app or online banking.
If you choose to opt out, you will continue to receive paper bank statements in the post.
Not all customers appear to be happy with the shake-up, with one writing on the MoneySavingExpert forum: “If and when they eventually stop paper statements for good, I will move to another bank that offers that service for free!”
However, another said the change “seems fair enough”, adding: “Most people don’t want paper statements so printing for the shrinking proportion of those that do costs more.”
The change makes Halifax the latest of several major UK banks to go paper-free.
First Direct brought in the change earlier this week with customers no longer being sent paper saving account statements from September 1 unless they opt out.
Nationwide also switched to paperless bank statements last month.
Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, introduced the same change in 2023.
Other high-street bank changes
As well as moving to paper-free statements, banks are taking other steps to move towards more digital services.
Several banks are closing high-street branches in an effort to cut costs and shift operations online.
NatWest is shutting a total of 54 branches this year, with locations in Birmingham, Leicester, Rayleigh and Newmarket closing in September.
Meanwhile, Santander will be closing a fifth of its branches in a major cost-cutting mission.
However, the bank confirmed that 93% of the UK population will still be within 10 miles of a branch.
Halifax has also chosen to close a huge number of branches to save costs, with 18 shutting this month.
An estimated 300 Lloyd’s branches are also set to shut their doors in 2025 and 2026.
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