Back in ’99…
...While everyone was warming up for the biggest party of the millennium, we were creating the first completely online bank.
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1999
Smile is launched
We were the first internet-only bank in the UK. No queues. No closing times. Just the determination to beat every high-street bank at its own game. We also sponsored the British Comedy Awards from the year of our launch to 2002!
In normal life
Best selling single:
Baby One More Time by Britney Spears
Highest grossing film:
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
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2000
Awards? Already?
Yep. In our first full year we won 5 ‘Your Money’ awards, including ones for ISAs, credit cards and the Editor’s Special too. Gomez Advisors even awarded smile a top award for E-Banking, back in a time when it was still called E-Banking...
In normal life
Best selling single:
Stan by Eminem
In the news:
The Tate Modern opened in May of this year
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2001
- We launched smile invest with Fidelity Fund supermarket and gave our customers even more scope to make the most of their financial portfolios.
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smile customers were encouraged to knit pink wooly jumpers for fairy penguins.
— It seemed like a good idea at the time.
In normal life
Best selling single:
It wasn't me by Shaggy
Highest grossing film:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
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2002
- smile set up Sharedealing, an easier way to deal stocks online.
- We sponsored a balloon! Amazing views, terrible mobile signal.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Anything is possible by Will Young
In the news:
Videogames broke the $10bn sales mark for the first time
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2003
- After that, we saw the launch of our smilemore account.
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And won a bunch of awards, like:
Guardian Consumer Finance Awards
Best online Current account
Best Credit Card
Best for overall Customer Service.
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Your Money awards:
Best internet banking provider
Best Credit Card provider
Best Savings provider
Best ISA Provider
Best internet Personal Loans provider
In normal life
Best selling single:
Where is the love by Black Eyed Peas
In the news:
iTunes launched, giving people across the world access to millions of songs at the push of a button.
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2004
- Smile sponsored the Cape2Cape challenge, with an intrepid team flying from the tip of Chile to the coast of Canada in a single plane.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Do they know it’s Christmas by Band Aid 20
In the news:
A little site named Facebook was launched, and let people connect with each other like never before.
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2005
- Our support team has always been known for its sense of humour. So it only made sense that we sponsored the North West Comedy Awards in 2005.
- And, our 3rd CoolBrand award in a row guaranteed us sell-out crowds to our site as well…
In normal life
Best selling single:
Is this the way to Amarillo? by Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay
Highest grossing film:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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2007
- Smile won the Which? Award 2007 for Best Current Account, seeing off the competition with our consistently exceptional service.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Bleeding love by Leona Lewis
In the news:
Following on from iTunes and the iPod, Apple launched its hugely-successful iPhone. But, if you’re reading this on one, you’re probably aware of their success already…
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2008
- Once again, we won the Which? Award for Best Current Account.
- Plus, this year The Co‑operative Bank asked customers for input on their ethical policy. The Co‑operative Bank and smile are one: their ethics are our ethics. By letting Co‑operative Bank and smile customers speak out, we said no to millions of pounds from arms dealers, cosmetic businesses that test on animals, and chemical companies who harm the environment. And what’s more, we still champion this ethical policy today. You can’t keep a good bank down.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke
In the news:
Barack Obama was elected president of the USA, beating John McCain to the White House – and making history in the process.
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2009
- Our 10th birthday MORE AWARDS!
- Top of Which? customer satisfaction table 2009
- smilemore acknowledged as number one account by Money Mail
- Moneywise awarded us ‘highly commended’ for our online and call centre service.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Poker Face by Lady Gaga
Highest grossing film:
Avatar
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2010
- Known by some as the ‘Moneywise era’, this was the year we won another award from them as their most trusted account provider, and garnered some prestigious awards from LoveMoney as well!
In normal life
Best selling single:
Love the Way You Lie by Eminem featuring Rihanna
Highest grossing film:
Toy Story 3
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2012
- smile topped Lovemoney’s current accounts service poll, and we even scooped the ‘Most Loved’ award thanks to our lovely, loyal customers. Like you (maybe).
In normal life
In the news:
The end of the world didn’t happen. But the London Olympics certainly did, with Great Britain and Northern Ireland scooping up 29 Golds (and 65 medals overall).
Highest grossing film:
Skyfall
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2013
- We topped the charts at uSwitch’s Current Account awards, winning the ‘Most Trusted’, ‘Best Value for Money’ and ‘Best Email Customer Service’.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke
Highest grossing film:
Despicable Me 2
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2015
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Sure, we won awards. But we felt there was something missing. We wanted to bring this same amazing service to new customers, and make them smile just as much as our existing ones.
So, we did loads of user testing and audience research, and started working towards the site you are currently reading this on.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Highest grossing film:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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2016
- And here it is. The results of our hard work and dedication. We’ve launched a brand new website that lets you get stuff done a whole lot easier.
In normal life
Best selling single:
Work by Rihanna
In the news:
A tutor in South Carolina started an after-school club for his fatherless pupils, teaching them about ‘looking good’, ‘feeling good’, and ‘doing good’ in their communities. That really chimed with us for some reason… maybe due to our ethical policy?
