Starling Bank is to introduce a ‘connected card’, allowing customers to connect a second card to their existing account to give to a trusted person to pay for groceries and other essential items on their behalf.

It is hoped that this connected debit card will help those who are self-isolating due to the current COVID-19 outbreak to rely on the support of family, friends and neighbours for their essential supplies where they are unable to visit the shops themselves.

The account holder will be able to control the amount of money available on the second card, up to a maximum balance of £200, via their Starling app.

The cards, which will be able to make payments, avoid the need for IOUs, cash, contact, cheques or the exchange of sort codes and account numbers.

For further security, the card is protected by a unique PIN. It only permits users to spend in-store and not online.

Anne Boden, founder and chief executive of Starling Bank, said: “We know that getting in groceries and other essential items is a challenge for those who are self-isolating during the Coronavirus emergency, so we came up with a solution to help our customers pay for supplies bought for them by trusted friends and neighbours without the hassle of transferring money or handling cash.”

Last week Starling introduced a digital cheque depositing service, allowing customers to upload an image of a cheque from their smart phone.

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