Comparison

Barclays UK vs PayCaptain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Barclays UK

Manage your personal, business, and corporate accounts on the go. View transactions, check balances, make payments, and transfer money. Securely store documents and find nearby branches or ATMs.

Highlights
  • Secure login with Touch ID/Face ID
  • Manage personal, business, and corporate accounts
  • View transactions and balances
  • Make payments and transfers
  • Delete Direct Debits
  • Set up standing orders
  • Barclays Cloud It document storage
Features
Read full description

The Barclays app HOW TO REGISTER If you’re 16 or over and you have a UK-registered mobile number and a UK Barclays current account or Barclaycard, you can register for the app. You’ll need the 16 digit number off your card, then follow the onscreen instructions. Some customers may be required to verify their identity with a PINsentry card reader. If you’ve got an activation code, follow the onscreen steps to register (you won’t need PINsentry for this). After you’re set up, you’ll only need your 5-digit passcode to log in. Then you can set up Touch ID or Face ID to log in faster in future. THE BENEFITS • Log in quickly and securely when you set up access through Touch ID or Face ID • Manage your personal, business and corporate accounts, including your Barclaycard accounts, and view your Barclays mortgage account • See recent transactions and check your balances • Make payments to new and existing payees, transfer money between accounts or transfer a balance to your Barclaycard • Delete Direct Debits • Set up, edit and delete standing orders using your app • Join Barclays Blue Rewards and earn rewards just for banking with us • Store your documents securely with Barclays Cloud It • Find your nearest branch or cash machine • Use Mobile PINsentry. It can take up to 4 days for this feature to be activated in the app while we complete some security checks • Call us straight from the app to speak to an adviser • Our iPhone app has been accredited by AbilityNet – the charity that assesses digital services for accessibility Terms and conditions apply. You must be aged 16 or over to use the Barclays app. FOR BUSINESS ACCOUNTS You can only use the app if you’re a sole-signatory Barclays Business current account holder. You can’t register your Barclaycard business or corporate credit cards. This app is provided by either Barclays Bank UK PLC or Barclays Bank PLC depending on the entity you may have contracted with for banking services. Please refer to your bank documents (terms and conditions, statements, etc) to confirm the legal entity that provides banking services to you. Copyright © Barclays 2025. Barclays is a registered trade mark of Barclays plc, used under licence. Barclays Bank UK PLC. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 759676). Registered in England. Registered No. 9740322 Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702). Registered in England. Registered no. 1026167 Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

About

PayCaptain

This app provides employees with interactive payslips, a chatbot for pay-related questions, and automated wage advances. It also facilitates savings, charitable donations, and flexible pay splitting, alongside personal financial wellness guidance.

Highlights
  • Interactive payslips with chatbot
  • Automated wage advances up to £200
  • Dedicated Visa Debit Card
  • Automatic savings transfers
  • Tax-free charity donations
  • Flexible pay splitting
  • Financial wellness guidance
Features
Read full description

With PayCaptain you can: Enjoy graphical and interactive payslips with our built-in friendly chatbot to answer questions about your pay Get up to £200 per pay period, every week for your weekly personal expenses (automated/free wage advance) Get a PayCaptain account with a Visa Debit Card to separate some funds from your main bank account Make every pay day a ‘save day’ with automatic payments to your savings account Make tax free donations to your favourite charity and see your philanthropy on each payslip Round down your net pay and donate the pennies to your companies nominated charity Split your end of month pay to wherever its needed. Personal/Joint/Kids/Loan/etc Personal Financial Wellness Guidance and confidential helpline Your company needs to be using the PayCaptain Payroll Service to be able to use this app.

Screenshots

Barclays UK4 screens
PayCaptain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PayCaptain at none against Barclays UK's shown. Barclays UK's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 33%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barclays UK ships an update every 3 weeks, PayCaptain every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Barclays UK versus PayCaptain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarclays UKPayCaptain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (3.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews60.6% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings3.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size441 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBarclays Services LimitedPayCaptain Payroll Solutions Limited

Customer experience

Barclays UK

All ratings3,491 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews2,505 reviews
Positive60.6%
Neutral5.8%
Negative33.6%

PayCaptain

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Barclays UK

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • App crashes frequently
  • Inconsistent transaction display
  • Cheque deposit feature not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow international mobile numbers
  • Add more money management tools
  • Improve customer service and support
  • Streamline login and authentication

PayCaptain

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barclays UK

No in-app purchases

None

PayCaptain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Barclays UK free?
Barclays UK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PayCaptain free?
PayCaptain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Barclays UK or PayCaptain have ads?
Barclays UK shows ads; PayCaptain does not.
Which is updated more often, Barclays UK or PayCaptain?
Barclays UK ships an update every 3 weeks, and PayCaptain every 2 months. Most recently, Barclays UK was updated on October 31, 2026 and PayCaptain on October 22, 2026.

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