UK in particular has the worst bankins systems and services I've yet seen in my life. Many European countries, including these from eastern Europe, have a banking industry that's 100 years ahead of UK (on example is where you can't just walk in to a bank and have your thing done - you have to schedule a visit, often weeks in advance. And opening an account - real nightmare, good luck with that, if you're not born&breed brit). However, said that, I do understand that this is the result of UK banks being actually oldest ones and the usual inertia of 'working' things made the changes way slower than the rest of the world.

UK banking is pathetic compared to Australia (and nobody in Austrlia is particularly proud of their bank)

My fiance is Australian, and so far from what I've heard, Australian system is inferior:

* ATM has fees unless you use your own bank's * Transferring money takes quite some time to arrive

There's higher rate of contactless payment adoption in Oz though it's picking up fast here in the UK as well

How so? I don't see anything mentioned here that the UK doesn't have.