Accessibility

It’s important everyone can use our website, whether it’s to bank online, learn something new or contact us. Here’s what we’re doing to make it as easy as possible. You’ll also find some technical guidelines to help you make sure you’re set up correctly.

Accessibility guidelines

Our websites and applications should meet the minimum ’Double-A’ (AA) rating of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). These World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities.

To find out about our global accessibility programme, view HSBC Digital Accessibility.

Accessibility features on this site include:

All controls work with a keyboard alone
Form fields have labels so you can tab through from the start to the end
Non-decorative images include text alternatives (alt text) for screen readers
Link text is descriptive – we don’t use ’click here’
Screen-reader users can navigate and understand our pages
We use strong colour contrast so it’s easy to read text and graphics
Error messages describe what the errors are
We give you enough time to complete activities
Controls are big enough to click or tap
Page layout is flexible and responsive

You can also use a screen reader and other forms of assistive technology when contacting us via Chat.

Supported browsers and operating systems

These are the browsers and operating systems we support.

Browsers

Google Chrome (latest version)
Firefox (latest version)
Microsoft Edge (latest version)
Safari (9 and above)

Operating systems

Windows 8 and above
Mac OS X 10.9 and above

Windows 7 and 8.1

Online banking no longer supports Windows 7 and 8.1. This is because Microsoft has stopped security updates and fixes for these operating systems.

If this affects you, you should:

Upgrade to a newer operating system, if possible
Stop using these operating systems for online banking or shopping
Use another device, such as a tablet, or download our mobile app

View Microsoft operating systems guidance

Chat

The WAI-ARIA technology adds form and button controls for screen reader users. If you experience issues with these, you’ll need to update your browser to a more recent version. We’ll soon be introducing an improved version of these controls which doesn’t have this limitation.

Browser updates are available free of charge from each browser provider.

Pop-up settings

For your security, online banking signs you out after a certain period of inactivity. A pop-up message will give you 60 seconds to confirm if you’d like to stay signed in. You won’t see this message if you’ve disabled pop-ups in your browser setting.

We update our list of supported browsers and operating systems from time to time as the software used by our customers will change.

More information on digital accessibility

There are organisations and charities who can offer further help with different types of digital accessibility.

AbilityNet is a charity that provides free support with digital accessibility. The AbilityNet website has lots of helpful tips, including simple ways to make your devices easier to use.

Sight loss charity RNIB also has information on desktop accessibility if you’re blind or partially sighted.