Nationwide Member Credit Card Balance Transfer Offer – 2024 review
- Representative example:
- When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 24.9% APR (variable).
- 0% interest on balance transfers
- 18 months
- Foreign transaction charge
- 0%
- Account fee
- £0
Our verdict
Nationwide is offering 0% interest for 18 months on existing card debt that you transfer and a low transfer fee too.Nationwide's members-only (that's mortgage, current account or savings account holders) balance transfer deal isn't the longest out there by any stretch, but it comes with a relatively low balance transfer fee – 1.5% compared to the more standard 3%. So, if 18 months gives you long enough to clear your debt, you might be tempted to choose the convenience of using Nationwide over a longer deal. However, a no-transfer-fee deal would almost certainly work out cheaper.
One aspect of balance transfers where Nationwide seems to be really looking out for its members is the start date for your 18-month 0% period. Most card issuers would start the clock on the day your application was granted... others from the day you activated the card. But with Nationwide it's the day the transfer actually goes through. A minor detail but one that really bucks the trend.
When the 0% period's up, you're basically left with a fairly respectable travel credit card. It's not a card that you'd want to carry a balance on from month to month on, but if you always clear your balance in full, this card needn't cost you a penny in interest – at home or abroad.
Ultimately, the card is best suited to existing Nationwide customers who'd value the convenience of keeping their finances under one roof over a slightly cheaper deal elsewhere.
Pros
- Over a year of 0% interest to focus on reducing existing card debt
- Three months to spread the cost of purchases
- A relatively low balance transfer fee
- Avoid currency conversion charges when spending abroad
- No annual fee
Cons
- Only available to existing customers
Details
Product Overview
| Issuer | Nationwide BS |
| Network | Visa |
| Representative APR | 24.9% |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 0% for 18 months reverting to 24.9% |
| Balance transfer fee | 1.5% (min. £5) for 3 months reverting to 2.4% (min. £5) |
| Purchases | 0% for 3 months reverting to 24.9% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 24.9% |
| Minimum credit limit | £500 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status |
| Additional cards available | 5 |
| Incentive | |
| Potential costs | 4.8 ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | 4.5 ★★★★★ |
| Extras | 3.3 ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder Score | 4.6 ★★★★★ |
Fees and charges
| Minimum monthly payment | 1% or £25 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges plus 1% of the outstanding balance. |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfer fee | 1.5% (min. £5) for 3 months reverting to 2.4% (min. £5) |
| Foreign usage charge (EU) | 0% |
| Foreign usage charge (rest of world) | 0% |
| Cash advance fee | 2.5% (min. £3) |
| Late payment fee | £0 |
| Duplicate statement fee | £0 |
| Exceeding limit fee | £0 |
| Additional card fee | £0 |
| Dormancy fee | £0 |
Application Requirements
| Minimum Age | 18 |
| Minimum income | £5,000 |
| Availability | Available to existing customers |
The Nationwide Member Credit Card Balance Transfer is issued on the Visa network (used by a whopping 4.2 billion cards), so you'll be able to use it at more than 100 million merchant locations across more than 200 countries and territories.
How does it compare?
Nationwide BS's card
Other popular balance transfer deals
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Repayment options
You can make manual repayments through Nationwide BS's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0800 055 66 11). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and losing your promotional interest rate as a result (as well as damaging your credit score and incurring the late payment fee of £0). You could use a fixed-amount direct debit to ensure you've cleared your debt before the 0% period expires – simply divide your outstanding balance by 18 to see what you'll need to pay each month (this assumes you don't use the card for additional spending).
You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
Choose from the following direct debit options for your monthly repayments:
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
With a balance transfer, opting for a fixed-amount direct debit can be a good way to ensure you get debt-free within the 18 months. Just divide the amount you’re transferring across by 18 to work out how much you need to pay each month. This calculation assumes that you don’t use the card for additional spending.
At the end of the 0% period, you’ll then want to amend the direct debit (which you can do in online banking or in the app), opting instead for a direct debit which covers either the minimum amount or the full amount each month.
If you haven’t cleared your debt when the 0% period expires, your outstanding balance will start to incur interest at the infinitely-less-appealing 24.9% standard rate.
How to apply
If you've compared cards and want to apply, you can simply log in to your Internet banking and complete the secure online application form. You can request a balance transfer during the application process. Because a lot of the form can be auto-filled by the folks at Nationwide, it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long do Nationwide balance transfers take?
Once you have your Member Credit Card and have activated it, Nationwide states that balance transfers normally take around one or two working days. The key thing is to keep up repayments to your old card issuer until you're certain the transfer has gone through, otherwise you risk a penalty fee and damage to your credit score.
How much can I balance transfer to the Nationwide Member Credit Card?
Up to 95% of your credit limit. Your credit limit is a personalised limit that Nationwide sets when you apply for the card. It's based on factors like your credit score, and your regular income and outgoings.
Can I get the Nationwide Member Credit Card 0% deal if I've recently had a Nationwide credit card?
If you've held a Nationwide credit card within the last year, then unfortunately not.
Finder credit card scores
Our experts score balance transfer cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like the length of the balance transfer offer, the balance transfer fee, any restrictions to making a transfer, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.
You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.
