Nationwide offers better conditions to its current account holders than most banks, as well as 24/7 customer service and a widespread network of branches, if you like sorting things out in person. From time to time, Nationwide has been known to run switching incentives.
Nationwide has a decent range of current accounts you can choose among, although it doesn’t offer any premium account options for high-end customers.
The main benefit of Nationwide’s incentive accounts is that they pay an interest rate (yes, you’ve heard that right) on balances up to £1,500 for 12 months. You can choose between a free account with a great introductory offer and an account with loads of insurance benefits that also pays more in the long run in return for a monthly fee.
Learn more about reward and incentive accounts
You can get up to £3,000 of fee-free overdraft with Nationwide’s student account plus a nice little interest rate on your balance. If you’re after free railcards and discounts, compare accounts from other institutions – student accounts have the best benefits, so you may as well enjoy them until uni’s over and you’re thrown into your not-so-exciting adult life.
Learn more about student accounts
With Nationwide FlexOne, children aged 11-17 can get an early start at managing their finances and also earn some interest on their balance. If you have smaller kids, try comparing children’s current accounts – with some institutions they can open one when they’re as young as 8 years old.
Learn more about children’s accounts
"Nationwide is a solid choice for a current account. However, I wouldn’t say there was anything exceptional worth mentioning in terms of features. The app is straightforward and easy to use and any interactions I’ve had with customer service have always been positive. One frustration I have is the requirement to sometimes use a card reader to set up a new payee, which is not always doable when I am out and about.
Where Nationwide does stand out is how it rewards its customers. I’ve benefited from initiatives like its supermarket cashback offer during 2023 and its Fairer Share Payment to members, which have been a nice addition to a dependable banking experience."
To open an account with Nationwide, you’ll have to provide the following information:
You can open a Nationwide account online or by visiting a branch – if you apply online, you may be asked to pop into a branch to provide proof of identity.
Yes, Nationwide has a switch deal that lets you earn £175 for switching to a Nationwide account through the Current Account Switch Service.
Yes, Nationwide lets 2 people open a joint account. You can open it online or in a branch.
Yes, Nationwide has a FlexPlus current account. It costs £13 a month (rising to £18 in December 2024) and comes with mobile phone insurance, breakdown cover and travel insurance.
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Nationwide was ranked 6 out of 17 current account providers in our independent 2024 customer satisfaction survey, with 96% of Nationwide customers saying they’d recommend it to a friend. Users highlighted its helpful staff and reliable service.
One customer commented: “Nationwide is an ethical building society and it’s all about its members/customers. They reward loyalty and are very competitive. They have high street branches if you need them and are very customer focused and friendly.”
Another customer said “The FlexAccount is the best for my needs.”
On Trustpilpt, Nationwide scores 1.8 out of 5 from around 6,500 reviews. On the Apple App Store, it has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from over 613,000 reviews, while its Google Pay Store rating is 3.8 out 5, from a total of 112,000 reviews. These were updated in November 2024.
Nationwide currently offers current accounts with the some of the highest available interest rates. If you’re looking to earn interest on an in-credit balance, these accounts are certainly worth investigating. If Nationwide’s current accounts are not for you, you can also compare other current accounts here.
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
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