NatWest Reward Black Credit Card review 2023

Earn reward points as you spend and avoid fees when you use your card abroad.

  • Earn rewards as you spend and benefit from fee-free spending overseas.
  • Account fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).

40.7%

Representative APR

0%

Balance transfer fee

0%

Foreign transaction charge

Up to 56 days

Interest-free each billing period

Details

IssuerNatWest
NetworkMastercard
Representative APR40.7% APR (variable)
Annual/monthly fees£84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Loyalty schemeRewards
IncentiveYou'll earn 1% back at supermarkets and 0.5% back everywhere else, including supermarket petrol stations. At selected retailers, you could earn 1-15% back.
Additional Rewards InfoCall priority servicing
Purchases21.9%
Purchases interest-free period (days)56
Balance transfers21.9%
Potential costs★★★★★
Doing its job★★★★★
Extras★★★★★
Overall Finder rating★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
Satisfaction survey
94% of NatWest customers in our 2023 customer satisfaction survey would recommend the brand to a friend.
Unlikely to approve you for a credit card if you’ve got a history of bad debt.

Review by


Chris Lilly is a publisher at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.

Expert review

This premium NatWest card earns reward points at a respectable rate on spending both at home and abroad. And if you are heading overseas, you’ll also benefit from Mastercard exchange rates on non-sterling transactions (card issuers normally add their own fee or margin on top of this).

Reward points can be converted into cash, vouchers or even charitable donations. However, you’ll need to weigh up if the rewards you might earn will outweigh the annual fee, which is waived for NatWest Reward Black Current Account holders.

Similarly, if you anticipate carrying a balance on the card from month to month, then what you’ll pay in interest will probably outweigh any rewards you’ll earn. If you clear your balance in full each month, then you won’t pay interest on purchases – you’ll benefit from up to 56 days of 0% interest each billing cycle. This doesn’t apply to cash advances, but it does apply to overseas transactions – which isn’t always the case.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Customers report excellent customer service when dealing with NatWest
  • Avoid currency conversion charges when spending abroad
  • Earn points on day-to-day spending

Cons

  • Annual fee
  • Minimum annual income requirement of £15,000
  • Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible

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.

The verdict

With the dual benefit of fee-free overseas spending and a flexible reward points scheme, the NatWest Rewards Black credit card is a relatively premium credit card that could suit high-spending frequent travellers.

However, unless you’re an existing NatWest Reward Black current account customer, you’ll need to pay an £84 annual fee, which can put a big dent in any value you might be getting from your reward points, especially if you don’t use your card that often.

Repayment options

You can make manual repayments through NatWest's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0345 788 8444). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.

A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and either damaging your credit score, getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) or losing any promotional rates as a result.

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

How to apply

If you've compared cards and settled on the NatWest Reward Black Credit Card, you can head over to NatWest's secure online application to apply. Don't forget, you'll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply, with an income of at least 15000.

Frequently asked questions

What credit limit will I get with the NatWest Reward Black Credit Card?

If NatWest is able to offer you this deal, the offer will specify a personalised credit limit based on NatWest's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £5,000 and NatWest does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown NatWest that you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.

Can I withdraw cash using the NatWest Reward Black Credit Card?

Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (such as withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino or buying currency) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.

The cash advance fee on the NatWest Reward Black Credit Card is 3% (min. £3). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £3.00. Withdraw £250 and you'll incur a fee of £7.50.

The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 26.9% (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).

Finder credit card ratings

★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor

Our experts score rewards credit cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like welcome bonuses, introductory and ongoing earn-rates, any caps or restrictions on the points you can earn, 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.

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2 Comments

    Default Gravatar
    Jyotish
    November 14, 2022

    Does the allow one yours airport lounges?

      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      angelicarussel
      November 18, 2022

      Hi,

      If you’re asking if the NatWest Reward Black credit card includes access to airport lounges then the answer is no. As of this writing, none of the NatWest credit cards have this offer.

      If you’re in search of a credit card that has this offer, you may visit our Credit cards with free airport lounge access page for options.

      Please don’t forget to review the relevant terms and conditions before deciding whether the credit card is good for you.

      All the best,
      Russ

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