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Nationwide: FlexDirect reviews

4.29
Based on 249 reviews, last reviewed 17th Jan 2025
50% increase in 5 star reviews
in the past 90 days
No new 1 star reviews
in the past 90 days
See only 5 star reviews
65%
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21%
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4%
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2%
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8%

Latest highest rating:

5

Trusted bank with an ethical mindset Nationwide is a trusted bank. I switched away from Nationwide a few years ago to take advantage of a switching bonus but I regretted doing it as Natio... Read more Reviewed on: 17th January 2025
Patrick's avatar
Patrick

Latest lowest rating:

1

Nationwide have no concern for members banking exper... Nationwide have no concern for members banking experience. The IT systems used are woeful both from a user POV and back end. I am worried that the who... Read more Reviewed on: 26th June 2024
Mark M's avatar
Mark M

About this product

The Nationwide FlexDirect current account pays interest on your money and you can earn cashback on debit card purchases for the first 12 months.

If you’re eligible for an overdraft, the first £50 is interest free. The FlexDirect account has to be managed online or over the phone, not at the branch.

Nationwide FlexDirect current account reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used Nationwide before, you can also leave a review and share your experience..

Nationwide FlexDirect reviews (249)

Review of the Nationwide, FlexDirect:

Great interest rate for a limited time.

4
Nationwide Flex Direct current account gives a fabulous interest rate of 5% gross for the first 12 months, reverting to 1% interest after this period ends. To gain these rates you have to pay into the account at least £1000 per month. We decided to switch our ordinary Nationwide Flexclusive current account in order to receive this higher interest rate. The switch went smoothly, with no problems whatsoever, and we received the advertised rate on account balance up to £2500. Unfortunately the higher rate is reduced after one year, and customers receive the lesser APR of 1% interest. I would recommend this account - even though the higher rate is available for only one year, customers receive 1% following this. Previously we had been receiving no interest whatsoever on our current account. However, for those willing to keep switching current account deals with different banks, there are much better interest rates on offer. Reviewed on: 28th March 2016

Solid but uninspired bank choice

3
Nationwide, while a stalwart in the UK banking sector, leaves much to be desired in terms of innovation. Their online and mobile banking platforms, while functional, lack the modern flair and advanced features that other competitors offer. In addition, their customer service, while satisfactory, can at times be slow to respond. Although Nationwide's range of financial products is extensive, their offerings may not always be as competitive as those from other banks. Consider Nationwide as a solid, if somewhat uninspired, banking choice. Reviewed on: 15th February 2024

I chose Nationwide for their ethical position and I'...

4
I chose Nationwide for their ethical position and I'm happy I did. Everything is good, but their app isn't quite as up-to-date as other banks. For example, you can't pay cheques into your account with the app. Reviewed on: 15th February 2024

Decent service but not always best rated

4
Decent service but not always best rated Reviewed on: 15th February 2024

Great products with competitive rates

5
Great products with competitive rates Reviewed on: 15th February 2024

Longstanding customer

5
Friendly, helpful and efficient. Also have a local branch which is committed to stay open. Reviewed on: 15th January 2024

Good current account and easy to use

5
Good current account and easy to use but linked savings accounts are not that competitive apart from the regular saver. Reviewed on: 8th January 2024

Good advice

5
Whenever I’ve spoken with someone at the branch I always found them polite and helpful Reviewed on: 11th October 2023

UNFAIR Fairer Share

1
I didn't qualify for the fairer share payment, despite having put over £600,000 through my FlexDirect account (which is always in credit) in the last ten years and also having a Nationwide credit card account. I wrote (yes, a real letter) to Nationwide to complain and got a standard response which pretended that I had asked for clarification of whether I qualified or not. It said I was unqualified because I did not have a £100 (i.e. <0.02% of what I had put through my account) in a savings account in March 2023. The response did NOT acknowledge that my letter was a COMPLAINT and did NOT respond to my request that I should receive the payment. A VERY POOR RESPONSE TO A COMPLAINT ABOUT VERY POOR TREATMENT. Reviewed on: 1st July 2023

Poor experience and treatment

1
When did Nationwide stop caring about its customers? Their response to those unhappy with the Fairer Share Payment has been astonishing. They have persistently ignored and disregarded people who were unhappy about the way it was distributed and treated complaints as feedback so they did not have to respond. They have not shown a shred of contrition and actively encouraged me to take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman. It was made blatantly obvious to me that my business was not wanted anymore so I switched my account to Metro Bank. The only time Nationwide have said sorry was that they were sorry to lose me as a customer in a generic letter about switching my account. I have had numerous savings accounts, ISAs and even the credit card over the last 19 years in addition to a current account. I have no loyalty to them anymore. Reviewed on: 21st June 2023

Could do better

3
I have been a loyal customer for many years and will keep my account but also have other more competitive accounts. Nationwide have been making unnecessary changes in my opinion and wasting members’ money on marketing prizedraws etc. It would be fairer to divide profits amongst members or raise interest on savings. Recent payments of £100 excluded some members. The closing of online messaging that’s not chat was a mistake. Sometimes people prefer to send a message and wait for a reply rather than hanging about in a chat. Reviewed on: 20th June 2023

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