To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
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.
What is Nationwide?
The Nationwide Building Society is a ‘mutual’, which means it’s owned by and run for the benefit of its members. To become a member, you’ll need to have a current account, mortgage or savings account with Nationwide. If you’re already a member, you can apply for a Nationwide credit card.
Nationwide credit cards are issued on the Visa network and so they’re accepted in over 20 million locations worldwide.
What are the benefits of a Nationwide credit card?
Nationwide credit cards are all-round (rather than specialised) cards. They are designed to offer a broad range of benefits to users rather than trying to lead the market in one particular area. The benefits include:
0% on balance transfers. If you have expensive debt on another card, you can bring it across to your Nationwide card and enjoy 0% interest on a transferred balance for a specified period. Learn more about 0% balance transfer cards.
0% on purchases. Planning a significant expenditure on your card? Enjoy 0% interest on purchases for a specified period. Learn more about 0% purchase cards.
No annual fee. No need to get the calculator out to see if paying an annual fee is worth it – there isn’t one! Learn more about no annual fee cards.
Commission-free purchases abroad. If you use your credit card overseas, or expect to, then commission-free purchases abroad could save you money. Learn more about cards for overseas spending.
If you bank with Nationwide you’ll also get access to it’s sophisticated banking app. Through this you can check your balance faster, search, filter and compare you transactions over the last 15 months and make fast simple payments to your contacts.
Nationwide take the security of their customers very seriously and as a result have issued a digital banking promise. In this they outline that they’ll refund any money taken from an account as a result of fraud through its Banking app or Internet Banking service, how they monitor and protect accounts 24/7 with the latest technology and will provide education on how to stay safe and avoid scams.
How do Nationwide’s cards hold up against the rest of the market?
Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
If you’re comparing any credit products, it won’t be long before you’ll come across the Annual Percentage Rate (APR). This figure is designed to provide an annual summary, taking into account both interest and any mandatory charges to be paid (for example an annual fee). All lenders must calculate the APR of their products in the same way, and must tell you the APR before you sign an agreement, so for consumers it can be a handy tool for comparison.
Bear in mind, however, that lenders are only obliged to award this rate to 51% of those who take out a card – the other 49% could pay more. That’s why it’s often referred to as the representative APR.
How to apply for a Nationwide credit card
To even begin applying for any credit card you need to at the least hold a current account, mortgage or savings account with Nationwide. If, however, you are already a Nationwide customer then the easiest way to apply is online. Simply fill out an online form providing personal information such as name, address, income and work status.
Eligibility requirements
There are basic eligibility requirements you will most likely need to meet to be accepted for a Nationwide credit card. The eligibility requirements are as follows:
You are aged 18 years or over
You have a permanent UK home address
You have not have missed three or more payments on any credit commitments in the last 12 months
You currently don’t hold a Nationwide credit card
You are a member of Nationwide Building Society
You have a gross annual income of at least £5000
You cannot currently be bankrupt, subject to an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA), or have any county court judgements (CCJs)
Why might you not be approved?
Typically you won’t be approved for a credit card if you’ve got a history of bad debt or don’t meet the above eligibility criteria. If you’ve got an outstanding CCJ or are on an IVA it is also likely you will not be approved. Equally, if you do not have a credit record at all, you may be turned down. It is advisable to go to Experian, or another credit rating agency, and to ask for a credit report.
Nationwide customer reviews
Nationwide has poor reviews from customers overall, according to review aggregator Trustpilot. It has a rating of 1.8 out of 5, based on more than 3,700 reviews (updated April 2023). Some customers reported problems with receiving their cards, or being unable to access card statements.
Contact Nationwide Building Society’s customer support
Telephone support
To call about credit cards, ring 03456 00 66 11. They are available Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm (GMT) and Sunday 9am to 5pm. An automated enquiry service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Report card lost or stolen
You can report a lost or stolen card via the app by heading over to the Menu, click ‘Manage Cards’, select the lost or stolen card, then select ‘Report as lost or stolen’. Alternatively, you can call 0800 055 66 22.
Overview of Nationwide BS credit cards
Representative APR
24.9%
0% balance transfer offer
Up to 18 months
0% purchases offer
Up to 15 months
0% money transfer offer
No money transfer offer available
Cashback with brand
Cashback not available
Cashback elsewhere
Cashback not available
Cash advance
From 24.9%
Introductory bonus offer
No introductory bonus offers available
Frequently asked questions
The main ways to pay your bill are by direct debit, debit card, internet banking, at your bank or by cheque.
Call Nationwide immediately if you’ve lost your card or if it has been stolen. You can call anytime – Nationwide lines are open 24/7 on 0800 055 66 22. You can also report lost and stolen debit cards using the Banking app.
Contactless is a fast, easy and secure way to pay for goods and services under £45 without entering a PIN. To make a payment, all you have to do is follow the instructions on the terminal and place your contactless card over the contactless reader.
This service uses sophisticated Risk-Based authentication and you will be shown a “Processing …” page after you have entered your payment details and selected to checkout. In some cases as an extra security measure you may be requested to provide additional information to verify your purchase, in accordance with the Terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Credit Card may have different rates of interest for purchases, balance transfers and cash withdrawals. You’ll find your interest rates in your terms and conditions. Interest is calculated as a percentage on the amount you borrow. The longer it takes you to pay off your balance, the more interest you will have to pay.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Chris Lilly is Head of publishing 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. See full bio
Chris's expertise
Chris has written 602 Finder guides across topics including:
Nationwide thinks it’s time to take your membership to the next level – offering 0% interest (for a promotional period) on existing card debt that you transfer across from other card issuers.
Existing Nationwide members can enjoy 0% deals on purchases and balance transfers, plus fee-free spending overseas.
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Advertiser disclosure
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
