Nationwide savings account rates compared

Nationwide Building Society offers a broad range of savings accounts with interest rates up to 6.5%.

4.2 ★★★★★ (223 reviews) Write a review
Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide is the word's largest building society and one of the UK's largest savings providers. It's recently made moves to takeover Virgin Money. It offers a broad range of savings accounts, so whether you're looking to save your money for a rainy day, or you're willing to let your money mature over a longer period of time, Nationwide has several options. Nationwide Building Society's top savings rate of 6.5% is available on one of its regular savings accounts.

Easy access savings accounts

Table: sorted by interest rate
Nationwide Building Society's best easy access rate of 4% is significantly lower than today's market-best rate of 7.09%.
1 - 5 of 6
Product UKFSA-SAV Account type Withdrawals Min. opening balance Rate Deposit protection Open via Incentive
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA 17
Nationwide Building Society logo
Cash ISA
Instant access
£1
4% AER variable
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Additional account needed
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Triple Access Online Saver 17
Nationwide Building Society logo
Variable
Instant access
£0
4% AER variable
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – Flex Instant Saver 3
Nationwide Building Society logo
Variable
Instant access
£1
3% AER variable
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Existing members only
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – Instant Access Saver Issue 11
Nationwide Building Society logo
Variable
Instant access
£1
1.8% AER variable (on balances up to £9,999)
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Triple Access Online Saver 17
Nationwide Building Society logo
Variable
Instant access
£0
1.75% AER variable
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
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Compare more instant and easy access accounts up to 7.09%

Cash ISAs

Table: sorted by interest rate
Nationwide Building Society's best cash ISA rate of 4.1% is slightly lower than today's market-best rate of 5.03%.
1 - 4 of 4
Product UKFSA-SAV Rate Minimum investment Interest paid Withdrawals Deposit protection Open via Incentive Table product description
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
Nationwide Building Society logo
4.1% AER fixed for 1 year
£1
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 2 Year Fixed Rate Cash ISA
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER fixed for 2 years
£1
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch, website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA 17
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER variable
£1
Anniversary of account opening
Instant access
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Additional account needed
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Triple Access Online ISA 17
Nationwide Building Society logo
1.75% AER variable
£1
Anniversary of account opening
Instant access
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Additional account needed
Go to siteView details
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Compare more ISAs up to 5.03%

Fixed-rate bonds

Table: sorted by interest rate
Nationwide Building Society's best fixed-rate bond rate of 4% is slightly lower than today's market-best rate of 4.65%.
1 - 4 of 4
Product UKFSA-SAV Rate Invest Interest paid Withdrawals Open via Deposit protection Open via Incentive Table product description
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Fixed Rate Branch Bond
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER fixed for 1 year
£1 - £5,000,000
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 2 Year Fixed Rate Online Bond
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER fixed for 2 years
£1 - £5,000,000
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
Website, mobile app
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 2 Year Fixed Rate Branch Bond
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER fixed for 2 years
£1 - £5,000,000
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
Branch
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: branch.
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – 1 Year Fixed Rate Online Bond
Nationwide Building Society logo
4% AER fixed for 1 year
£1 - £5,000,000
Anniversary of account opening
Withdrawals not permitted
Website, mobile app
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app.
Go to siteView details
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Compare more fixed-rate bonds up to 4.65%

Regular savings accounts

Table: sorted by interest rate
Nationwide Building Society's best regular savings account rate of 6.5% is slightly lower than today's market-best rate of 8%.
Product UKFSA-SAV AER Save Withdrawal notice Interest paid Deposit protection Open via Incentive Table product description
Nationwide BS – Flex Regular Saver Issue 4
Nationwide Building Society logo
6.5% variable
£0 to £200 per month
None
Anniversary of account opening
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Additional account needed
Go to siteView details
Nationwide BS – Flex Regular Saver Issue 4
Nationwide Building Society logo
1.75% variable
£0 to £200 per month
None
Anniversary of account opening
FSCS logo
protected
Open via: website, mobile app. Additional account needed
Go to siteView details
loading
Compare more regular savings accounts up to 8%

What is Nationwide Building Society's best savings account with the highest interest rate?

The best savings account depends on what you want from your savings. If you're after fast access to your money, then an easy-access account should suit you. However, if you're happy to lock your money away for a time to access a higher rate, then a fixed-rate bond is a good option.

Finally, if you're looking to maximise your returns and shield them from income tax, consider an ISA. Below, we've listed the different types of accounts Nationwide Building Society offers, plus the highest interest rate currently available.

Savings account types include Easy access, cash ISAs, fixed-rate bonds, regular savers
Best easy access rate 4%
Best cash ISA rate 4.1%
Best fixed-rate bond rate 4%
Best regular saver rate 6.5%
Fixed bond terms 1 year - 2 years
Opening options Branch, website, mobile app
FSCS protection

Didn’t find the account type you were looking for? Check our other guides:

What is a building society?

A building society is a financial institution owned by its members. Whereas banks are normally listed on the stock market and run for their shareholders, building societies aren’t.

Because they don’t have shareholders to pay, building societies have historically claimed to offer better interest and cheaper mortgage rates than banks offer.

How to set up a Nationwide savings account

This depends on whether or not you’re already registered with Nationwide. Current members can open an account online, and may be able to do so without showing any proof of identity. Nationwide will let current customers know if they need physical proof.

New customers will have to go into a branch and will need to bring UK photo identification – either a passport or driving licence – plus proof of name and proof of address. Examples include:

  • A bank statement from within the past 3 months
  • A valid full UK or EEA passport
  • A benefits letter from the last year
  • A valid student ID from a UK university
  • UK gas or electricity bill (less than 3 months)
  • UK phone bill (not mobile, less than 3 months)
  • A benefits letter from the last year (last 12 months)

There’s a full list of eligible documents, which explains those that are specifically for name or address, on the Nationwide website. If you’re setting up a savings account for a child then you’ll need to provide their passport or birth certificate along with proof of where they live.

Does Nationwide offer online or mobile banking?

Yes, it offers both. Here are some of the basic features:

Online banking

  • Check balances. For any type of account.
  • Transfer money between accounts. In a matter of seconds.
  • Pay bills and people. All within the online portal.

Mobile banking

  • All of those features. On the go.
  • Secure login. Log in to your account by simply using your fingerprint.
  • Filter and compare. View up to 15 months’ transactions and compare your income and expenses.

Customer service information for Nationwide

Email support
Telephone support
In-app or live chat
Contact form
Branch support

Nationwide customer reviews

In our independent 2024 customer satisfaction survey, 94% of Nationwide’s users said they’d recommend the brand to a friend. Customers highlighted the bank’s excellent customer service and competitive rates. Here’s what some of those Nationwide customers had to say:

“Nationwide are very helpful and deal with any problems that may occur quickly and efficiently. I know my money is safe and I can always rely on their customer service.”

“I feel they offer a great interest rate. They also have a good app where I can keep an eye on my savings.”

The Nationwide app has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from more than 600,000 reviews on the App Store. On Google Play, the app fares slightly worse, with a score of 3.9 from around 110,000 Android app users (May 2024).

Our verdict

Nationwide’s broad range of savings accounts means that it should be easy to find one to suit you, whether you need instant access to your money or you’re happy to lock it away for a fixed period of time. Sadly, it has reduced its range of cash ISAs, so you may need to look more widely to find one that suits.

Because it’s owned by its members and doesn’t need to pay any shareholders, there’s a chance that a Nationwide savings account might get you better interest and cheaper mortgage rates than banks – but be sure to check our other savings accounts reviews to find the best deal for you.

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.

Your reviews

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All user-submitted reviews must meet our review guidelines. These set out our standards and expectations, including that the review is from by a genuine user of the relevant product or service and that it is honest, authentic and respectful. We explicitly prohibit fake or otherwise misleading reviews and we check all submissions, but we make no guarantee as to the authenticity of any published review or reviewer. Some reviews may be submitted (regardless of sentiment) in exchange for entry into any competition(s) for which we are the promoter.

10 of 223 reviews

★★★★★ Saleem (London) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

Because I am satisfied with their services


★★★★★ Heather (Oxford) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

This savings account offered a good rate of interest but the customer service could have been better.


★★★★★ Derren (London) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

They offer a market leading interest rate for their Regular saver. Account is more flexible than similar ones although quite limited pn what you can pay in each month.


★★★★★ Jade (Sheffield) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

Fantastic savings accounts and deals


★★★★★ Shaz (Bristol) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

Competitive interest rates. Account easy to set up in branch or online.


★★★★★ h (Plymouth) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

low interest rate


★★★★★ The boss (Oxford) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

Lovely staff in branch. Good interest rates


★★★★★ Chamie (Birmingham) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

Trusted company I have been with for years


★★★★★ david (Cardiff) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

truth


★★★★★ Tyler (Brighton and hove) 1 year ago

Via customer survey commissioned by Finder

They are very proffessional and are always happy to help with queries and questions


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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Liz Edwards as part of our fact-checking process.
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Matthew Boyle is a banking and mortgages publisher at Finder. He has a 7-year history of publishing helpful guides to assist consumers in making better decisions. In his spare time, you will find him walking in the Norfolk countryside admiring the local wildlife. See full bio

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Matthew has written 286 Finder guides across topics including:
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