from the Santander website

our unique Zero Current Account is specifically designed for existing Santander mortgage, savings and investment customers

- there's always a catch!

thanks Lucy, but of course if you do have a joint account and do two transactions there will be two fees. So the charge for the full £600 would be £14.

has to be your main account though.
which the nationwide didn't do.

Yes, it's £300, or as close as because as you will be withdrawing in foreign currency you'll have to second guess the rate. For example if you are taking out euros you'll need to guess about £300 worth! 2% = £6 + £1 each withdrawal! Still better than the post office will give you!

I see that Nationwide is relaunching its credit card - with commission free overseas use, subject to conditions. To prevent customers using it only as a holiday card, only those using the credit card in the UK will benefit from the full advantages of overseas use:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2011/02/nationwide-revamps-credit-card-with-new-overseas-perk

I wonder if anything similar might follow for debit card users.

David

And it is one of the craziest things I've ever read. Nationwide really are losing the plot if they think people are going to get out their calculators to work out how much they have spent in the UK so they can spend 20% of that overseas.

luci

steve8482 wrote:

from the Santander website

our unique Zero Current Account is specifically designed for existing Santander mortgage, savings and investment customers

- there's always a catch!

thanks Lucy, but of course if you do have a joint account and do two transactions there will be two fees. So the charge for the full £600 would be £14.

They gave me a zero card and I don't have an account with them. I did have a mortgage with them ( or with Alliance a Leicester) but I paid that off before I applied.

luci HT Mod wrote:

And it is one of the craziest things I've ever read. Nationwide really are losing the plot if they think people are going to get out their calculators to work out how much they have spent in the UK so they can spend 20% of that overseas.

luci :wave

nationwide have lost the plot and not just on this topic. They seem to have decided that they need to p**s off their members as much as possible. I think they are getting us used to them being a bank and hope that we shall all jump ship so that they don't have to give us shares.

Hi de Hi.
We'll see when the AGM papers come around.

I called into Nationwide today, to tell them of my intended trip, and my intention to use my Flex account card abroad. I was told that notification isn't necessary for a debit card, but if you intend using a credit card, then you should tell your bank before you leave the UK. If I use my Lloyds TSB card abroad I have an immediate text saying where and what has been withdrawn - I signed up for text alerts. I've often had a text before Ive tucked my money inside my purse

i went in to Nationwide last weekend and was told i didnt need to inform them, i ended up signing up for their credit card as well which gives us 0% comission on purchases even abroad, he didnt say we needed to inform them tho for the CC

I would lancslass, the clerk specifically asked if I was talking about a debit or credit card.

They used to state "you don't need to tell us if you're going abroad" and had it splattered all over their site so I never informed them. Then in May 2010 my card was blocked and I had to call them. I had numerous calls to the about it after I got home and told them that their website was still stating they didn't need told even though they were now telling me they did.

During one of the conversations I was told that they now needed told about credit cards, but not about debit cards and I quote, "As that is your money that would be lost if the card was used fraudulently". Nice, eh?

You can actually enter your holiday dates and destination on their website if you have internet banking.

After using them for over 20 years, I no longer use either of the Nationwide cards abroad now as there are far better alternatives.

The Nationwide credit card does charge commission of 1% on purchases abroad outside Europe.

luci

Nationwide previously told me that it was advisable but not compulsory to give them advance notice of any overseas trips for security incident screening purposes. When I remember to let them know, they seem reluctant to take details, telling me that it's not essential. But on the two occasions that I have forgotten to let them know, I have returned from holiday to find phone messages left by them about suspicious overseas activity on my debit card. Fortunately they were not suspicious enough to block the transactions.

David

I'll try to do it online as i do have internet banking(if i can remember login etc) lol but will probably just stick to debit card tho, didnt really want the credit card in first place i already have 2 others and theyve never been used but its handy as back up i guess

They told me that you don't need to / can't register foreign use for the Flexaccount Debit card but must register with the Credit card - and a pain in the rear it is too! You can only register a certain number of countries at a time (10 I think) which is inconvenient if touring, and then they say that even though you've registered they might still block the card if their system thinks it's a suspicious transaction! The only reason I put up with it is because I got one of the final issues of the old generation credit cards with no foreign purchase charges, the week after I got it the rules changed and new ones have the charge, if they change my conditions I'll cancel the card!