NationWide Flex Credit Card — FX fee-free ONLY for 1 year

Jew

Writing on behalf of a friend:

I was attracted to the Nationwide Flex account because it's a more ethical building society and you get travel insurance, but also because I'd be entitled to the Flex Credit Card that has no foreign fees apart from the Visa rate.

But it turns out that it's only fee-free for 12 months. What happens after? Do they extend it? Does anyone have any experience?

I applied for the account thinking it wouldn't be limited for 1 year...

...now I feel kind of regretful. I could just keep my current account, and get something like Metro Bank or Aqua for the foreign stuff. Or even open a First Direct account and get £100.



I heard that Nationwide debit cards used to be fee-free abroad. And they stopped that. Now even the credit card isn't really fee free if after 12 months you'll have to find a new one :@

callum9999

Jew wrote: »

Writing on behalf of a friend:

I was attracted to the Nationwide Flex account because it's a more ethical building society and you get travel insurance, but also because I'd be entitled to the Flex Credit Card that has no foreign fees apart from the Visa rate.

But it turns out that it's only fee-free for 12 months. What happens after? Do they extend it? Does anyone have any experience?

I applied for the account thinking it wouldn't be limited for 1 year...

...now I feel kind of regretful. I could just keep my current account, and get something like Metro Bank or Aqua for the foreign stuff. Or even open a First Direct account and get £100.



I heard that Nationwide debit cards used to be fee-free abroad. And they stopped that. Now even the credit card isn't really fee free if after 12 months you'll have to find a new one :@

The Nationwide card isn't fee-free at all, you have to earn fee-free credit by spending on it (and it isn't limited to a year). The Select card is fee-free indefinitely. Have they got an old card?

Jew

callum9999 wrote: »

The Nationwide card isn't fee-free at all, you have to earn fee-free credit by spending on it (and it isn't limited to a year). The Select card is fee-free indefinitely. Have they got an old card?

I meant the Select card, sorry.

It's load-free only for 12 months — at least that's what the lady in the branch said.

...what happens after? Have anyones 12 months ran out?

callum9999

Jew wrote: »

I meant the Select card, sorry.

It's load-free only for 12 months — at least that's what the lady in the branch said.

...what happens after? Have anyones 12 months ran out?

They told me it was indefinite. I don't think it's existed for 12 months yet either. The 0% purchases are for 12 months but the foreign fee is definitely free (for the time being anyway).

Jew

callum9999 wrote: »

They told me it was indefinite. I don't think it's existed for 12 months yet either. The 0% purchases are for 12 months but the foreign fee is definitely free (for the time being anyway).

Ah cool, thanks

innovate wrote: »

Could you post a link to the relevant clause in the T&Cs, please?

Can't, that was said in branch. Maybe the clerk didn't know...

simax

The clerk was talking out of their rear end. It's indefinite.

innovate

I reckon you / your friend got confused with the "0% interest on purchases for 12 months". This is different to being charge commission for foreign purchases. There are no commission charges on these, and there is no time limit for these.

You might also be confused about foreign cash withdrawals with the Select card - this are not free. There is a 2.5% charge.

innovate

simax wrote: »

The clerk was talking out of their rear end. It's indefinite.

I think there is a fair chance the clerk never said that foreign purchases would only be commission free for 12 months.

There is an awful lot of confusion in this thread.

For factual information, people should refer to the Nationwide pages for the Select card, and perhaps to the MSE article on cheap travel money.