Nationwide card reader "not eligible"

europaea

I have a new Nationwide FlexPlus account and I registered for online and mobile app banking. Everything works, I can log fine, got the debit card, started to use it for purchases, applied for their savings account, registered my mobiles for insurance, etc.

However, I have not received a card reader yet and when I tried to order one online, I got an error message that said "You can not order a card reader as you can log in using your memorable data." I called Nationwide and they told me that I was not yet eligible, and that it takes a while for the account to be eligible for card readers (!!!!!!?). They also said that they << didn't really know how much time it takes to be eligible >>. The customer service rep suggested I could go into a branch to add new payees, for now. I find this really odd, as the card reader is needed to add new payees - and this is basic account functionality, to be able to make payments...

I cannot use my Barclays card reader either (supposedly it should work across banks); apparently my Nationwide acct is not yet "enabled" for card reader functionality.

Does anyone have any idea how long it takes for new account owners to get a card reader?

glider3560

Do you actually need the card reader (i.e. do Nationwide ask for it)? I got away without needing one for quite some time before they forced it on me.

Murmansk

It makes perfect sense that you need to use a card reader to add payees to your account because the card reader provides an extra degree of security and adding payees is exactly what someone who was fraudulently accessing your account would want to do (add their account as a payee).

What doesn't make sense is that they don't seem to want to give you a card reader. I got one easily enough and then when I wanted an extra one I just asked in a branch and they gave me one.

billy2shots

I got my card reader yesterday. Opened the account almost 3 weeks ago. Have you been waiting longer?

masonic

TBH, on the basis of what you've told us I think this is grounds for complaint. Being able to set up payees through online banking is a standard account feature that any reasonable person would expect to be able to utilise without unreasonable delay. It certainly shouldn't be deliberately withheld for an unspecified period of time for no apparent reason.

agrinnall

My guess is that the account has been opened on an interim basis and the OP's financial status is undergoing further checks that if failed may result in the account being closed. While I haven't heard of this happening with Nationwide previously it is certainly something that other banks do.

masonic

agrinnall wrote: »

My guess is that the account has been opened on an interim basis and the OP's financial status is undergoing further checks that if failed may result in the account being closed. While I haven't heard of this happening with Nationwide previously it is certainly something that other banks do.

I considered this, and whether the OP needs to provide ID documents or the like before the account is fully opened... but the OP was advised they can setup new payees in branch - and this seems to be the only service withheld.

J_B

Slightly O/T, but, in my experience, the Nationwide, Nat West and Tesco card readers are interchangeable.

DCFC79

J_B wrote: »

Slightly O/T, but, in my experience, the Nationwide, Nat West and Tesco card readers are interchangeable.

Yep they are.

I use my Nationwide or RBS to log into my Barclays and RBS accounts.

soulsaver

J_B wrote: »

Slightly O/T, but, in my experience, the Nationwide, Nat West and Tesco card readers are interchangeable.

DCFC79 wrote: »

Yep they are.

I use my Nationwide or RBS to log into my Barclays and RBS accounts.

OP "I cannot use my Barclays card reader either (supposedly it should work across banks); apparently my Nationwide acct is not yet "enabled" for card reader functionality."

agrinnall

masonic wrote: »

I considered this, and whether the OP needs to provide ID documents or the like before the account is fully opened... but the OP was advised they can setup new payees in branch - and this seems to be the only service withheld.

You may be right, but that does assume that the custmer advisor was correct with their advice, as far as we know the OP hasn't been to a branch to try it yet.