Can I switch a new, now unsuitable, current account to an existing Nationwide Current account?

Green_garnet

I'll try to be brief.  I have had a Nationwide Current account for a number of years.  I decided to open a Santander  current account as a back up - not a switch, just a new current account..  It does not suit me at all and I would like to 'get rid of it as easily as possible.'

I have about £75 in it and no standing orders or direct debits.  Santander branch is nearly always busy with long queues and it is very much easier for me to use my Nationwide branch and cash machine.  For me the Santander cash machine is too busy and does not seem private enough for me.

Can I ask Nationwide to switch my Santander account to merge with my Nationwide Flex Current account? If it is possible, how do I arrange this, please?  I'm not interested in any incentive.  I would like a quick and 'definite' way of getting rid of the new, unsuitable for me and unwanted, Santander current account.  I chose it because of the convenient local branch but it seems to be short of staff and busy, long queues most of the time,

Maybe just 'unlucky' but once waited in a long queue only for one of the two tills to close just as the one person ahead of me was still being served 15 minutes later. I gave up and left the branch.  It's  not right for me.

Thanks for any help.

AmityNeon

Withdraw or transfer the money and then close the Santander account. All easily done by yourself.

Green_garnet

Thanks for replying.  If I do that, transfer the whole amount to my Nationwide Flex account, can I then completely close the Santander  account easily on line?

wiseonesomeofthetime

OP, do you have a back-up current account, to your Nationwide one?

If not, it may well be worth keeping the Santander one in case of any issues with your Nationwide.

You do not need to use it daily.

I have multiple back-ups, and had to use one yesterday when I had an issue with one of my cards at an ATM. Transferred money to account B and successfully withdrew using that card instead.

Just a thought.

Zanderman

You could just close as AmityNeon says, or could contact Nwide and ask them to switch in (they don't seem to have a facility online other than when opening a new account).

But.  It makes sense to have your banking with at least two banks, just in case one of them has an IT outage etc. And to keep some cash in both.  So if you only have Nwide and santander and you close the Santander you are losing an asset, albeit one you don't seem to like but might be useful in future.

If you really don't like Santander I'd suggest it would be better to switch the Santander to a third bank, not to Nwide. That way you keep two banks.

There's plenty of choice. And some, unlike Nwide, make switching easy.

etienneg

I agree that it's good to have at least one current account as a back up to your main one. If you don't like Santander, consider switching this account to a new one elsewhere for the switch bonus.

To answer your question, though: Yes, you can switch your Santander account to your Nationwide one, as long as all the details (name, address, dob, etc.) are exactly the same on both. Switching (using CASS) is probably the easiest method of closing a current account. Go to the Nationwide web site and find their reference to switching (it's on the current accounts menu). Then just follow the instructions.

SiliconChip

Using CASS to switch to another bank, whether that's Nationwide or someone else, is probably the easiest method as you don't have to take any action to close the Santander account, it's all done for you, and as a bonus if anyone did try to make a payment into your Santander account it will be transferred to the new account automatically.

Zanderman

etienneg said:

...
To answer your question, though: Yes, you can switch your Santander account to your Nationwide one, as long as all the details (name, address, dob, etc.) are exactly the same on both. Switching (using CASS) is probably the easiest method of closing a current account. Go to the Nationwide web site and find their reference to switching (it's on the current accounts menu). Then just follow the instructions.

That menu only takes you to a switch process when you open a new account.  As far as I can see, as I said above.

The way to do a switch in to an existing account is to ignore their switching link on their website and instead to login:  

If you already have a Nationwide current account, you can switch into it using the Current Account Switch Service by:

• logging into the Internet Bank or Banking app
• visiting us in branch
• calling us.

wiseonesomeofthetime

To switch an account to your existing Nationwide current account, you simply log in online and then follow this link:



Or, from current account view, as previously mentioned:




It makes you go through ID verification again, i.e. passcode characters and txt message to phone, then walks you through the switch.

Green_garnet

Thank you very much for all these helpful replies and for taking the time to reply.

I transferred the balance in the Santander Current Account to Nationwide.  It was a smooth transaction with no problems and it left a zero balance in the Santander Account.  I then tried to  follow the links to close the Santander Account on line but the links did not work.

I telephoned Santander and the lady I spoke to was very helpful.  She closed the account for me straight away and said that I would be sent a closing statement, with the zero balance, confirming the closure in about 48 hours.

Thank you all again, very much,  for the really helpful replies.