NatWest - what's the best alternative which also has good customer service?

RG2015

I have banked with NatWest for 50 years, current account, credit cards, savings, mortgage and home insurance. My only complaint was after discovering the insurance was grossly overpriced and their refusal to negotiate my renewal.

I rarely need to use customer services but have never had any issues. However, their core banking services are second to none.

I have tried Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax, Santander, Nationwide, Virgin Money, TSB, First Direct, HSBC, Chase and Tesco Bank for current accounts and numerous others for savings.

My point is you may regret switching away from NatWest and closing your accounts with them.

The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

AmityNeon

GustyGardenGalaxy said:

Had a really bad experience with them today and I've had enough, it's time to move.

As the saying goes, try to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you do value speaking to a human quickly, then First Direct, Metro Bank and Nationwide (branch locations) could be suitable, but banks don't require an exclusive relationship so you're free to hold multiple products and take advantage of different services simultaneously for your convenience.

Besides a longstanding account being good for your credit history, keeping the NatWest account open leaves the door open to their other offerings (e.g. linked Regular Saver, Rewards, easy coin deposits) without committing to them as your primary banking provider. Should things fall sideways elsewhere, you still have another account as a fallback, and it's always wise to have at least a second account should one provider face technical difficulties.

NatWest has also recently upgraded their online (and app) services, which is more than I can say for the aforementioned three. Nationwide may have rebranded but they've barely invested in digital improvements. (Note I hold accounts with them all so I have no brand loyalty.)

dealyboy

I have accounts with First Direct and NatWest but my main accounts are with Nationwide, with whom I've been for about 14 months. I can't say I've had any problems with any of them, but then again it's when something goes wrong you find 'the measure of the man bank'.

Before Nationwide I was with Santander/Abbey/Abbey National for about 35 years and still have accounts with them and before that with Barclays for about 15 years. I must say I put up with a lot from both of them and it was mainly inertia (that old friend of the banks) that stopped me moving sooner. I do agree that it's best not to burn your bridges entirely though.

I don't have accounts with Monzo or Starling and First Direct needs the app. I must say I do like Nationwide Building Society, they are more personal, you become a member and get those little extras sometimes. Their online presence is good and some interest rates are great ... another thing is they've guaranteed to keep all their branches open!

Zanderman

dealyboy said:

....I don't have accounts with Monzo or Starling and First Direct needs the app. I must say I do like Nationwide Building Society, they are more personal, you become a member and get those little extras sometimes. Their online presence is good and some interest rates are great ... another thing is they've guaranteed to keep all their branches open!

Only until 2026 - which is only 25 months away. They might close masses of them then.

xylophone

I have a few current accounts but for ease of use via laptop prefer Lloyds.

GustyGardenGalaxy

Thanks to you all for the great info and advice, I'm going to sit back and have a think about what to do.

fatbelly

I'm with Lloyds and wouldn't particularly recommend them but their website (touches wood) seems to work well

steven141

I have been with a lot of them. Here is my opinion of them all:

NatWest - I only ever had a savings account but it’s the same as Royal Bank of Scotland who I’ve held an account the longest. The app is good but it is a bit fiddly to set up. I also have a few gripes in that when you open a new account it takes over a day to show in the app and also when you set up a direct debit it doesn’t show in your list until the first payment is taken. This can lead to very long drawn out conversations on the messaging service and staff not understanding what you are asking for. I also don’t like how it shows your list of cancelled direct debits for about a year and a half afterwards. 

Lloyds Bank - The app is probably the most user friendly of all banks (in my opinion). It’s so simple to open and close accounts, also you can make payments easily and get set up easier. It also shows you upcoming payments so any regular debit card payments show. I have also used Bank of Scotland and Halifax and they are all the same app but just branded differently. 

first direct - Really friendly bank but the app is too basic. They have some very good incentives though. I think the balance doesn’t reduce when you spend on the debit card (from memory) it stays until it is cleared but the available balance is reduced which is one of my gripes. They also don’t have a very competitive credit card offering but they have a decent overdraft offering. 

Barclays - I would stay clear, app is awful, you can tell that there are holes in their system and you get numerous errors. You only have to look at the other topic on here and it will show you all of the issues. The only positive I’ve seen from them is that debit card transactions seem to clear quicker than other banks. 

Santander - customer service isn’t great sometimes but the app seems ok and the cashback for direct debits is great if you get the EDGE account. It seems to be a robust bank. They are launching a new app too as well. I use them for my bills account.  

Chase - Very simple and does what it says. The 1% cashback on debit card spending offer is very good. They allow for direct debits but don’t provide any borrowing options if you are looking for that. There is a niggle I have with the app is that if you want to transfer money between your own accounts, it automatically fills out one account and you can easily get muddled up if you have a lot of accounts. They are a decent spending account. 

Monzo - I had it for a short time and find it overrated. You have to pay for things like being able to access open banking when this is free for other banks. I wasn’t with them long so can’t comment much more on them. 

Nationwide - A good way to bank. They seem really friendly and ethical. They gave cash back to customers at the start of the year if they met a specific criteria. I have this bank as my main account. The online system is a bit dated, the debit card transactions is the same as first direct where it only deducts the available balance. The balance doesn’t deduct until it has cleared. 

The co-operative bank - They seem to have improved their online system a lot in recent years. They seem like an ethical bank. I’ve just joined them again after about 10 years since I was last with them. 

Virgin Money - I have only had a credit card and savings account with them but I have used Clydesdale Bank in the past so I’m unsure if it’s similar. It’s frustrating how the savings and credit card are separate logins also the bank account seems to be on a different system too. I can’t comment much more of them as I haven’t used them. When they were Clydesdale Bank, they were friendly and decent but the online offering was very antiquated at the time. 

TSB - Recently left them, the online system has gone downhill since they stopped using the Lloyds Banking Group system. I wouldn’t recommend them. 

These are all just my experiences. I hope it can help you make your decision. If you aren’t bothered about cashback and just want a simple bank that works then I’d recommend Lloyds Bank or Bank of Scotland. They do have perks but they aren’t anything too special. Also Halifax from the same group but they require a minimum payment into the account per month to be able to access their best account. 

gsmh

It's worth pointing out that The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest have an over-60s helpline. I've used this in the past and have got straight through. The RBS number is 0800 051 4177. The NatWest equivalent is 0800 051 4176. There is an over-60s webpage here for NatWest and here for The Royal Bank.

Bigwheels1111

I have multiple bank accounts.
I would give them all up except First Direct.
I’ve had issues with them like any other bank.
But a phone call resolved the problem.
Plus a good will gesture of some cash helps.
FD held up 3 large transfers from Friday to Monday, They gave me £135 for lost interest + £50 good will.