NatWest Rewards - beware the small print
16:54 14-02-2017
via Choose Wisely
Natwest rang us offering this account and told us we could save up to £30 pm for a £3pm outlay, so we joined. After a couple of months I moved my bill payments to a different bank and cancelled all direct debits, however the reward account does not show as part of the account from which the payments are made so I didn't notice it wasn't cancelled. £3 went out of my account in November putting me overdrawn. Within 3 months this has now become £75 for unarranged overdraft. I was unaware it had happened. When we queried why the £38 we had earned in rewards hadn't been credited to the account (which would have covered the £3 payments we were told that it is in the small print that you must contact them to specify where you want it to go. I assumed it would go into the account relating to the bill payments. My app does not show a separate reward account nor do I get texts telling me I am overdrawn. I assumed the account was dormant. They have told me there is nothing I can do as the bank is not at fault. This is unfair and sneaky and I will take this to the ombudsman
Caroline Dyer
Rewards
12:12 28-08-2017
via Smart Money People
Natwest rewards build up and you can swap them for money off savings or transfer cash back to your bank account. It is excellent for savers.
jacqueline ekoh
Worst Customer Service Ever
09:47 26-08-2017
via Smart Money People
My card was blocked from making online payments, and after calling in and chatting 6 times over three days my issue was never fixed. I was told it was, and given the representative's name to quote, but the issue remained and when I would call back no one would connect me to the person I had spoken to. Horrible experience and there have been others. Wouldn't recommend this bank to anyone.
George Koutsakis
Trustworthy
21:19 24-08-2017
via Smart Money People
Have had no issues with this reward account. Good customer service and worth it
Lauren Bates
Actual meaningful rewards
14:03 22-06-2017
via Smart Money People
The Rewards account from Natwest does exactly what it says on the tin. For a low monthly fee you get cashback on credit card purchases plus more importantly ... 3% back on all utility direct debits. Proper cash rewards, not a con.
Graham Furneaux-Porter
Good cash back but branches closing???
12:32 05-06-2017
via Smart Money People
I love my bank account with NatWest bank. I love the amount of cash back I get on my household bills. However I am so very sad at how many branches are closing. The nearest branch to me is over 10 miles away and I miss so much the face to face contact - although the app is brilliant. Sometimes you just need to speak with someone. And that is what's missing for me.
Louise Williams
Free money!
10:05 31-05-2017
via Smart Money People
The reward account is amazing, I get money back simply for paying my usual bills. A really amazing offer.
STownsend
Free money!
10:05 31-05-2017
via Smart Money People
The reward account is amazing, I get money back simply for paying my usual bills. A really amazing offer.
STownsend
Fantastic bank with wide selection of accounts!
15:30 30-05-2017
via Smart Money People
I've been a Natwest customer for about 5 years now and I have not once had a problem with them. I currently have a reward account which gives me 3% back when I pay household bills via direct debit. It's really easy and I profit by a couple of pounds each month. Something which you can then withdraw and place into a savings or even donate to charity! Staff in the branches are always helpful and most issues get resolved within 1-2 working days. Happy customer!
James Townsend
Shocking treatment by NatWest
09:57 18-05-2017
via Smart Money People
Having had my bank account for over 15 years (or more) without incident, I received a photocopied letter informing me out of the blue that following a banking review my account was going to closed 60 days after the date of the letter. It then went on to state that this decision had been made and basically that there was no point in contacting them because it woul not be discussed further! Took my banking elsewhere. Shocking behaviour in this day and age.
Phillip
Our review of NatWest | Reward Account
.png "Our review of NatWest | Reward Account is by Alex")
The NatWest Reward Current Account is one of the cheapest accounts they offer which results in limited benefits. Being able to earn cash on household bills is quite handy, especially as the two Direct Debits can also include your mobile phone bill. This system is also flexible as you can choose to receive your reward as cash straight to your account, as a voucher for well-known high-street NatWest partners or even to donate to charity. Better yet, NatWest don’t put a cap on the amount you can earn, so if you use this account for all of your household bills then you could earn a nice little bonus in the long run which will outweigh the £2 monthly fee.
As with most current account providers NatWest offer online banking, a mobile app and a UK call centre that’s open 24 hours should you need them. They can also boast one of the largest branch networks in the UK and even send pop-ups to some of the more rural areas where customers may not be close to a standard branch. One added benefit that does go above and beyond is that you can use the mobile app to withdraw cash from selected ATMs, which means if you’ve popped out without your purse or wallet, or had it stolen, then you can take out up to £130 per day to keep you going.
NatWest have received a disappointing reception from online reviewers and they’ve been given a rating of ‘bad’ on TrustPilot which covers the whole bank, rather than just their Reward Current Account. Customers have been left dissatisfied with long wait times, frustrating application processes and disappointing customer service, especially given that there are so many ways to contact them.
Overall verdict: For all the bad reviews there are some customers who have had a really positive experience with NatWest. Their Reward Current Account is basic, but you are only paying a small monthly fee – worth it if you are in charge of household bills and want to make the most of earning some cashback from them.
Highlights
- 3% Rewards on selected household bills paid by Direct Debit
- Withdraw cash without your card using the mobile app
- Switch in just 7 days
- One of the UK’s largest branch networks
Minimum criteria
- You must be aged over 18
- You need to be a UK resident
You are about to visit NatWest | Reward Account
Warning: Being declined could damage your credit file. You can check your eligibility on Choose Wisely without damaging your credit score.
OPTIOSCORE is Choose Wisely's unique customer friendliness rating.
Find out moreAbout NatWest | Reward Account
The NatWest Reward Current Account is one of many accounts that NatWest offer. It costs £2 per month but comes with a number of benefits. For example, customers can earn 3% in rewards on household bills by paying them via Direct Debit – this covers council tax, mobile, TV, water, gas, electricity and broadband. Once the rewards points are accrued and they total to the equivalent of at least £5 then this can be transferred directly to your NatWest Reward Current Account. There is no limit to how much customers can earn this way, however, customers can usually earn around £120 per year based on average monthly Direct Debits of £333. These rewards can also be exchanged for gift cards or vouchers codes for selected retailers. Alternatively they can be converted to money and donated to charities that partner with NatWest.
It takes about seven days to switch to a NatWest Reward Current Account and after that time customers can manage their account using their mobile or tablet app, online banking, telephone team, branches or even pop-up branches at rural locations. The mobile app also lets customers withdraw a maximum of £130 per day from RBS, NatWest or Tesco cash machines without having to use the card.