Nationwide Credit/Debit cards - new deal for abroad

[Robert5988]

Until a couple of years ago Nationwide 'plastic' was the best buy for use in the USA and other countries and the cards of choice for many regular visitors. They then imposed charges which made it more expensive, albeit still cheaper than many cards.


However they have had a change of heart for Nationwide account holders and they are issuing new cards which are even better than before as there is 'cashback' on the credit card.

Some 400,000 Nationwide customers are in the process of receiving an upgraded credit card that is free to use overseas and comes with cashback.
The building society will give eligible members a new plastic, called the Select credit card, that comes with no fees to use abroad plus 1% back on UK purchases for the first three months, then 0.5%.
Nationwide began the Select card roll-out in September. It is expected to be complete by the end of January.
The card is one of the best deals available for spenders. Nationwide says it may make it available to new customers.
Higher cashback is available but it is rare for card firms to combine cashback and fees-free overseas use.
However, only those who pay the card in full will get the maximum benefits otherwise interest will dwarf the rewards.
Who qualifies?
Only those with a Nationwide FlexAccount, where it is their main current account, and holders of the Classic, Gold or Cash Reward credit card will get the new Select card.
A main current account is defined as one that comes with a Visa debit card where the user has transferred an old account using the society's transfer service or has deposited £750 or more per month for the past three months.

[bargainqueen]

We should qualify for this but as yet haven't received any info from Nationwide. Thanks for the information.

[burtonl]

I wonder if it will be a Mastercard rather than Visa card as I think they only introduced the 1% fee to pass on the Visa fees.

I already have a Nationwide card and it's very good even with the 1% charge as their exchange rates are excellent but we also have the Santander Zero Mastercard which is even better as excellent exchange rates but no extra 1% charge so we only use the Nationwide card as a back up now. The new card sounds like it will be better than both! Haven't heard from them yet though.

Until a couple of years ago Nationwide 'plastic' was the best buy for use in the USA and other countries and the cards of choice for many regular visitors. They then imposed charges which made it more expensive, albeit still cheaper than many cards.


However they have had a change of heart for Nationwide account holders and they are issuing new cards which are even better than before as there is 'cashback' on the credit card.

[shockey]

We have got the new Select cards. They are Visa cards like the old ones.

The fee-free deal only applies to the new credit card. There is still a fee for using the debit card in the US, so they haven't gone entirely back to the old days.

You also get the travel insurance. Although the free cover only applies to Europe, you can extend it to worldwide cover, including the US, for only £20. You can also extend the maximum stay (31 days with the basic cover) for a reasonable charge, so overall it's a pretty good deal.