The Fairer Share bonus is “likely” but “not guaranteed” to be announced in the coming months
Nationwide customers may be eligible for a complimentary £100 later this year, provided they satisfy specific requirements. The cash payment is expected to be revealed in May, though eligibility will likely hinge on meeting conditions earlier in the year.
For the past three years, Nationwide has distributed a £100 bonus to qualifying existing customers, referred to as “fairer share”. Last year saw £400 million distributed amongst four million Nationwide members.
However, as noted, certain criteria must be fulfilled. In a recent update, the Money Saving Expert (MSE) team outlined the steps needed to qualify.
Initially, they cautioned that the payment is “not guaranteed”. The MSE website stated: “It’s likely, though not guaranteed, to do the same again this year. In previous years, the scheme has been announced in May and paid in June, though whether you got it depended on if you met the qualifying criteria in January, February and/or March – so now’s the perfect time to maximise your chances.
“Though January has passed, you could still qualify by meeting the conditions for February and/or March – see below for what you’ll likely need to do to get the payment if you’re an existing customer.”
MSE continued: “We don’t yet know if Fairer Share payments will definitely happen again in 2026 – Nationwide told us that, as in previous years, the final decision ‘will be announced as part of [its] full year results in May’.”
How to qualify
Assuming the building society keeps the same criteria as last year, these are the criteria to check.
“Firstly, don’t close your Nationwide current account,” MSE said. “Well, at least not until 31 March 2026. And secondly, use your current account in the first three months of this year (January, February, March). Even if you didn’t do this in January, you still have options. What you need to do to qualify depends on which current account you have.”
FlexAccount, FlexBasic or FlexDirect
If you have a FlexAccount, FlexBasic or FlexDirect account you need to:
- Either – In two of the first three months of this year, pay in at least £500 from a non-Nationwide account (this could be your salary, for example) and make two payments out of your account;
- Or In two of the first three months of the year, make 10 or more payments out of your account;
- Or if you can’t do the above, between 1 January and 31 March 2026, complete a full current account switch from another provider to Nationwide
FlexOne, FlexGraduate or FlexStudent
If you have a FlexOne, FlexGraduate or FlexStudent account you need to:
- Either in March 2026, make a payment in from a non-Nationwide account or make a payment out of your account;
- Or complete a full current account switch to Nationwide FlexOne or FlexStudent (not FlexGraduate) between 1 January and 31 March 2026
FlexPlus packaged account
For this you just need to pay the monthly fee.
It’s important to know that payments in must be from a non-Nationwide account. Payments out can include debit card transactions, Direct Debits, bank transfers and standing orders (but not transfers to other Nationwide accounts you have).
On top of these rules, regardless of the type of account you have you must ensure you have at least £100 in savings or owe at least £100 on a mortgage with Nationwide in March 2026.
For more information, visit the MSE website here.
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