Advantage Blue
Benefits worth up to £241. Great savings you can enjoy straight away.
Advantage Blue brings you a package of benefits to help make life easier and more enjoyable, including:
- Travel insurance for you and your partner
- Mobile phone insurance or car breakdown cover
- Savings on cinema tickets and gigs and more
Enjoy up to £241 of savings, for just £6.95 a month.
- Travel insurance: two weeks, single European trips – save up to £25
Straightforward cover for you and your partner. It's perfect for your summer holiday. Simply call the Advantage Blue membership helpline to register your trip.
- Family & Friends Railcard or 16-25 Railcard – save up to £24
Travelling at weekends or after rush hour? Make big savings on those family days out – with a Family & Friends Railcard (previously Family Railcard), as long as at least one adult and child are travelling together. Up to two adults and four children can travel on one card.
A 16-25 Railcard (Previously Young Persons Railcard) offers big savings too, but for the cardholder only.
- 2 for 1 cinema tickets – potential saving up to £72
A discount card will save you the price of a ticket when you see selected films at one of nearly 70 Vue cinemas in the UK. Plus, another card will give you savings at select independent cinemas.
- 25% cash-back on top gigs and live shows – save up to £30
Save money when you book your tickets through the Advantage Blue membership helpline. There’s a maximum of two tickets for every event.
- Mobile phone insurance - potential saving of £84
Covers loss, theft, and accidental damage. Each Advantage Blue customer can register one SIM card and one mobile phone with an original retail cost or value up to £300 (including VAT).
You're also covered for unauthorised calls to the value of £1,000 for monthly contract phones and £100 for pay-as-you-go phones (including VAT).
You can choose mobile phone insurance or car breakdown cover – you can’t choose them both. However, you can get them together with Advantage Gold.
- Accidental Death Insurance – potential saving of up to £12
Your next of kin automatically receive £10,000.
- 10% off your first year’s car insurance premium – potential saving of up to £54
NatWest car insurance is already good value. This extra discount on your first year's premium could help you save even more.
- Car breakdown cover – potential saving of up to £37
Green Flag cover is there to help if your car breaks down. You can choose mobile phone insurance or car breakdown cover – you can’t choose them both. However, you can get them together with Advantage Gold.
- Backup the numbers on your mobile with Numbers Vault™ – potential saving of up to £24
Save all your important information from your mobile to our secure online service, and transfer them to your new phone with ease.
- Mobile phone banking and text alerts
Get mini statements showing your last six transactions, and a weekly balance sent straight to your mobile. Plus, get text alerts when your current account hits limits that you decide, and top-up as many as five mobile phones.
- Emergency cash
Lost your card or had it stolen? Call us anytime and we'll give you a code to withdraw up to £300 from your account - without a card. Simply visit any of our UK cash machines.
Potential Savings
| Account Benefit | Potential Savings |
|---|---|
| Numbers Vault™ | £24 |
| Railcards | £24 |
| 25% cash-back on top gigs and live shows | £30 |
| Accidental Death Insurance | £12 |
| Travel Insurance | £25 |
| 10% car insurance discount | £54 |
| 2 for 1 cinema Card | £72 |
| Mobile phone insurance OR car breakdown cover* | £84 |
| Total value | £325 |
| Annual Subscription (A monthly fee of just £6.95) | £84 |
| Save up to | £241 |
Mobile Phone Insurance
Saving based on T-mobile Standard policy at £6.99 per month (May 09).
Car Breakdown Cover
Saving based on Green Flag Motoring Assistance level 1 Roadside Recovery Service for a 22 year old male living in Leeds driving a 2004 Ford Fiesta (May 09).
Travel insurance
Saving based on NatWest Travel Insurance single trip 'Europe' (May 09). As a member you must contact Advantage Blue Travel Insurance to pre-register before travelling.
Cinema Membership Card
Saving based on our average ticket price of £6 and visiting the cinema once a month (May 09).
10% off NatWest Car Insurance
Saving based on 10% off first year's premium for fully comprehensive cover on a Peugeot 206 1.4L SW VERVE for a 25 year old female driver with a licence for over 3 years, 5 years No Claims Discount, £250 voluntary excess and mileage of 8,000 living in DN12 4TR (May 09).
16-25 Railcard (formally Young Persons Railcard)
Saving based on the cost of a 16-25 Railcard for 1 year (May 09).
Family & Friends Railcard (formally Family Railcard)
Saving based on the cost of a Family & Friends Railcard for 1 year (May 09).
25% cash-back on top gigs and live shows
Saving based on 4 tickets costing £30 each when booked through Advantage Blue Membership Services (May 09).
Accidental Death Insurance
Saving based on accidental death cover up to £10,000. Save £12 based on Aviva £1.99 per month, providing £20,000 worth of cover (May 09).
Numbers Vault™
Saving based on Phones 4u standalone pay monthly fee of £1.99 (May 09).
24/7 Emergency Cash
Service only available to existing NatWest customers using a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank branded UK cash machine. Only Online Banking and TelephoneBanking customers can access up to £300. All other customers are restricted to a maximum of £60.
* Saving based on T-mobile Standard policy at £6.99 per month (May 09). You may only choose Mobile Phone Insurance OR Car Breakdown cover. The value shown above is for Mobile Phone Insurance only.
This page provides a summary of the rates and charges that apply to NatWest current accounts.
Full copies of the fees and interest rates, and terms and conditions that apply to our personal accounts can be downloaded from our terms and conditions page.
You may need Adobe Reader to view some of these documents. Get Adobe Reader. Visit access.adobe.com.
We also have a separate page providing an update on unarranged overdraft charges.
Common definitions
Throughout this page, you'll see various terms being used. Here's what they mean:
Annual Equivalent Rate (AER). This is a notional rate used for interest bearing accounts which illustrates what the gross credit interest rate (excluding any bonus interest payable) would be if paid and compounded on an annual basis. It helps you to compare the effective rates of credit interest on different accounts.
Effective Annual Rate of Interest (EAR). This is the real annual cost of an overdraft, stated as an annual rate, which takes into account how often interest is charged to the account. All other charges, such as arrangement fees, must be shown separately from the EAR.
Gross Rate.This means the interest rate you are paid before the deduction of income tax.
Net Rate.This means the interest rate you are paid after the deduction of income tax.
Nominal Rate.The rate charged excluding compounding of interest and other charges associated with a borrowing, e.g. arrangement and security fees.
p.a.per annum (per year).
Subscription fees
Monthly subscription fees are payable on the following accounts. Membership includes access to all the benefits listed in the appropriate brochures and user guides.
| Type of current account | Subscription fee |
|---|---|
| Advantage Blue | £6.95 per month. Payable from your Current Plus, Step or Current Account |
Application of subscription fees
The subscription fee for each monthly charging period will be debited from your account 21 days after the end of that charging period (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday). The fee will appear on your statement as ‘CHG’. The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you.
Interest we pay you
The annual rates of interest paid on credit balances:
| Type of current account | Amount | Gross Rate % | Net Rate % | AER% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Plus | Any amount | 0.10 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Step Account | Any amount | 0.10 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Please note that interest in not paid on our 'Current Account' | ||||
Calculation and application of interest.
Interest is calculated on a daily basis and paid into your account once a month, usually the day after we issue your statement. The exception to this is our Cash Account, where interest is paid within the first eight days of each month.
Interest due on overdrawn balances
1. Arranged overdrafts
If you have arranged an overdraft facility with us in advance and you use this facility within the thresholds shown below, you will not pay any interest.
If the amount you overdraw under an arranged overdraft facility exceeds these thresholds, you will pay interest at the rates shown in the tables below on the overdrawn balance – even the part of the balance which is within any interest free threshold that applies to your account. However, we will not charge interest on any part of the overdrawn balance which represents fees, charges or costs of the kind described in section 6 of our leaflet: Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 114KB) under the heading Sums which do not bear interest.
If you have arranged an overdraft facility with us in advance under which you pay interest at a rate other than the rates shown in the tables below, the interest free thresholds shown below will not apply to your account.
Interest free thresholds
| Type of account | Interest free threshold |
|---|---|
| Current Account | £100 |
| Current Plus | £100 |
Current rates
The following rates are effective from 28 April 2008
| Type of account | Nominal monthly rate% | Nominal annual rate % | EAR % variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account, Current Plus and Private Bank Account Credit Zone Overdrafts | |||
| All amounts | 1.48 | 17.73 | 19.24 |
| 19.24% EAR Typical (variable) | |||
We'll arrange a Credit Zone Overdraft, depending on your circumstances.
Your overdraft may be subject to an arrangement fee. Our unarranged borrowing rate and fees will apply if you borrow over your arranged limit. Please see the 'Charges' section below for details.
Previous rates
The following previous rates were effective from 02 January 2007
| Type of account | Previous nominal monthly rate% | Previous nominal annual rate % | Previous EAR % variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account, Current Plus and Private Bank Account Credit Zone Overdrafts | |||
| Below £1,000 | 1.53 | 18.36 | 19.99 |
| £1,000 - £4,999 | 1.49 | 17.87 | 19.41 |
| £5,000+ | 1.34 | 16.12 | 17.37 |
| 19.99% EAR Typical (variable) Rates from 19.41% to 19.99% EAR | |||
2. Unarranged overdrafts
Any amount overdrawn without an arranged overdraft or in excess of an arranged overdraft limit will be charged at the following rates:
The following rates are effective from 01 October 2009
| Type of current account | Nominal monthly rate % | Nominal annual rate % | EAR % Typical variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account | 1.48 | 17.73 | 19.24 |
| Current Plus | 1.48 | 17.73 | 19.24 |
The following previous rates were effective from 06 September 2004
| Type of current account | Nominal monthly rate % | Nominal annual rate % | EAR % Typical variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Account | 2.19 | 26.28 | 29.69 |
| Current Plus | 2.19 | 26.28 | 29.69 |
However, we will not charge interest on any part of the overdrawn balance which represents fees, charges or costs of the kind described in section 6 of our leaflet: Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 114KB) under the heading Sums which do not bear interest.
Interest at the appropriate rate is charged in addition to the Maintenance Charge. The Paid Referral Fee and / or Guaranteed Card Payment Fee may also be payable if the unarranged overdraft arises from an informal request by you for an overdraft. Please see the 'Charges' sections below for details.
Interest on arranged and unarranged overdrafts is calculated on a daily basis and charged monthly. The interest we charge in each charging period will be debited from your account 21 days after the end of that charging period (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday). The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you. If we are going to debit interest from your account, we will give you not less than 14 days’ notice of how much we are going to debit and when.
Charges – Arranged Overdrafts, Unarranged Overdrafts, Unpaid Items and Enforcement Charges
The charges shown in this section do not normally apply to the other accounts we offer to Personal and Private Banking customers. However, we sometimes allow other accounts (including savings accounts) to be operated in a way which enables the customer to give instructions for a withdrawal or other payment which cannot be met from the funds in the account. If this happens, the charges listed below in the sub-section "Unarranged overdrafts and unpaid items – charges" will apply.
Arranged overdrafts – arrangement and renewal fees
| Fee payable | |
|---|---|
| Current Account, Current Plus, Private Bank Account and Advantage Gold | |
| Credit Zone Overdrafts up to and including £7,500, where interest is charged at the standard Credit Zone Overdraft rate | No fee |
| Credit Zone Overdrafts over £7,500 or Credit Zone Overdrafts where an interest rate other than the standard Credit Zone Overdraft rate is payable | 2% of the new limit (minimum £30) |
| Temporary or increased facilities for all customers | |
| If you wish to increase an existing facility at any time contact your Relationship Manager or your branch. Any fees payable will be advised to you at that time. | |
Unarranged overdrafts and unpaid items – charges
If we are going to debit any of the fees and charges set out in the table below from your account, we will give you not less than 14 days’ notice of how much we are going to debit and when.
| Fee type | When charged on current accounts* | Fee amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance charge | ||
| If your account becomes overdrawn without prior arrangement or any arranged overdraft limit is exceeded, you will be liable for a monthly Maintenance Charge. The Maintenance Charge will be applied if you have an unarranged overdraft at any time during a monthly charging period. | 21 days after the end of the charging period (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday, or Bank Holiday). The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you. | £20 |
| Paid Referral Fee | ||
A Paid Referral Fee will be payable if:
| 21 days after the end of the charging period in which the transaction was paid or taken from your account (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday, or Bank Holiday). The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you. | £15 for each day on which a Paid Referral occurs (subject to a maximum of £90 in any charging period). |
| Guaranteed Card Payment Fee | ||
A Guaranteed Card Payment Fee will be payable if:
| 21 days after the end of the charging period in which the transaction was paid or taken from your account (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday). The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you. | £15 for each transaction (subject to a maximum of £90 in any charging period) |
| Unpaid Item Fee | ||
An Unpaid Item Fee will be payable if:
| 21 days after the end of the charging period in which we decide not to make the payment (or on the next business day if this is a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday). The charging period normally ends on the date that we issue your statement to you. | £5 for each item (subject to a maximum of £50 in any charging period) |
| Making an informal request for an overdraft means you will have to pay a Paid Referral Fee, a Guaranteed Card Payment Fee or an Unpaid Item Fee. If an unarranged overdraft arises, you will also have to pay the Maintenance Charge and interest on the amount overdrawn (except so far as it represents fees, charges or costs of the kind described in Section 6 of our leaflet: Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 114KB) under the heading Sums which do not bear interest). For examples showing how our charges work, please see the section headed Unarranged Overdrafts and Unpaid Items in our leaflet Our Commitment to You (PDF file 365KB). | ||
| * Savings account customers who have to pay any of the fees detailed in the table above should refer to the table in section 7 of our leaflet Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 114KB) under the heading ‘Charging and application times for fees incurred on savings accounts’ for details of charging periods and the dates when fees will be deducted. | ||
| Enforcement | ||
| A Default Notice Fee will be payable if we need to serve a default notice on you (for example, if you fail to repay your overdraft on demand or we wish to enforce any security we hold). This is in addition to any other charges that may apply. | Within four days of the Default Notice being served. | £30 per notice |
Note that the Maintenance Charge, Guaranteed Card Payment Fee and Paid Referral Fee do not apply to Student and Graduate Accounts.
Note that the Maintenance Charge, Guaranteed Card Payment Fee, Paid Referral Fee and Default Notice Fee do not apply to Step Accounts.
Additional services
| Stopping payment instructions | |
|---|---|
| Stopping a cheque (unless it has been lost or stolen) | £10 |
| Payments | |
|---|---|
| Obtaining a banker's draft | £12 |
| Obtain a special cheque clearance | £15 |
| CHAPS payments | £23 - between banks £21 - between our branches |
| Obtaining copies of statements | £5 per request |
| Arrangement fee for Advantage Private FlexiLoans | Any fees payable will be advised to you at the time |
| FlexiLoan arrangement fee | 2% of amount borrowed (minimum fee £100 |
| Emergency Cash Service | Any fees payable will be advised at the time |
| Safe Custody | |
|---|---|
| Annual Holding Charges (payable annually in arrears) | |
|
|
| Initial and subsequent re-deposit(s) | £9.79 |
Annual Holding Charges are applied in arrears so any withdrawal made prior to the anniversary of the deposit will incur a pro-rated amount of the annual charge. In addition, a £9.79 fee will be charged for initial deposits and any re-deposits following item inspection or temporary release. The charges set out above are inclusive of VAT.
If the service you are looking for is not shown in the table above, please ask at any branch or call the number on your statement summary sheet.
Important information
For the full terms and conditions, please download NatWest Personal and Private Banking - Terms and Conditions (PDF 330KB).
Advantage Blue costs £6.95 a month and is an additional service on your Step, Current or Current Plus account.
You must hold a Step, Current or Current Plus account, without which the remainder of the Advantage Blue benefits are unavailable. Advantage Blue runs for an initial period of six months and is renewable monthly thereafter.
You have the right to cancel Advantage Blue during the first 14 days of taking out the service. We will refund you with any monthly fees you have already paid and no future fees for Advantage Blue will be charged.
If you wish to cancel after the cooling-off period, but before the end of your initial six months, you will be required to pay the remaining monthly premiums up to the end of the initial six-month period.
Full details of all benefits and how to access them will be available in your Advantage Blue Welcome Pack. For further details on our insurance products please refer to your insurance policy summaries.
Important Information - Advantage Guarantee
If you open your Advantage Account on or after 7 May 2009, you will be eligible to benefit from our Advantage Guarantee.
If you use any of the Advantage Account benefits within 60 days of your account being opened and are not satisfied within that 60 day period, we will refund all subscription fees you have paid for your Advantage Account in the first 60 days of account opening.
We reserve the right to change or withdraw the Advantage Guarantee at any time without giving you prior notice.
To claim a refund please call our freephone helpline 0800 408 0337 (minicom 0870 600 0856).
Lines are open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm Saturdays. Max call charge from a BT landline is 8p plus up to 6p per minute. Calls from other networks may vary. Calls may be recorded.
Please also read our website terms and conditions which cover your use of this website.
Apply now
Apply at
0800 200 400
Minicom
0800 917 0526
Lines are open: Mon to Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-6pm
(excl. public holidays).
Calls may be recorded