Switching your current account to NatWest

Every NatWest current account comes with a full range of services to help you stay in control of your money. Here are ten reasons to move your everyday banking to NatWest.

1. We’ll make it easy to switch to us - It’s easy to switch your everyday banking to NatWest. Our dedicated switching team will help switch your regular payments and you’ll be sent a credit redirection letter to help you move your salary and other payments.
2. Emergency cash to the rescue - If you lose your debit card, we’ll give you a code to withdraw up to £60, or up to £300 if you bank online, from any NatWest or RBS cash machine. You'll need to have at least £25 available in your account as a minimum – and enough money to cover what you take out. Find out more about our Emergency Cash Service.
3. Keep on top of your balance - Sign up for Balance Alerts and we’ll text you your balance on the day you choose every week. We can also text you when your balance hits any upper or lower limit you set. Use it to warn yourself when your money’s running low. Find out more about Balance Alerts.
4. Get smart with our mobile banking app - If you have an iPhone, iPad, Android or BlackBerry, download our free app and you’ll be able to see the balance of all your NatWest accounts as well as transfer money between them on the move. Use it to find your nearest branch and see mini-statements. Network charges may apply. Find out more on mobile phone banking.
5. Helping you avoid overdraft charges with Act Now Alerts - We’ll send you a text or email if you’re about to slip into, or already using, an unarranged overdraft. This could help you avoid incurring fees. Where possible, we’ll also let you know when you should pay in more funds to cover any charges. Find out more and how to register for Act Now Alerts.
6. Get Activity Alerts - If we have your mobile number we’ll automatically send you an Activity Alert as confirmation when certain activities take place on your account – like sending you a new card or PIN. Peace of mind and increased security, too. Find out more about Activity Alerts.
7. Award winning online banking - As the 2011 winner of the Your Money Award for Best Online Banking Provider, our Online Banking service lets you do your banking when it suits you. Check your balances, transfer money, pay bills and view statements 24/7.
8. Know your account’s safe online - Our Online and Mobile Banking Security Promise commits us to refund any money taken from your account if we find you have been a victim of fraud while banking or shopping online.
9. We can help you day or night - If you need to speak to us, our UK call centres are open 24/7 – just one of the reasons we won Best Bank in the Top 50 Call Centre Awards in 2011. Note that NatWest call centres were tested as part of the assessment for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
10. Call in and see us on Saturdays - In 2011 we won a Your Money Award for Best National Branch Network – and many of them are now open on Saturdays. Just the thing if you’re too busy during the week.

We’ll do everything we can to make the process go as smoothly as possible. It’s very unlikely that you will incur bank charges as a result of an error or unnecessary delay on our part. However, if this happens we’ll refund these charges in full.

When we receive your application we will send you details of a telephone line direct to our dedicated switching team who will answer any questions you may have on your switch.

Here we solve some of the most common questions that people have when they’re thinking about moving their account.

How long does it take?

Generally, we'll give you what you need to operate your account within 10 business days of approving your application. We'll move all your Standing Orders and Direct Debits within 17 days but we do rely on your Direct Debit companies to update their payment information. We'll also let you know the date they will start taking effect from.

Will I get charged for moving my account?

There are no fees or charges associated with switching your account. This service is complimentary when you take out a NatWest current account.

What will I need to do?

Our switching team will do most of the work for you, so you won’t need to worry.

• If you apply to switch on our website or over the phone, you will need to sign and return the switcher form we post you.
• Make sure you give the credit redirection letter to your employer, pension provider or any other organisations making regular payments into your account. We will send this to you or you can download one here ( PDF, 72KB).
• You'll also need to return all cheque books and debit cards to your old bank.
• Finally, check that everything is proceeding as planned.

Will I get credit checked to switch?

No, the switcher process doesn’t include any form of credit checking. New applications for current accounts could be subject to credit checks. Please read the important information and relevant terms and conditions for the product before applying.

What happens if something goes wrong?

It's unlikely that things will go wrong because our specialist switching team work hard to make sure they won’t.

If however, you do incur bank charges as a result of an error or unnecessary delay on our part we will refund these charges in full.

What are Direct Debits and Standing Orders?

Direct Debits – These are payments where you (the customer) gives authority for the beneficiaries to claim payments from your account and you instruct their bank to allow payments to be taken. Common examples of Direct Debits are utility bills, mobile phone payments and council tax payments.

Standing Orders – These are payments where you (the customer) instructs your bank to send money. These are more simple than Direct Debits as there is no requirement for the beneficiary to claim the money. Common examples of Standing Orders are regular transfers to savings accounts or other family members.

More questions?

Go into your local NatWest branch or call to speak to a customer advisor on 0800 148 8323 (Minicom 0800 917 0526).

If you prefer to switch your Direct Debits and Standing Orders yourself, you can. There are four steps.

1. Ensure your salary and any other income – such as pensions or other benefits, gets paid into your NatWest account. Please complete our credit redirection letter ( PDF, 72KB) and send this to whoever pays money into your account.
2. Request a list of Standing Orders and Direct Debits from your old bank and cancel these old Standing Orders.
3. Set these standing orders up individually on your NatWest account making sure you update all your Direct Debit companies with your new sort code and account number.
4. Once all Standing Orders and Direct Debits can be seen on your new NatWest account, you can now close your old account and transfer any remaining funds to your new account.

Please note that it can take a few weeks for companies to make the relevant changes to your Direct Debits, so you'll need to make sure you do it well in advance of the payment dates.

If you have a large number of items to move this can be time consuming, with lots of forms to fill in and send off. So why not let our dedicated team do it for you – for free – and reduce the hassle of switching.

We'll help make it easy for you to get your salary paid into your new NatWest account.

If you apply online or by phone we'll send you credit redirection letters once we have received your returned switching form, all you need to do is to enter the details of your new account and then give them to the people who pay money into your account – for example your employer, your pension provider or benefits provider. It's that simple.

If you come into a branch to sign up for your account and give us the switching form, we'll print you off some paper copies of the credit redirection letters you need instead.

You can also find a copy of a redirection letter in pdf format which you download and print anytime.

Credit redirection letter ( PDF, 72KB)

To make switching easy for you we do all the time-consuming work. We'll get a list of all your regular payments like electricity bills, mortgage payments and subscriptions from your existing bank and let everyone know you’ve switched. We'll sort out moving across all your Direct Debits and Standing Orders and save you the hassle.

What we do

Direct Debits

• Tell all the organisations you have Direct Debits with about your new account and ask them to send your bills to us from now on
• Tell your existing bank to cancel all these payments
• Give you a date on which your Direct Debits will start taking effect – providing the companies have taken relevant action

Standing Orders

• Tell your existing bank to cancel all these payments
• Set up Standing Orders on your new account exactly as they are set up on your existing account
• Give you a date on which your Standing Orders will start taking effect

As a part of the Switcher process you can request us to ask your existing bank to close the account. We can also ask them to transfer the remaining balance to your NatWest account if you requested to close your existing account as part of the switcher process.

We recommend that you double check that it has been closed. Make sure you check your statements carefully to make sure everything is proceeding as planned.

You'll need to return all cheque books, paying in books and debit cards to your old bank if you have them.

Did you know we could look to match the overdraft you have with your existing bank?

Simply go to your local branch to open your new account taking your last month’s bank statement from your existing account and something that shows your overdraft limit (a letter, online banking print-out or cash machine receipt will do) where they will look to match your existing deal. We also need something that confirms your salary (i.e. payslip)

Please note, not all accounts offer overdraft facilities – your local branch will be happy to discuss which account is suitable for you.

Credit facilities: over 21s only.

Facility matching is subject to a limit of £4,000 for personal accounts and £10,000 for private accounts.

Facility matching is subject to normal credit scoring assessments which the Customer Advisor in your local branch will be happy to explain to you.

To help you during switching we offer a three-month interest fee overdraft from account opening.

If you open a Select Platinum, Select Silver or Select Current Account and use the NatWest dedicated switching service, the interest free period on any agreed overdraft will commence when we process your switching request and will end three months after the account was first opened.

The overdraft confirmation information we will issue to you after we have agreed to provide the overdraft will contain a Total Cost of Credit amount. Under the Consumer Credit Act we are required to provide you with details of the cost of credit covering a period of three months based on the whole overdraft facility being drawn in full over that period.

When we calculate the Total Cost of Credit, we will use the interest rate that applies to the overdraft at the time the facility is agreed. Please note that where we have not yet processed your transfer of account instructions when the overdraft is agreed, the rate used in the calculation will be the rate that will apply when the interest free period ends. The Total Cost of Credit amount is illustrative only and the actual cost will depend on your use of the overdraft, which will include the interest free period you may enjoy.

Please note, not all accounts offer overdraft facilities – please refer to our current accounts section which will help you select an account that is right for you.

Credit facilities: over 18s only.
Provision of an overdraft is subject to normal credit scoring assessment.
Overdraft repayable on demand.

You’ll be looked after by our specialist switching team, who will answer any questions, do most of the legwork and keep you up-to-date on what’s happening.

Our specialist switching team will:

• let you know when we've received your application
• give you letters to send to your employer and other organisations paying money into your account
• get a list of your Direct Debits and Standing Orders from your old bank
• tell the companies you have Direct Debits with about your new account and ask them to update their records
• set up Standing Orders on your new account
• ask your old bank to cancel payments from your old account
• ask your old bank to close your account and transfer the balance to your new account – if you want us to

We have a team of people in place dedicated to making your switch as smooth and as easy as possible. They will keep you up-to-date about how your switch is progressing and answer any questions you might have. You'll be able to phone them directly using the special number we'll give you. So, you'll be straight through to experts on switching.

The switching team will:

• confirm that we've received your application
• give you letters for your employer and other organisations that regularly pay money into your account with your new details
• get your old bank to provide a list of your Direct Debits and Standing Orders
• organise Standing Orders on your new account
• give your Direct Debit companies your new account details and tell them to update their records
• request your old bank cancels payments from your old account
• ask your old bank to close your account and transfer any balance to your new account, if you'd like us to

What we ask you to do

You’ll need to change the account your salary is paid into, and other regular incomes like a pension or benefits. To make this easy, we'll give you letters that have all the necessary details on them – all you need to do is sign and send them to the right people.

You'll also need to give your old cheque books, paying in books and debit cards back to your old bank.

It’s up to your existing bank and the companies you have Direct Debits with to make sure they update your details using the information we’ll send them. We recommend that you confirm your old account has been closed and check your statements carefully to make sure everything is going ahead as it should.

If you don't already have a NatWest current account you'll need to apply for one before you can switch accounts.

During your application you'll be asked if you want to switch from an account with another bank. So, say yes when you're asked, “Would you like to switch your existing account to us?’’

You’ll need your old bank statements to hand to help you answer any questions about your old account.

You need to start by choosing your new account.

Apply for a current account now

You'll need to sign the form in black ink and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided – or drop it into your local branch.

Once we've got it back we'll confirm we've received it and tell you what to expect next. You’ll be provided with the phone number to our specialist switching team so you can ask them anything you're unsure about.

If you don't already have a NatWest current account you'll need to apply for one before you can switch accounts.

Make sure that when you begin the account application, you tell the Customer Advisor that you would like to switch you existing account to NatWest.

Once your account has been opened, you will then be sent the switching pack which will contain your switcher form that we ask you to complete and return in the pre-paid envelope provided.

Having your old bank statement to hand will help you answer any questions relating to your old account.

You can see the different kinds of current accounts available if you click the button below.

View current accounts

If you apply to switch by phone, we'll still need your signature to confirm that you want us to switch your account. Once you have opened your new account we will send you a switcher pack which will contain your switcher form.

You'll need to sign the form in black ink and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided or drop it in to your branch.

Once we've received your form, we'll send you confirmation and tell you what to expect next. You’ll also be given the specialist switching team’s direct phone number so you can ask them anything you're unsure about.

If you don't already have a NatWest current account you'll need to apply for one before you can switch accounts.

Make sure that when you begin the account application, you tell the Customer Advisor that you would like to switch your existing account to NatWest.

Once your account has been opened, the Customer Advisor will ask you to sign the switching form provided. This will then be sent to our switching team to begin the switching process.

Taking in your old bank statement when you go into the branch will help you answer any questions relating to your old account.

Take a look at the different accounts available to you online before you go in to a branch, and if you have any questions, the Customer Advisor can help explain the differences between accounts to you. Then you can choose the one that is right for you.

You can see the different kinds of current accounts available if you click the button below.

View current accounts

Take your ID with you if you go into a branch to open your account, so we can verify your identity and address. Have a look at the documents you can use.

It's easy to switch all your regular payments like Direct Debits and Standing Orders as you've already got a current account with NatWest. We can also help you make sure your salary, and other incomes like benefits, get paid in to your account.

The quickest and easiest way to do this is online. You just need to fill in the form to give us details like your account number and sort code for both your old account and your new NatWest account. Having these to hand will help you speed up the process.

Don't forget, you can transfer in money from a range of different banks like Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays. And you don't just have to stick to current accounts you can also transfer over savings and e-accounts too if you want. But don't transfer over any ISAs or fixed rate accounts – these have special conditions attached to them.

If you apply to switch online we'll need your signature to confirm that you want us to switch your account. Switching is easy as you already have a NatWest current account just fill in the form here. We'll send you a letter confirming your application to switch together with a form for you to sign.

You'll need to sign the form in black ink in the place indicated and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided or drop it into your local branch.

Once we've got it back we'll confirm we've received it and tell you what to expect next for your account. Most importantly we'll give you details of the special phone line direct to our specialist switching team so you can ask them anything you're unsure about.

Tell the customer service advisor that you want to switch your banking to your NatWest account. They will take details of your old and your new accounts – so having an old bank statement to hand will help you answer any questions relating to your old account.

But you might find it easier just to fill in the form on this page and get started straight away.

If you apply to switch by phone we'll need your signature to confirm that you want us to switch your account. Switching is easy as you already have a NatWest current account. We'll send you a letter confirming your application to switch together with a form for you to sign.

You'll need to sign the form in black ink and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided or drop it in to your branch.

Once we've got it back we'll confirm we've received it and tell you what to expect next. You'll be provided with the phone number of our specialist switching team who will be on hand to answer any questions.

Because you've already got a NatWest current account it's easy for you to switch accounts.

Talk to a customer service advisor about switching. You'll need to fill in a form, giving details of the accounts that you want to switch so it will be handy if you can bring in old bank statements for the accounts you want to switch from. This will help you answer any questions about your old account.

You can start by applying online now if you prefer. Just fill in the online form.

Once we have your completed switching form, we will pass it to our specialist switching team who will:

• Give you with letters to send to your employer and other organisations that pay money into your account regularly
• Get a list of your Direct Debits and Standing Orders from your old bank
• Tell your Direct Debit companies about your new account details and ask them to update their records
• Set up Standing Orders on your new account
• Ask your old bank to cancel payments from your old account
• Ask your other bank to close your account and transfer the balance to your new account – if you want us to

What we ask you to do

The main thing we can’t do on your behalf is to change the account where you receive your salary or other regular income like a pension or benefits. We’ll help to make this as simple as possible by providing you a letter you can use ( PDF, 72KB).

You'll also need to return all cheque books and debit cards to your old bank.

It is up to your existing bank and the companies you have Direct Debits with to make sure they update your details from what we send them. Because of this we recommend that you confirm your old account has been closed and that you check your statements carefully to make sure everything is proceeding as planned.