Advantage Blue
Great savings you can enjoy straightaway
A package of benefits to help you live your life. Choose mobile phone insurance or car breakdown cover. Plus savings on cinema tickets, gigs and more. Worth up to £252, for just £6.95 per month.
Advantage Blue comes packed with useful savings and extras.
Here’s a small selection:
Security - protect your mobile, or add car breakdown cover from Green Flag. Plus save your contacts online with Numbers Vault™
Travel and leisure - single trip cover for two weeks in Europe. Plus save on cinema tickets, gigs and even rail travel
Banking - get mini-statements, balances and balance alerts sent straight to your mobile phone
Best of all, Advantage Blue gives you all this for just £6.95 per month.
Insurance
Mobile phone insurance
Covers theft, unauthorised calls, loss, accidental damage and more. 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.
Car breakdown cover
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.
Read more about the cover on the Green Flag website
Travel insurance – two weeks, single European trips
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.
Accidental death benefit
If you were to die in an accident, your next of kin will automatically receive £10,000.
10% off car insurance
NatWest car insurance is already good value. This extra discount on your first year's premium sweetens the deal even more.
Travel and leisure
2 for 1 cinema tickets
A discount card will save you the price of a ticket when you see selected films at one of 62 Vue cinemas in the UK. Plus another card will give you savings at select independent cinemas.
Family & Friends Railcard or 16-25 Railcard
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.
25% off gigs and shows
Save money when you book your tickets through the Advantage Blue membership helpline. There’s a maximum of two tickets per booking.
Banking
Complimentary 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 account hits limits that you decide, and top-up as many as five mobile phones.
Security
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.
Backup the numbers on your mobile with Numbers Vault™
Save all your important information from your mobile to our secure online service, and transfer them to your new phone with ease.
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 |
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 the account once a month. Please see Section 8 of our leaflet: Personal and Private Banking – A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 147KB) for further details.
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 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 |
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'
Previous rates
The following 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:
| 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 |
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 applied to your account once a month on the dates set out in section 8 of our leaflet NatWest Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF File 271KB).
Charges – Arranged Overdrafts, Unarranged Overdrafts and Unpaid Items
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
| Fee type | When charged | 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. The charging period normally ends on the date that we send your statement to you. | Maintenance Charges are applied to your account on the dates detailed in section 8 of our leaflet Personal and Private Banking - A Guide to Fees and Interest (PDF 147KB) | £28 |
| Paid Referral Fee | ||
A Paid Referral Fee will be payable if:
| On the sixth business day of the calendar month after the calendar month in which the transaction(s) took place. | £30 for each day on which a Paid Referral occurs (subject to a maximum of £90 in any calendar month) |
| Guaranteed Card Payment Fee | ||
A Guaranteed Card Payment Fee will be payable if:
| At the time the transaction is paid or taken from your account. | £35 for each transaction |
| Unpaid Item Fee | ||
An Unpaid Item Fee will be payable if:
| At the time we decide not to make the payment | £38 for each item (subject to a maximum of £114 per day) |
| Making an informal request for an overdraft means that 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. However, we will not charge interest on any part of the overdrawn balance which represents either (i) a Default Notice Fee or other sum (apart from interest) you must pay us in connection with a breach of your obligations under your agreement with us; or (ii) a Maintenance Charge, Paid Referral Fee, Guaranteed Card Payment Fee or Unpaid Item Fee. For examples showing how our charges work, please see the section headed Unarranged Overdrafts and Unpaid Items in our leaflet Our Commitment to You. | ||
| 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.
Monthly Management Fee Option
If you regularly pay unarranged overdraft or unpaid item charges, we may agree with you that our Monthly Management Fee Option will apply to your account. Under this option:
- you pay a monthly management fee of £10;
- any Maintenance Charge, Unpaid Item Fee, Paid Referral Fee or Guaranteed Card Payment Fee which you have to pay will be reduced to £17;
- the Paid Referral Fee will be subject to a maximum of £51 in any calendar month and the Unpaid Item Fee will be subject to a maximum of £51 per day.
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 |
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 File 271KB).
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.
Mobile Phone Insurance
Saving based on T-Mobile Insurance worth up to £92.
Car Breakdown Cover
Saving based on Green Flag Motoring Assistance Level 1 Roadside Recovery Service.
Travel insurance
Based on NatWest Travel Protector single trip 'Europe'.
25% off top gigs and live shows
Saving based on 4 tickets costing £30 each using the service twice per year.
2 for 1 Cinema Tickets
Saving based on an average ticket price of £6 and visiting the cinema once a month.
Accidental Death Benefit
Saving based on Norwich Union's £1.99 per month cover for £20,000 worth of cover (May 2006).
10% off NatWest Car Insurance
Saving based on a premium of £563.80 for fully comprehensive cover on a Peugeot 206 1.4L for a 25 year old female driver, licence for 7 years with 5 years no claims discount living in DN12 4TR
16 – 25 Railcard (Young persons) or Family & Friends Railcard
Value based on cost of a 1 year Railcard at £24
Numbers Vault ™
Saving based on Phones 4 U standalone pay monthly fee of £1.99 (March 08)
Advantage Blue Membership Helpline
Open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday. Maximum call charge from a BT landline is 4p per minute. Calls from other networks may vary. Calls may be recorded.
Telephone and online banking
System updates may mean that the services are unavailable for short periods in the early hours of the morning.
Please also read our website terms and conditions which cover your use of this website.
Apply now
Call us on
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