Act Now Alerts
Helping you to minimise or even avoid unarranged overdraft fees
What will this service do?
Act Now Alerts can help you stay in control and minimise or even avoid fees for unarranged overdrafts and returned items. They specify the time by which you should credit your account with cleared funds to cover all payments and/or to bring your account back into credit or within any arranged overdraft limit.
There are some easy ways for you to pay cleared funds into your account (once you’ve checked your balance):
- transfer money from another NatWest account, for example via online or telephone banking or in branch; or
- pay in cash over the counter at your nearest branch.
Act Now Alerts are sent from 8am on business days (Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays).
If you sign up for Act Now Alerts we will send you a text, email or both, to warn you if:
- you don't have enough money in your account to cover a payment you have requested (eg Direct Debit) and we're going to return it unpaid and charge you a fee – unless you credit your account with cleared funds by the specified time;
- you don't have enough money in your account to cover a payment you have requested or falls due, and we're going to pay it, creating an unarranged overdraft and charge you a fee – unless you credit your account with cleared funds by the specified time;
- you're already using an unarranged overdraft and we were not able to send you an alert in advance (eg if you make a payment with your debit card on a train or plane where it is not possible to check that there is enough money in your account. In these circumstances, you may have already incurred an Unarranged Overdraft Fee before we are able to send you an alert); and
- you have been using an unarranged overdraft for five or more consecutive days.
We will usually only send you one alert per registered account on any given day. For example, if we pay an item (eg a Direct Debit) which creates an unarranged overdraft, we will send you an alert to inform you that an unarranged overdraft will be created on your account and that a fee will be charged unless you pay in cleared funds. If, on the same day, we receive a request to pay another item and we decide not to pay it, that item will be returned unpaid. However, you will not receive a second alert informing you of this.
Online
The quickest and easiest way to register is online. If you already bank online you can register next time you log on and your Act Now Alerts will be set up by the next business day. When you have logged on, just select 'Alerts' from the left-hand menu and then select the 'Manage your alerts' button on the next page. From here you can also turn off Act Now Alerts.
You can sign up for online banking and then register for Act Now Alerts. Please have your debit card to hand
Over the phone or at your local branch
Visit any of our branches and one of our staff will be able to register your account(s) to receive Act Now Alerts or call us on 0845 788 8444.
Whichever way you contact us Act Now Alerts will be set up by the next business day.
Can you rely on Act Now Alerts to avoid fees for unarranged overdrafts and returned items?
You cannot rely upon Act Now Alerts to avoid all unarranged overdraft fees. They're just one of the methods we offer you to help you keep track of your account, and it's always important that you check your balance regularly to avoid going overdrawn by mistake.
What happens if an Act Now Alert is not delivered?
If an Act Now Alert is returned undelivered we will try to resend it but we cannot guarantee that you'll definitely receive it in sufficient time for you to deposit cleared funds to minimise or avoid fees on that day. We will try to send your alerts, but will not be responsible if the service is unavailable at any time or you are not sent or do not receive an Act Now Alert.
Do Act Now Alerts work with all NatWest accounts?
They work with all NatWest current accounts as well as some savings accounts.
What should I know before I start to use the Alerts Service?
Please read the important information on the Alerts Service.