Assistant Editor – News & Investigations
6 January 2026
For the past three years Nationwide has given some existing customers a £100 ‘Fairer Share’ bonus. 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 the first three months of the year – so now’s the perfect time to maximise your chances.
Last year, a total of £400 million was paid to four million Nationwide members; the year before that it was £385 million to 3.85 million people.
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”.
See below for what you’ll need to do to get the payment if you’re an existing customer. If you’re not an existing customer, we’ve got full details on how to get it by switching.
Nationwide customer? What to do depends on your account
Assuming the building society keeps the same criteria as last year (there are no guarantees, but it’s a decent bet):
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Firstly, don’t close your Nationwide current account. Well, at least not until 31 March 2026.
AND…
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Secondly, use your current account in the first three months of this year. For this step, what you’ll need to do to qualify depends on which current account you have…
Account
What to do
FlexAccount, FlexBasic or FlexDirect
EITHER… In two of the first three months of this year, pay IN at least £500 (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+ 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
EITHER… Make a payment IN or OUT of your account in March 2026;
OR… Complete a full current account switch to Nationwide FlexOne or FlexStudent (not FlexGraduate) between 1 January and 31 March 2026.
FlexPlus packaged account
Just pay the monthly fee.
AND…
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Finally, ensure you have at least £100 in savings OR owe at least £100 on a mortgage with Nationwide in March 2026. If you don’t have either of those, stick £100 (or maybe £200 to be safe in case it changes its terms) into one of its savings accounts.
A good option could be Nationwide’s Flex Regular Saver – this is one of our top picks for regular savings and pays 6.5%, more than standard easy-access accounts. It’s designed for you to pay in up to £200 a month for a year, but you don’t have to – you could just make one deposit and withdraw it later (the account allows up to three penalty-free withdrawals a year).
Not with Nationwide? Get £175 to switch to it
If you’re not already a Nationwide customer, here’s what you can try:
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Firstly, switch your current account to Nationwide by 31 March 2026. Nationwide currently pays new switchers to its FlexDirect account a FREE £175, plus 5% interest on up to £1,500 held in the account and up to £5 a month cashback on debit card spending for a year. Other banks also pay from £175 up to £250 to switch, but Nationwide’s strong combo of perks makes it a good all-rounder.
Plus, if Nationwide keeps the same eligibility criteria as previously, it’s easier to get the Fairer Share payment by switching than it is being an existing customer, as fewer rules apply.
You must use the official Current Account Switch Service (CASS) by requesting the switch through Nationwide. You’ll see the option to do this when applying. For more info, see our bank switching need-to-knows.
(Alternatively, if you have a young person’s or student bank account elsewhere, you could switch using the CASS to a Nationwide FlexOne account (for those aged 11 to 17), or to a Nationwide FlexStudent account – but neither of these currently pay any switch bonuses, and you should check the accounts are suitable for you before making the move.)
AND…
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Secondly, stick £100 (or £200 to be even safer) into a Nationwide savings account OR owe at least £100 on a Nationwide mortgage in March 2026. As set out above, a good option could be its Flex Regular Saver – this is one of our top picks for regular savings and pays 6.5%, more than standard easy-access accounts. It’s designed for you to pay in up to £200 a month for a year, but you don’t have to – you could just make one deposit and withdraw it later (the account allows up to three penalty-free withdrawals a year).
For alternative bank switches, including a free £250 plus fee-free spending overseas from Lloyds, see our Best bank accounts guide.
Any payment will likely be treated as savings income for tax purposes
In 2023, 2024 and 2025, the £100 Fairer Share payment was taxable savings income, so it was treated in the same way as any interest you earned on your savings account or current account.
If this happens again, most people won’t have to pay tax on the reward, thanks to the personal savings allowance that allows basic-rate taxpayers to earn up to £1,000 a year from savings tax-free. But if you’re a higher-rate taxpayer and/or you have a substantial amount in non-ISA savings, you may have to pay tax on the £100 bonus.
For those who don’t file self-assessment returns to pay their taxes each year (which is most people), then you won’t need to do anything as Nationwide will report the bonus to HMRC automatically for you. However, if you’re in the self-assessment system, you will need to include any payment in your tax return.
Watch Martin’s savings interest video for full details on who pays savings tax, how you pay it if you owe it and, crucially, how to (legally) reduce the amount of tax you pay.