“More people than ever are choosing Nationwide,” Dame Debbie Crosbie said on 21 May, announcing the building society’s strongest year for current account growth on record. A million new accounts had opened in the twelve months prior. Over 300,000 customers switched from rival banks. She then confirmed £440 million would be paid to 4.4 million members in June. Those million new accounts are not on that list.
The Fairer Share scheme distributes a share of Nationwide’s annual profits directly to eligible members. As a mutual building society with no outside shareholders, Nationwide can return profits this way where high street banks cannot. Since it launched in 2023, the scheme has paid out £1.5 billion across four payments.
To qualify for the 2026 Nationwide Fairer Share payment, members needed two things in place by 31 March 2026: a qualifying Nationwide current account and either at least £100 in Nationwide savings or at least £100 outstanding on a Nationwide residential mortgage. The account type determines what additional activity was required to count as qualifying.
Table of Contents
Who Qualifies for the Nationwide Fairer Share Payment in 2026
Not every Nationwide current account qualifies automatically. Each account type carries its own activity requirements, all assessed against the January to March 2026 period.
FlexPlus
Members with a FlexPlus account needed only to have paid the £18 monthly account fee. No transaction thresholds apply.
FlexAccount, FlexDirect and FlexBasic
These three accounts share the same requirements. In two of the three months between January and March 2026, members must have met at least one of the following:
- Received £500 or more from outside Nationwide and made at least two payments out
- Made ten or more payments out of the account, with no minimum deposit required
Members who completed a full switch to any of these accounts via the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) between 1 January and 31 March 2026 are exempt from both conditions above.
FlexOne, FlexStudent and FlexGraduate
These accounts have a lower bar. Members needed at least one payment in or one payment out during March 2026 only. Charges and interest do not count toward this.
FlexOne and FlexStudent holders who completed a CASS switch between 1 January and 31 March 2026 are also exempt from the activity requirement. FlexGraduate holders are not covered by the switcher exemption.
The Savings and Mortgage Qualifying Threshold
Alongside a qualifying current account, members must satisfy one of the following:
- Qualifying savings: At least £100 across one or more Nationwide personal savings accounts or cash ISAs at the close of any single day during March 2026
- Qualifying mortgage: At least £100 owed on a Nationwide residential mortgage on 31 March 2026
The £100 threshold is low. Most active Nationwide savers and mortgage holders already clear it. What disqualifies most people is the current account activity side, not the balance.
Do Both People on a Joint Account Receive the £100?
Yes, provided both individually meet the eligibility criteria. Under Nationwide’s 2026 terms, a joint account’s full balance counts toward each person’s eligibility separately. A couple holding a joint current account and a joint mortgage will both qualify, receiving £100 each.
Where it gets more nuanced is with sole-name savings. If a savings account is held in only one person’s name, only that person qualifies through the savings route. For both individuals to receive a payment, each needs their own qualifying product alongside the current account, whether held jointly or in their own name.
When Does the 2026 Fairer Share Payment Arrive?
Payments go out between 10 and 30 June 2026, directly into the member’s Nationwide current account by electronic transfer. The transaction appears on statements as “Nationwide Fairer Share Payment.”
- Sole-name current account holders receive the payment there
- If the only Nationwide current account held is a joint one, payment goes into that account
- Closing a Nationwide current account before the payment date means losing it. Nationwide will not pay by any other method
- Members on Nationwide online banking will see a notification on their next login confirming the payment is on the way
One payment of £100 per eligible person, regardless of how many qualifying accounts are held.
The scheme has grown every year since it launched:
| Year | Members Paid | Total Distributed |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.4 million | ~£340 million |
| 2024 | 3.85 million | ~£385 million |
| 2025 | 4 million | ~£400 million |
| 2026 | 4.4 million | ~£440 million |
Who Gets Left Out of the 2026 Payment
Two groups of Nationwide customers will not receive a payment this June despite holding accounts with the building society.
Former Virgin Money customers became Nationwide members on 2 April 2026, following the legal transfer of all Clydesdale Bank and Virgin Money accounts into Nationwide Building Society. The qualifying window had closed on 31 March, one day before the transfer completed. Because those accounts were not held with Nationwide during the financial year ending 31 March 2026, they fall outside this year’s eligibility criteria. Nationwide has confirmed these customers could be included from 2027 if the scheme continues.
Customers who joined in the past year face the same cut-off. The million people who opened Nationwide accounts during 2025 missed the March qualifying window, in many cases drawn in by the same Fairer Share story that they are now excluded from. They are well placed for 2027, provided they maintain the required account activity across January to March 2027.
Is the Nationwide Fairer Share Payment Taxable?
Yes. Nationwide classifies the payment as interest under ITTOIA 2005, reports it to HMRC, and pays it gross without deducting tax at source.
For most recipients, no tax will actually be owed:
| Taxpayer Band | Personal Savings Allowance | Position on the £100 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic rate (20%) | £1,000 per year | No tax unless total savings interest from all sources exceeds £1,000 |
| Higher rate (40%) | £500 per year | Tax at 40% on any savings interest above £500 |
| Additional rate (45%) | None | Full £100 is taxable |
Where tax is owed, HMRC typically collects it through a PAYE code adjustment rather than requiring a direct payment.
Opting Out
Members who do not want the payment must contact Nationwide by 8 June 2026 on 0330 1239 734 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm). The decision cannot be reversed. Anyone who opted out in a previous year must do so again; the preference does not carry forward automatically.
Nationwide will never ask a member to apply for this payment, click a link, or confirm personal details to receive it. The payment is fully automatic. Any contact suggesting otherwise is a scam.
The Fairer Share payment is not guaranteed to continue. Nationwide has said the same thing in every year of the scheme: the amount, the eligibility rules and whether a payment is made at all depend on annual financial performance and Board approval. Four consecutive years is a consistent record. It is not a contractual commitment.
For the million customers who opened accounts in 2025 and landed on the wrong side of 31 March, the next qualifying window opens in January 2027. The eligibility requirements have stayed broadly consistent across all four years. A member who understands them now is better prepared for 2027 than most of the 4.4 million who will receive a payment this June without ever having read the rules that put it there.
