Nationwide Fairer Share £100 Bonus – How to Maximise Your Chances in 2026

EDIT - Nationwide have now confirmed they will be paying this bonus to users (as per the guidelines below) from the 10-30th June. See t&c’s here.

For the past three years, Nationwide Building Society has rewarded millions of members with a £100 ‘Fairer Share’ bonus. While it’s not guaranteed to return in 2026, there’s a strong chance it could — and now is the time to put yourself in the best possible position.

In previous years:

• £400 million was paid to 4 million members (2025)
• £385 million was paid to 3.85 million members (2024)

Nationwide has confirmed that, as with previous years, any decision will be announced alongside its full-year results in May. If it does return, payments have historically landed in June.

The key thing to know?
Eligibility is usually based on what you do in the first three months of the year— so acting early matters.

Already with Nationwide? What You’ll Likely Need To Do

Assuming Nationwide keeps broadly the same rules as last year (not guaranteed, but likely):

Step 1: Don’t close your account

Keep your Nationwide current account open until at least 31 March 2026.

Step 2: Use your account (rules vary by account type)

FlexAccount, FlexBasic or FlexDirect:

In two of the first three months of the year, do one of the following:

• Pay in £500+ and make two payments out, OR
• Make 10+ payments out, OR
• Complete a full current account switch to Nationwide between 1 January and 31 March 2026

Payments out can include:

• Debit card spending
• Direct Debits
• Standing orders
• Bank transfers

(Transfers between your own Nationwide accounts don’t count)

FlexOne, FlexStudent or FlexGraduate:

Either:

• Make one payment in or out in March 2026, OR
• Complete a full switch to FlexOne or FlexStudent between 1 January and 31 March 2026
  (FlexGraduate switches didn’t count last time)

FlexPlus packaged account:

• Simply pay the monthly account fee

Step 3: Hold a savings or mortgage balance

By March 2026, you’ll likely need one of the following:

• £100+ in Nationwide savings, OR
• £100+ owed on a Nationwide mortgage

If you don’t already have either, it’s worth placing £100–£200 into a Nationwide savings account to be safe.

Good option: Nationwide’s Flex Regular Saver, which currently pays 6.5%.
You can:

• Pay in just once if you want
• Withdraw later (up to 3 penalty-free withdrawals per year)

Not With Nationwide? You Can Still Get Involved

If you’re not already a customer, switching can actually be easier than qualifying as an existing one.

Step 1: Switch by 31 March 2026

Nationwide currently offers:

• £175 free cash to switch to a FlexDirect account
• 5% interest on up to £1,500 for a year
• Up to £5 per month cashback on debit card spending

You must switch using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) during your application.

If Fairer Share returns under similar rules, switchers typically have fewer hoops to jump through than existing customers.

Step 2: Hold savings or a mortgage balance

Just like existing customers, you’ll likely need:

• £100–£200 in Nationwide savings, OR
• £100+ on a Nationwide mortgage by March 2026

Again, the Flex Regular Saver is a simple way to tick this box without locking your money away.