The OP said that the new card could not be used in ATMs abroad. You seem to be saying it will be a VISA card that can be used abroad (albeit with charges)...?

I have been told :-
The cash card+ will not allow cash withdrawls outside the uk
Nationwide are closing the Cirrus "free" facility in favour of visa.
If you have already a Nationwide DEBIT card you will be still be able to withdraw cash, via the visa sytem.
If you only have a cash card and are not uk resident (on the electoral roll) you will not be able to get a debit (or credit) card from Nationwide, ie you will no longer be able to withdraw cash abroad.
The debit card will be via the visa system, ie visa charges and their exchange rate.

I have not recieved any letter from NW but I tried to use my cash card and I got service not available.
I daresay like many I still have a UK address but not on the electoral role, does this mean you can't get the new visa card?

they're not supposed to be changing until June - September, maybe you were just unlucky that the service was down at the time.

The VISA card isn't new - it is an upgrade to the basic current account. Unfortunately, in the UK, to get one you usually need to be credit checked, the most basic part of which is that you are on the electoral role.

I shall be removing my savings from their accounts as a protest at this short sighted (in my opinion) change.

If there are that many expats withdrawing money abroad that means a lot of expat Flex account holders.
Maybe if they all close these accounts now NW would think again.

Well at least we have till June-September.

Why would anyone have a flexaccount and not have the debit card but a cash card instead.

I can't see the problem.

1. get flexaccount

2. get nationwide debit card

3. withdraw free cash in Spain.

1. Those not on electoral role in UK or those who fail a credit/ID check for whatever reason
2. The unwaged or the poor (as you put it).

I openend a Flexaccount with a debit card last year when I was Spanish resident (I already had an ISA with them from when they took over my previous Building Society).

I told the bloke in the branch (I was on a UK visit) that I had a UK address ( a genuine one, it was our family home and we never sold it). I also told him I was Spanish resident.

He asked had I got a driving licence and what address was on it. I showed him my British Driving Licence with my UK address. He let me open the Flexaccount (with no money) and the debit card was sent through the post a few days later.

I was registered as a non-resident voter but afaik they did not check that. I also at the time had no income, although I told him I would have my State Pension paid into it when I started receiving it (and have done since the first payment on February 1st 2010).

Hope this helps someone.

Very helpful, thanks to you and shaggymon.

Yes, very useful and interesting. Thank you, Scampicat.

So to clarify
I can use my flex account/Visa Debit card in Spain no charge

Clarification
It seems that only gignan is saying that there will be charges using Visa/debit card, whether that's right or not I don't know.
It would be good if someone here with this card could actually tell us for sure.

This is very confusing. My daughter has a flex a/c with cash card & she has not received any letter from nationwide. As far as she knows she can still get money out of atm for free, so is what people from another forum said.

I'm going to UK in May & will speak to the staff personally to see what's going on.

phoned NW and pretty much what has been said already is right.
Flex a/c with cash card will be replaced automatically with cash card+ from between June to September. Cash card+ will not allow cash withdrawls abroad.
Visa/Debit withdrawls are available free of charge, it is only certain countries ( mainly outside EU) that a fee will be charged.
So if you want to make free cash withdrawls in Spain you will need a Visa/debit card.
The criteria for updating to Visa from cash card are on there site and as scampicat said earlier it doesn't seem that strict a criteria, however it can only be done in a NW branch office.

Below is what I received when I asked Nationwide about my account where I have a visa debit card with flex account. Nationwide know I am resident in UK but have holiday home in Spain. Also have been using this visa debit for last five months and can withdraw up to 300 euros a day whenever in Spain, also am told if you have another registered card (husband/partner) - it doubles the amount if you use each card. Everytime I have used it, the rate has been the going bank rate of the day NOT the tourist rate and no fees whatsoever.
Reading the third paragraph below it seems that the cash card is designed to stop people overdrawing or for poor account holders, so I would have thought obtaining a debit visa card if you have a flex account would be no problem.

"Your debit card will not be replaced and the Cash Card Plus is a separate card which will be replacing the current Flex Cash Card.


The current Flex Cash card is a CIRRUS which allows withdrawals abroad and the new one will allow point of sale purchases to be made and payments in shops, online and over the phone.


The difference between cash card+ and a Visa debit card is that when a cash card+ is used in shops the transaction will need to be authorised by Nationwide, so the customer cannot go overdrawn. If the machine reading the card is broken, cannot connect to Nationwide systems or the customer doesn't have sufficient funds available in their account the transaction will be declined.


Nationwide has carried out a strategic review of its’ Basic Bank Account offering. In introducing these new cards we have given our customers the ability to pay for goods over the counter, on-line and over the telephone – all of which were unavailable on our old Cash Card. As such we have made the decision to remove the ability to withdraw cash from overseas cash machines. Consumer behaviour indicates that point of sale is more useful than the ability to withdraw from a cash machine. More than double the number of card transactions are carried out at point of sale rather than cash machines*. This change enables customers to transact in a way more consistent with modern spending habits. In addition, the majority of debit card customers (around 70%) use their cards at point of sale abroad rather than at cash machines. Also, our offering for the Basic Bank Account gives us an account which better matches the needs of the market."

Hope this helps
Zena 143