Nationwide Builds 64,000 Net Gains With Nationwide Fairer Share Payment 2026
Nationwide Building Society’s nationwide fairer share payment 2026 helped drive over 64,000 net gains as more than 319,000 current account switches took place in the first three months of 2026. The society remained the UK’s most switched-to current account provider as customers chased better deals, perks and savings.
43% is the year-on-year increase in switches, a pace that puts Nationwide at the center of the current account chase. For customers, that means the £100 payment has become more than a one-off perk: it has helped turn Nationwide into the clearest beneficiary of account shopping.
Nationwide and Tom Riley
£100 is the size of the Fairer Share payment Nationwide says played a key role in attracting customers, and it has been paid for three years running. Tom Riley said, “Because we don’t have shareholders, we can give more back to our members.”
“That’s why we’ve paid our £100 Fairer Share to eligible members for the last three years and hope to do so again this year,” he said. That promise gives the payment a longer tail than a single campaign, because it has now been repeated enough to shape switching behavior rather than merely reward existing members.
319,000 switches across the market
More than 319,000 switches in the first three months of 2026 show the market still moving fast. Barclays and Lloyds Bank were the next strongest performers behind Nationwide, which kept its lead in net gains at over 64,000.
Around 90% of users say they are satisfied with the switching process, and the service automatically moves payments while guaranteeing customers will not lose money if anything goes wrong. That lowers the practical cost of moving, which helps explain why consumers keep voting with their feet.
Rachel Springall on cost of living
“It is incredibly positive to see more consumers vote with their feet and ditch their current account,” Rachel Springall said. “Consumers may struggle with the cost of living and need to quickly find ways to make their money go further, so switching a current account could be a wise move.”
For Nationwide, the numbers point to a simple trade: a £100 payment and a no-shareholder model helped attract switchers in bulk. For customers, the choice is narrower and more practical — stay put, or move to the account that is offering a direct cash incentive and a process most users already rate highly.
