Natwest limiting cash machine use

[Skyrg]

Has anyone else been affected by this? Natwest are limiting cash machine use for basic accounts to only their own cash machines and RBS cash machines. I think it's going to mean I have to switch banks.

Bugger. I will have to move too. Where did you find this out from? I ave noticed RBS and Lloyds but not Natwest?

We had a letter about this last week I wasnt that bothered as you can use the machine at our local tesco as thats an RBS and you can always still get cash back

Yes I also got that letter!
It's not my main account tho, and never will be now!

Can you still use the post office?

I got a letter, but only for our join account, not my savings account or regular account. I'm assuming that's because they're not 'basic accounts'.

fedupdownhere - there's a Natwest cash machine near us too, what worries me is going somewhere and not knowing where the Natwest cash machines are :(

Thanks for the tip ! We have just changed our a/c over to a basics account at Natwest. Didn't know about this and the cash points. We previously had Santander. Will keep an eye on the cash points that I use.

Weren't told about this when we opened the a/c though.

You might not be on one of the affected accounts, or they might have put it in small print in one of those booklets they give you.

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Don't suppose anyone can recommend a new bank to me? :(

Yeh I didnt think about being somewhere without a natwest machine, after speaking to dh we have decided that we will look into changing it I just liked the fact it was a basic account dont want any extras and it did everything I needed from a bank account its a pain, think they may loose a fair few customers this way

yes dp had a letter too....is this what they call 'helpful banking'?

I have to say I have had NO problems with them up until now, in fact they've been better than the banks my friends have used, so I'm really annoyed at having to change.
I went on holiday in Britain recently and there was one cash machine within walking distance, it wasn't a Natwest machine. There was presumably a Natwest machine in the town (a 10 minute bus ride away) but I wouldn't know where to find it, not knowing the town. Also, what if all their machines stop working or run out of cash? It has happened.
When I mentioned to someone working in a Natwest branch that I thought it was actually quite immoral to suddenly do this, she got very huffy with me. Apparently it actually benefits the people who only want basic services. Is it just me, or is this flawed? I can't see any situation where being able to use more cash machines is bad.

This is BONKERS surely! I'm a Natwest customer and have always found them ok but this sounds ridiculous. If it's true I will be switching banks, I need to move my savings account anyway because of their shite interest rate

There are charges levied by banks for other banks' customers to use their machines. We all enjoy free current accounts because they get their money out of us in other ways e.g. interest on overdrafts, credit products - and the cashpoint charges are absorbed in the same way we're not charged for writing cheques or setting up direct debits.

Basic accounts don't make much money for a bank because they're always in credit and there are no products to market off the back of them. So limiting basic account customers to the bank's own network is a way of keeping the costs down and not charging them for using other networks.