Nationwide Building Society review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Nationwide Building Society suits borrowers who already hold one of its UK accounts, because membership is required and the low end of 5.9% to 29.9% sits below the site median of 12%. Borrowing covers personal, car and debt consolidation with an arrangement fee of 0 GBP, and approved loans are funded in 2 hours.

Key facts

Best for
Existing Nationwide members borrowing a modest fixed-rate personal, car or home improvement loan.
Fixed period
2 to 10 years (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Maximum loan to value
95% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage, First-time-buyer, Buy-to-let (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Nationwide Building Society (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1884 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
nationwide.co.uk

Loans

APR
5.9% to 29.9% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
£1,000 to £50,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Term
12 to 120 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
0 GBP (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Hard (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Funding time
2 hours (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Representative example
5.9% APR Representative (fixed) on £10,000 over 60 months at 5.9% p.a (fixed), monthly repayment £192.15, total amount repayable £11,529.00 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rate type
Fixed (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free early repayment
Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
Members only: must hold a Nationwide current account, savings account or mortgage; proof of right to live and work in the UK (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Origination fee (%)
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Personal, Car, Debt-consolidation (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Nationwide Building Society (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1884 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
Fixed rate
Features
Same-day funding

Apps and profiles

Get the app
Google Play
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaLinkedInXnationwidefoundation.org.uk

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Arrangement fee of 0 GBP and 0% on personal, car and debt consolidation loans
  • Free early repayment, so you can settle the balance ahead of schedule without a charge
  • Fixed-rate lending, with funding in 2 hours once a loan is approved

Cons

  • Membership is required, so you must already hold a Nationwide current account, savings account or mortgage and prove the right to live and work in the UK
  • Rates run 5.9% to 29.9%, and the top of that range sits well above the site median of 12%
  • A hard credit check, so applying leaves a full search on your credit file
Nationwide Building Society

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Scored 9.2 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Borrowers who already hold a Nationwide current account, savings account or mortgage, since membership gates the whole offer
  • Anyone consolidating debts, buying a car or paying for home improvements, as personal, car and debt consolidation and home improvement cover those needs
  • Buyers and movers taking a fixed mortgage up to 95% loan to value

Who should look elsewhere

  • Buyers who want the longest fix, since fixed periods here run 2 to 10 years while Prestalo lists 25 years
  • Borrowers who want a flexible window on term length, since Sofkredit lists fixed periods of 0.5 to 20 years against 2 to 10 here
  • People with no Nationwide account, since membership is required and Creditilia ES is another fixed term to weigh

Who runs it

Nationwide Building Society (Nationwide Building Society) is a building society headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded in 1884. It is authorised and supervised in GB by the Prudential Regulation Authority, registered as 106078. Support runs on phone and help centre, so help comes by phone or through the help centre. Quote that registration if you want to check the firm record.

How Nationwide Building Society compares

Where Nationwide Building Society is available

Available
United Kingdom
Licence in United Kingdom
Prudential Regulation Authority (106078), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What rate do I pay on a Nationwide loan?+

Nationwide lends at 5.9% to 29.9%, and the fixed rate type means the rate holds for the whole term. The listed representative example quotes a fixed rate at the bottom of that range, repaid monthly over the longest term available. Site-wide, the median APR is 12%.

Is there an arrangement fee?+

The arrangement fee is 0 GBP and the percentage charge is 0% on personal, car and debt consolidation borrowing. Free early repayment is offered, so the cost to weigh is interest across the 5.9% to 29.9% range rather than upfront fees.

Who can apply for a Nationwide loan?+

Eligibility is members only. You need a Nationwide current account, savings account or mortgage, plus proof that you have the right to live and work in the UK. The lending itself covers personal, car and debt consolidation needs, so the account condition is the only gate before you compare rates.

Is my money regulated?+

Nationwide Building Society is supervised in GB by the Prudential Regulation Authority, which appears in the records as 106078. It lends as a direct lender rather than through a broker, so the contract runs with the building society itself.

How quickly do I get the money?+

Funding takes 2 hours once a loan is approved, and same-day funding is recorded under same day funding. Applications carry a hard credit check, so the search adds time. Approved money can move the same day rather than waiting on the next working cycle.

How much can I borrow, and for how long?+

Loan amounts run £1,000 to £50,000 and terms run 12 to 120, with fixed rates across the range. Borrowing covers personal, car and debt consolidation needs, and home improvement is listed as a use. Compare the total repayable figure, not just the monthly one, when you set the term.

Can I repay the loan early?+

Free early repayment is offered on these loans, so settling the balance ahead of schedule does not add a charge. Rates are fixed, so overpaying costs only the interest you have not yet paid rather than a penalty fee.

Does Nationwide offer mortgages, and for how much?+

Mortgages reach 95% loan to value with fixed periods of 2 to 10, and the purchase, remortgage and first time buyer list covers buying, remortgaging, first time buyers and buy to let. The model is fixed rate, so there is no variable option to weigh here.

Sources

  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationwide_Building_Society checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “Founded 1884 ... The society's origins lie in the Co-operative Permanent Building Society, founded in January 1884.”

  • fca.org.uk/consumers/fca-firm-checker checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Licences

  • nationwide.co.uk/about-us checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity

    “Head office: Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN38 1NW”

  • nationwide.co.uk/loans checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, Credit check, Eligibility, Free early repayment, Loan types, Term, Use cases

    “We offer loans between £1,000 and £50,000 over 1 to 7 years.”

  • nationwide.co.uk/loans/loan-rates checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: APR, Features, Funding time, Lender type, Pricing model, Arrangement fee, Origination fee (%), Rate type, Representative example

    “Details of Interest rate ranges for loans over 1 to 5 years ... Lowest rate (fixed) 5.9% ... Highest rate (fixed) 29.9%”

  • nationwide.co.uk/mortgages/95-percent checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Maximum loan to value, Purpose

    “A 95% mortgage allows you to borrow up to 95% of the value of the property you want to buy”

  • nationwide.co.uk/mortgages/resources/helping-hand-mortgage checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Fixed period, Support channels

    “Up to 95% LTV on a 5-year fixed rate; Up to 90% LTV on a 10-year fixed rate”

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Initial rate, APRC.

Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society

Existing Nationwide members borrowing a modest fixed-rate personal, car or home improvement loan.

9.2/10See alternatives

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