Date issued: 10 Dec 2007

NATIONWIDE MEMBERS CAN NOW ACCESS THEIR ACCOUNTS ON THE IPHONE AND IPOD TOUCH

Nationwide Building Society has become one of the first financial services providers to allow access to its online bank via the Apple Mac iPhone and iPod Touch, giving members greater flexibility and choice in how they manage their finances.

Nationwide was the first financial services provider in the UK to launch an online bank ten years ago (27 May 1997). The Society now has over three million registered users and is open to the widest range of browser formats of any financial services organisation in the UK. iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to access the Society's website and internet bank in the same way as they can from their home PC.*

As internet banking has developed into a sophisticated and immensely popular facility over the last decade it is likely that many users will be expecting to manage their finances through their new phone or iPod. Nationwide research shows that over a third (37%) of adults in the UK use internet banking and, of these, over two-thirds (67%) log on at least once a week. More than two-thirds (68%) of all internet bank users manage at least half of their personal finances on the internet, while 9% of men and 6% of women check their internet bank every day.** Yet not all internet banking providers will be able to offer their services through the new iPhone or iPod Touch straightaway.

Mik Hodsdon, Nationwide divisional director, said: "Our research shows that 53% of internet bank users bank online because of its convenience. Being able to manage your finances from your mobile phone or iPod couldn't be easier, and as hardly any online banks are currently able to offer access through these devices, I am pleased to be able to tell our customers that they are able to get online straight away.

"It's always a good idea to check your accounts regularly and we are delighted to be able to offer our members greater access to do just that."

Media information:

Roy Beale, 01793 655689, roy.beale@nationwide.co.uk
Katie Harper, 01793 656215, katie.harper@nationwide.co.uk

Notes to editors

* To access the web, iPod Touch users must be within reach of an available Wi-Fi network.

** Research conducted by Ipsos MORI between 14-15 May 2007 via a telephone omnibus. The Ipsos MORI telephone omnibus is run weekly and consists of a representative sample of around 1,000 adults in the UK aged 18 or over.

The Nationwide internet banking service is quick and easy to use and allows registered users to:

• Pay bills and make transfers between accounts
• Manage their credit card, savings and mortgage online
• Open high-rate internet-only products such as eSavings
• Check current account statements for the last 27 months

To use the internet bank, members will first need to register their details online at http://www.nationwide.co.uk. Members can start using the service as soon as they receive their sign on details through the post.

In 1997 there were just over 13,000 customers registered for Nationwide's internet bank. This figure has steadily increased to over three million people over the past decade and this growth is set to continue.

Facts about Nationwide's online bank

• Nationwide's online bank was launched on 27 May 1997 with 13,192 customers registering
• By 1999, online applications were available for current accounts, mortgages and unsecured personal loans
• e-Savings, which is linked to the FlexAccount, was launched on 1 June 2000
• In 2002, the speed of the facility improved with the addition of real-time balances
• In 2005, customers were given the facility to cancel their paper statements and instead view them online to help reduce the volume of paper used by the Society
• The payments and transfers facility was improved, allowing customers to set up and pay bills on the same day and view due payments for the first time in 2006
• Also in 2006 the new Home Insurance product was launched online
• Nationwide launched one of the first fully online mortgage application facilities late 2006

Cancelling Paper Statements

Nationwide credit card customers can opt to go green and cancel their paper statements and view them online instead. Customers are notified via email when their statement is ready to be viewed. If all Nationwide's customers cancelled their paper statements, 40 million sheets of paper would be saved in just one year.

Holders of the Society's FlexAccount and card based savings accounts have been able to suppress their statements from June 2005. Since the initiative was launched, over 200,000 Nationwide customers have opted to suppress their statements. Credit card customers have been able to suppress their statements since January 2007.

In the last few years, Nationwide has introduced measures that reduce the levels of paper used by the Society and its customers, including electronic application forms and online marketing literature. Nationwide's Internet Banking site now allows customers to view up to 27 months' of statements online eliminating the need for paper statements. These images look exactly the same as the paper version and can be stored electronically or printed if a duplicate copy is required.