Understanding overdraft Text Alerts

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In 2019 the Financial Conduct Authority introduced requirements for banks and building societies to send text messages to alert their customers to arranged and unarranged overdraft use and help them to avoid charges. These built on earlier text alerts introduced by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Nationwide no longer charges unarranged overdraft fees, but we will still send alerts where you go beyond your arranged overdraft or an item is returned unpaid to help you manage your money. All members will be automatically enrolled into these alerts – unless they choose to opt out.

You can opt-out of these text alerts at any time using the following methods:


  • Text 'STOP Arranged' to 65037 to stop receiving messages about arranged overdrafts.
  • Text 'STOP Unarranged' to 65037 to stop receiving messages about unarranged overdrafts.
  • Text 'STOP' to 65180 to stop receiving payment retry alerts.

Or you can visit us in branch or contact us  and we can opt you out.

  • Direct Debits
  • Standing orders
  • Future dated bill payments

It’s completely secure – we’ll only show the last few digits of your account number in the texts we send. When you get a text from us, the sender will be ‘Nationwide’ – it won’t show a phone number. Just make sure we have the right mobile number. You can check your details are correct in our Internet Bank or the Banking app. If you think you might be a victim of fraud, call us immediately on 0800 464 3051. You can find out more information about fraud here.

The types of alerts we have and the wording we'll send you is shown below.  

Entered unarranged overdraft alert
On DD MMM at HH:MM, your account ending XXXX was using an arranged overdraft. It’ll be charged daily at an annual rate of 39.9% until you get back into credit. To opt out of arranged overdraft alerts, text STOP ARRANGED to 65037.

Payments due today will make use of arranged overdraft
One or more payments have been made from your account ending XXXX today. Based on your account balance on DD MMM at HH:MM you’ll use your arranged overdraft. Unless you pay in enough cleared funds by midnight you will be charged daily at an annual rate of 39.9%. To opt out of arranged overdraft alerts, text STOP ARRANGED to 65037.

Payments due tomorrow will make use of arranged overdraft
One or more payments totalling £XXXX.XX will be going out of your account ending XXXX tomorrow. Based on your account balance today they’ll be paid, but will take you into your arranged overdraft – you’ll be charged daily at an annual rate of 39.9%. Pay in cleared funds by midnight to avoid arranged overdraft charges. To opt out of arranged overdraft alerts, text STOP ARRANGED to 65037.

Entered unarranged overdraft alert
Account ending XXXX had exceeded its arranged overdraft limit of £XXXX. You will incur charges if you have an arranged overdraft (where charges apply); to avoid any further charges bring your account back into credit as soon as possible. To make payments or take cash out, you need to bring your balance within your limit. To opt out of unarranged overdraft alerts, text STOP UNARRANGED to 65037.

Payment retry alert
Your account ending XXX doesn't have enough money for today's payment(s) totalling £XXXX.XX. Please pay in enough cleared funds by 2.30pm so all your payment(s) can be sent. To opt out of payment retry alerts, text STOP to 65180.

If it’s a joint account (and both of you have registered your mobile numbers with us), then you’ll both receive an automatic text alert. If you remove someone from a joint account, they will no longer receive text alerts. Either person can opt out at any time.

If you have Power of Attorney on a current account, we’ll send text alerts to the account holder and the Power of Attorney(s), as long as they have registered a UK mobile number with us.

You can opt-out of these text alerts at any time using the following methods:


  • Text 'STOP Arranged' to 65037 to stop receiving messages about arranged overdrafts.
  • Text 'STOP Unarranged' to 65037 to stop receiving messages about unarranged overdrafts.
  • Text 'STOP' to 65180 to stop receiving payment retry alerts.

Or you can visit us in branch or contact us  and we can opt you out.

Yes, you can, but you can only do this either in branch or by calling us.

Unfortunately, this is not available at this time.

Our texts combine all payments due out that day. If you dont recognise the amount in the text, it may be that we have combined multiple payments. Please check all payments due out that day.

To check for your scheduled payments, on the Banking App:

  1. Click the account
  2. Select More'
  3. Click 'View and cancel payments'
  4. This will show the last date and amount for your one off payments, standing orders and Direct Debits

To check for your scheduled payments, on the Internet Bank, you can:

  1. Use the drop down on Move money' and select Manage payees
  2. Choose your account and select Go
  3. At the bottom of the page will list Standing Orders, Direct Debits etc.

Please note, if the dates don’t match and you're receiving the text on a Sunday:

  • This may be a Direct Debit or Standing Order which usually falls on the date of the month which is currently a Saturday or Sunday
  • Nationwide does not process Direct Debits and Standing Orders over the weekend. If you have any scheduled payments which fall over the weekend, these are delayed until Monday morning.
  • Please check all payments which would be due over the weekend.


  • We generate our alerts at 3am based on data available at midnight (and delay sending until a reasonable hour in the morning to avoid waking you too early)
  • We would have sent you a text alert because at the time we generated the alert we could see one or more payments due to go out and based on the account’s balance at midnight compared to the value of the payment(s) this would have taken you into an arranged overdraft.
  • Our text alerting system doesn’t get forward notice of incoming payments like salary so we can't see these when deciding whether to send an alert of not. Just because a salary came in last month, we can’t be sure it will again in case you lost your job or changed jobs etc
  • If you have a credit coming in to your account (e.g. salary), the text alert is not a warning that this hasn’t come through. Instead the alert is designed to help you keep on top of your finances and you should check your banking app/internet bank to check whether you are in an arranged overdraft.