NatWest Mobile Banking app review: what’s it like for current account holders?

Discover how the NatWest Mobile Banking App stacks up on security, logging in, making payments and more.

If you’re thinking of switching your current account to NatWest, you’ll probably want to factor in how good the mobile banking app is going to be before you make a decision.

When it comes to finding a new current account, the mobile banking app experience is increasingly one of our top priorities.

In the fourth part of our banking app review series, we take a look at the NatWest Mobile Banking app to see what it has to offer when to comes to features, security and more.

We’ve also reviewed the Halifax, Santander, TSB, Barclays and first direct banking apps if you’re interested in how NatWest compares.

Why NatWest?

NatWest is one of the four biggest banks in the UK.

However, it has been haemorrhaging customers since the financial crisis, with over 114,000 current account users switching to other banks in 2016 alone, according to BACs figures.

One of the ways in which NatWest is hoping to stem the flow of customers leaving is by investing heavily in its app. This has largely paid off with the bank winning Best Banking App in 2017 at the British Bank Awards and four million customers now using it.

Compare current accounts

Who can get the NatWest app?

The NatWest app is available for download from the Apple App Store, Google Play and the Microsoft Store.

That means you can use it on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and even your Apple Watch as well as Android smartphones and tablets and Windows Phone devices.

What you can see

When you log into the NatWest Mobile Banking app you will be able to see all of your NatWest accounts. If you have a NatWest MyRewards account, you’ll also see how much you’ve earned that month.

But for this review, we will be looking at how the app works for current account holders.

What you can do

The NatWest Mobile Banking app allows current account customers to:

• View balances and transaction history;
• View or cancel Direct Debits;
• Set up, view or cancel Standing Orders;
• Set up payments to a company or person;
• Set up an international payment and see how much it will cost;
• Delete payments details to a company or person;
• View pending payments;
• View your MyRewards balance and how much is pending;
• Register your travel plans;
• Withdraw money without using a card
• Make transfers between NatWest current and savings accounts;
• Apply for other NatWest products;
• Find your nearest NatWest branch and ATM.

What we like

Here are a few of the things that we like about the NatWest Mobile Banking app.

It’s simple to log in

To sign into the app, you can choose to use Touch ID if you have an iPhone or an Android phone that supports this or sign-in with a five-digit code the bank will have sent you in the post.

There’s an ‘available’ figure

NatWest shows both your balance and your available figure very clearly and explains the difference. Your balance is how much is in the account at any given moment, but the available figure will factor in overdrafts, or any pending payments that have still not been fully processed.

You can call NatWest directly

In the Contact Us section of the app, there is the option to call NatWest directly.

The ‘Call Us’ option includes direct lines to the customer service teams dealing with general current account queries as well as things like suspected fraud, lost or stolen cards and emergency cash abroad.

This is especially useful if you are worried about a scam or fraud attempt and aren’t sure what number to call.

You can apply for new products on the app

The app offers the option to apply to change your current account, extend overdrafts, and a new loan. It can be very easy to apply, you don’t have to fill in endless forms and it often gives you an answer straight away.

You will need to print out a form, sign it and return it to your bank, but it’s generally very simple to do.  

You can warn NatWest about holidays

Like the Halifax app, NatWest’s offering includes an option that allows you to let the bank know when you are going abroad.

You can let Natwest know which country you will be in and on what dates so it knows not to block your card when you spend on your travels.

The GetCash facility

This feature is unique to NatWest and can be really useful if you find yourself without your card.

Using a unique identification code that you can only get through the app, NatWest customers can head to any NatWest or Tesco cash machine and withdraw up to £40.

It can be useful when you’re in a bit of a bind and just need a bit of cash. The one-time code and the relatively small limit still make it feel secure.

What we don’t like

Here are some of the downsides to the NatWest Mobile Banking app to be aware of.

It won’t work on jailbroken devices

The NatWest Mobile banking app won’t run on rooted, or jailbroken, devices.

These tablets and smartphones override some of the safeguards in an operating system so could leave it more vulnerable to an attack by things like malware, which means your data could be more at risk.

So, if you’re not running an official version of Android or iOS the app won’t work.

While this sounds like a logical step to take for security reasons, not all banks take the same approach, according to this Reddit discussion.

It's very busy

While we like some of NatWest's features there is a lot going on with the app and it feels more like banking through the website.

The security for payments

You will not be able to set up a new regular payee through the app. In order to register someone new, you need to log into the online banking platform and use your card-reader, which seems excessive.

However, you can make one-off payments to new payees through the app, and their details are then discarded for safety reasons.

Screenshots

In our testing on an iPhone device, the app permitted screenshots, which flagged up some security concerns.

However, NatWest appears to have disabled this facility for those using the app on Android.

It doesn’t let you order a new card or PIN

Unlike other banking apps, NatWest’s does not have a way for you to let them know if your card has been lost or stolen, cancel the card and order a replacement.

Equally, the app will not let you order a new PIN if you have forgotten it or think it has been compromised.

What other customers think

Google Play Store rating: 4.6 out of 5

Apple App Store rating: 4.3 out of 5

What do you think?

Have you got the NatWest Mobile Banking App? Share your likes and dislikes in the comment section below.

More in this series:

Halifax Mobile Banking app review: what’s it like for current account holders?

Santander mobile banking app: what's it like to use for current account holders?

TSB mobile banking app review: what's it like to use for current account holders?