Natwest Step Bank Account Review

Good Points
Many Branches and ATM

Bad Points
Solo Card
No Overdraft
Charges
No cheque book

General Comments
As a foreign student, I was offered an account with Natwest through my university. When I joined, I was told I was not eligible for a student account, but could get a STEP account for now, and upgrade after a year. Since I needed an account, I accepted.



I should have gone somewhere else.



Natwest has a lot of branches, which is good. However, with a Solo debit card, no overdraft and charges whenever they can find something to charge you with, they leave a bad taste in your mouth. I went in after a year to take them up on their promise of a student account, only to be told I needed to have been with them for 3 years. I also went over my statements to find charges I had not realised I had.



I recommend somewhere else, like RBS, which offers student accounts to foreign students (EU anyway), with overdraft.