Top News

Nationwide has updated its banking app to support survivors of economic and domestic abuse. Customers will be able to hide payment references on incoming transfers in the Nationwide app, taking power away from perpetrators and giving customers the choice over what others do and don't see.

The building society is the first high street bank to launch the feature, and it is exploring how this functionality could be extended to Virgin Money customers. Kathryn Townsend, head of Customer Vulnerability at Nationwide, said it puts the "control back with the customer, where it belongs". She added: "Domestic abuse doesn't stop and start at physical harm; it can reach into everyday systems, including banking."

Data from Surviving Economic Abuse estimated that one in 62 women in the UK, around 4.2million, have experienced economic abuse by a current or former partner.

Nationwide exemplified the scale of the abuse with the increasing number of people supported by its Specialist Support team, who are trained to identify signs of abuse. Last year, they assisted 312 customers, compared with 213 the previous year.

Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse, said: "For far too long, domestic abusers have exploited everyday banking tools, like payment references, to harass and control survivors even after separation.

"No one should feel scared when accessing their own money. We're proud to have worked with Nationwide to co-develop this tool alongside survivors, giving them greater control by empowering them to hide abusive payment references."

Ms Smethers urged other banks to follow suit, by "closing down loopholes for abusers and making sure survivor safety is at the heart of every product and service".

The new feature builds on the threestage warning letter process introduced in April 2025 to warn customers who send abusive payment references or misuse repeated lowvalue payments to maintain unwanted contact and control, which is recognised as a form of economic abuse.

Different banks and building societies can work together on this, and in cases where Nationwide intervened, the behaviour stopped and the payment reference was amended after the first warning letter. If the case is escalated, it may result in account closure.

This builds on Nationwide's commitment to support people affected by domestic and economic abuse, including Safe Spaces across 430 Nationwide branches, where anyone experiencing domestic abuse can access specialist support services in private.

It also partners with Refuge, the UK's largest domestic abuse charity, helping survivors access expert support and rebuild their lives safely, with 56 referrals made since June 2025.

Ms Townsend urged domestic or economic abuse survivors to seek help in a branch, in a Safe Space, at Help | Nationwide, over the phone or online, or at the Surviving Economic Abuse's website.