Our technology

Nationwide UK (Ireland) is committed to providing a safe and secure way for you to access your savings accounts.

Our approach to security:

Safe banking and encryption

When you sign on we establish a secure link between your PC and the Internet Bank. This link is encrypted and all of the information you send and receive is scrambled and can only be deciphered by Nationwide UK (Ireland) and by your PC. The scrambling or encryption process involves changing a string of letters and numbers into a code that is unrecognisable to anybody else. By scrambling / encrypting the information we ensure that personal information such as card and account numbers are safe and secure when passed between Nationwide UK (Ireland) and your PC.

back to top

Signing on to the bank

Secure banking is more than establishing a secure link between you and Nationwide UK (Ireland), it is also preventing unauthorised access to your accounts. We do this by asking you to sign on using three different types of personal security data. As only you will know what these are we can be confident that the person signing on is you and so grant you access to your accounts.

The first part is your Customer Number. This is the number we assign to you when you register (you cannot choose or change this number).

The second is your Memorable Data. When you register for Internet Banking with Nationwide UK (Ireland) we will ask you to provide us with memorable data.

The final thing we ask for is three random digits from your passnumber. Your passnumber will be sent to you after you have registered. It will be a random six digit number generated by Nationwide UK (Ireland). Once you have signed in using (three digits of) this number you will be able to change it if you so wish.

back to top

What is your customer number?

You will find your customer number, a 10-digit number, in the letter we send you which will confirm your registration to the Internet Banking service. Whenever you use Internet Banking with Nationwide UK (Ireland), this is the customer number you will be asked to use. It is permanent and allocated to you alone.

back to top

Remembering your customer number

A ten digit number is not always the easiest thing to remember, especially when you cannot change it to something more recognisable. To help you overcome this problem we provide customers with an optional customer number cookie. A cookie is a small piece of data sent by our computer to yours so that information can be recalled; in this case your customer number.

When you are signing on to Internet Banking with us, you will see an option asking whether or not you want to install a cookie to remember your customer number. If you request 'Please remember my customer number', a cookie will be stored on the computer you are using and your customer number will be inserted automatically each time you sign on to the Internet Bank.

The cookie will store your customer number only and nothing else. It has no other purpose. If you do not want to accept the cookie your customer number will not be stored and each time you sign in you will be asked to type in your customer number.

We recommend that the cookie is used on your personal computer only.

If you save your temporary customer number as a cookie, please replace it with your new customer number when we send it to you.

back to top

Selecting and using your memorable data

For security reasons, we ask for an item of memorable data when you register. This should be an easy to remember piece of information that you will recall straight away when you are signing on.

Again for security reasons, we advise you not to use anything too obvious such as your date of birth, or your partner's date of birth. Don't use the name of the place you are living in and don't use your first name or your partner's first names.

If you need to change your memorable data, you can do so:

  • Sign on to the Internet Bank
  • Click on 'Preferences' on the top menu bar  

back to top

Using your passnumber

We provide you with your passnumber, a randomly generated 6-digit number, when we complete your registration request.

If you want to change your passnumber you can but we strongly advise that you avoid something obvious that others may guess.

When you sign on we will ask you to enter three random digits of your passnumber. These must be entered in the drop down lists provided using your mouse rather than the numbered keypad.

By asking for different digits on each visit and using the drop down lists to pick the correct digit, you will be better protected against fraudulent use.

back to top

Last sign on date and time

Every time you sign on to Internet Banking the date and time is automatically logged.

If you’re concerned that the last sign on date and time is wrong, you should follow steps 1 and 2 in order:

Step 1 - Run a full anti-virus scan and follow the instructions if anything is found.

Step 2 - Change your sign on details. When you’re signed on to Internet Banking, select 'preferences' from the top menu. From here you must change all 3 items of memorable data and your passnumber.

You should monitor your account activity for any suspicious transactions and contact us immediately on 1800 800 310 during working hours (9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri), with the exception of Republic of Ireland Bank Holidays. if you are concerned in any way about your account details. We can also block access to your account via Internet Banking and provide you with new sign on information if required.

If you're just not sure if this was the last time you signed on, send us a secure message letting us know what your concerns are and we'll check your recent account activity for you.

back to top

Technical requirements

Our website is optimised for use with the latest versions of the most commonly used browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.

To run Internet Banking, we recommend the following minimum specification for your computer:

For a PC:

  • a 486 processor or above.
  • operating at least 25 Mhz.
  • a Hayes compatible modem with a minimum transfer rate of 33600 baud (or 33.6k).
  • VGA graphics with a screen resolution of 800 x 600 or above using 256 colours (see screen resolution below).
  • Windows ’95, ’98. ME, NT4, 2000 or XP and
  • Internet Explorer versions 5, 5.5, 6 and above

Screen resolution

Internet Banking has been designed with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 in mind, however you should also be able to use it well in 800 x 600.

back to top