Overview
- Nationwide added an option in its app that lets customers hide the text that comes with incoming payments, a field abusers have used to send harmful messages.
- The tool was co-developed with the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, and Nationwide says it is exploring ways to extend the feature to Virgin Money customers.
- The move is part of a broader support package that includes private Safe Spaces in around 430 branches, a partnership with Refuge, and specialist teams trained to help vulnerable customers.
- It builds on industry steps under the Faster Payments system and on Nationwide’s three-stage warning process that flags abusive messages to sending banks and can lead to account closure for repeat offenders.
- The charity estimates 4.2 million women in the UK have experienced economic abuse, and Nationwide reports support cases rose from 213 in 2024 to 312 in 2025, a scale that could push other banks to adopt similar protections.