We send you a notification to alert you when you use your debit card to undertake purchases and cash withdrawals involving a currency exchange in a European Economic Area (EEA) currency (euro and non-euro). The aim of the SMS message is to give you greater transparency on foreign exchange charges for debit card transactions made in the European Economic Area.
NatWest International is required to send all customers a notification to alert them when they use their debit card to undertake purchases and cash withdrawals involving a currency exchange in a non-euro European Economic Area (EEA) currency (euro and non-euro). The aim of the SMS message is to give you greater transparency on foreign exchange charges for debit card transactions made in the European Economic Area. You are not required to take any further action.
You will receive a cross border SMS message for only the first debit card transaction made in each EEA currency (euro and non-euro) per calendar month. For example, if you transact in Polish złoty and Hungarian forint in the same calendar month, you will receive a cross border SMS message for only the first transaction made in each currency.
You can manage your SMS notifications via the mobile app & online banking service by following the steps below:
Mobile app
Online Banking service
If you wish to stop receiving this SMS but do not use our mobile app or online banking service, please contact us for further assistance.
You can opt back in to receive this message at any stage by following the steps above and switching your settings back on.
No, the SMS message will only be sent to the person whose name is on the debit card which was used for the transaction.
No, NatWest International do not charge for these SMS messages however, you need to check with your network provider to understand if they apply a charge. For example, if you are roaming, you may incur charges for receiving texts while abroad.
There are several instances where a cross border payment SMS message will not be sent:
To update your mobile phone number via online banking:
Changing your mobile phone number is a 3-step process, and you will need a card-reader to complete the change or confirm the change using Face biometrics.
Alternatively, please contact us for further assistance.
You will receive a Cross Border Payment SMS message if you undertake a debit card transaction for the following:
The SMS message will provide you with an alert advising of the currency of the debit card transaction and the % mark-up over the European Central Bank rate, in order to provide you with more transparency when undertaking cross border debit card transactions throughout the EEA. The message will enable you to compare costs when making future transactions in the same EEA country/ currency using your debit card.
The ECB percentage mark-up reflects the difference between what you pay for your debit card transaction using NatWest International foreign exchange rates and fees, versus what you would pay if the transaction was undertaken at the latest ECB rate.
The ECB rate is the foreign exchange reference rate published by the European Central Bank.
The % mark-up is worked out by calculating the transaction charges including currency conversion charges such as our Exchange Rate Transaction Fee & Commission Charges, plus the Visa scheme exchange rate applied by the bank and dividing it by the ECB foreign exchange rate. This will be shown as a percentage in the Cross-Border Payment message.
For an estimation on foreign currency conversion charges, check out our card currency calculator.
The SMS message will provide you with an alert for the cross-border payment debit card transaction only. You can switch on transaction alerts to provide you with specific details for all your debit card transactions by using the Mobile App.
Transaction information can also be found in your NatWest International account statements.
You can use our handy card currency calculator to work out all charges before you travel, or even whilst you’re abroad.
Only NatWest International is required to send Cross Border Payment SMS messages.
Cora, our digital assistant, is available 24/7 to help answer your questions about everyday banking.
If you log into online banking or the mobile app before starting a chat, Cora can offer additional support.
