Surprised this hasn’t hit the forum yet. So for those that haven’t seen it:
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I am one of the excluded 
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I already have a joint account with Nationwide and I used to have a sole current account with Nationwide back in 2016 I think, but I CASS’d that to Halifax I think. I believe I might now qualify for the switching incentive, so it might be time to transfer a couple of direct debits into First Direct and CASS FD to Nationwide.
I had the £125 switch offer last September.
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I suppose I could easily set up a direct debit into FD with PayPal as I already have an ongoing credit agreement with them which I’ve just been paying via bank transfer for the last couple of months. Just got to then find another direct debit to set up with FD. Currently have my mobile provider coming out of Chase so I guess that could chop to FD. Bit of a faff, but worth it for £200 I guess.
I had an account “half opened” with Nationwide where the application dropped out. Was such a palava it puts me off going for it in case it doesn’t work.
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Last switch was September 2021 
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Ok, I’ve got the ball rolling insofar as I’ve now set up two direct debits with FD. From what I can see, from opening an account, it’s 60 days to complete the switch. I’ll go for the FlexDirect sole account and that way I can make use of the linked saver account.
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If it’s your first FlexDirect account you get 5% interest in that for a year, so worth doing over FlexAccount.
I’ve had a FlexDirect sole account before, but it was over 5 years ago. I looked at the Natwest switch offer the other day, but that had a clause that if you’d had a switch bonus since 2017 with any of the RBS group. one wasn’t eligible and that included me as I’d had a RBS account. If I’ve missed something with the Nationwide Ts&C’s, I’d be grateful if someone pointed it out.
The way I see it. I just need to wait and see in my First Direct account the two new direct debits to show up before I actually start the switch to Nationwide.
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Yes, you can do it - you may get the 5% interest on the FlexDirect if they don’t “remember” you, but you would be eligible for the switch anyway so nothing would be lost and seeing if you get 5% interest as well is worth a try - so no point going for FlexAccount.
The only people ineligible for Nationwide at the moment are people who have already used their 2021-22 offer (like me), but even if you used their earlier “refer a friend” offer you are eligible.
I got the bonus from both the refer a friend (years ago) and the 2021 offer (last year), so both do pay out.
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Anecdotally, according to MSE reports, you can get the bonus once each with the three brands in the group as this clause isn’t apparently enforced. You would have no grounds to complain if you happened to not get it, but you probably would.
The time limit clause within brands, however, does seem to be enforced.
Yep, can confirm having received incentives from all 3 brands, but only got one bonus from RBS (even tho I switched in to a different account both times).
Of course there’s nothing to stop them changing this when they work out who should get which rewards this time (NWG pay them all enmasse) or in a future promotion.
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Would my ebay payments dd and PayPal dd be sufficient to open nationwide and do a switch
Yep, should be. Two separate active mandates is what they need.
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Well the two direct debit mandates I set up in FD on Monday are now showing as active in the payee list in FD, so time to get the ball rolling and flash up a CASS with Nationwide.
Get ready for the return to a physical card reader 
While enjoying the free cash of course 
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I have one that has always failed to work for reasons I do not know. Account there only used for the Flexplus benefits and member 0% credit card
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In reality, once you’re set up and you have any payees you need on account you won’t need the physical card reader. I used to top mine up and transfer it away again monthly to maintain the (now withdrawn) European travel insurance, the only time a card reader was needed was when setting up on a new phone.
I agree tho it does make it a poor choice as a sole or main account, unfortunately.
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I’ve found that you still occasionally need to use the card reader for an existing payee, -usually if it’s one that you haven’t used for a long time.