Cards that enable people to communicate their needs in Nationwide Building Society branches are being made available more widely to financial services providers across the UK.
Launched in 2024, the “speak easy” cards were developed by Nationwide staff and people with lived experience of communication difficulties. They allow customers to point to information, pictures, questions or requests when speaking may be difficult, helping them get support when accessing services such as savings, payments, reporting a lost or stolen card, or raising concerns about a suspected fraud or scam.
Wider adoption across the industry
The cards were adopted by Virgin Money in 2025. To help improve accessibility across the sector, Nationwide and Visa have made the speak easy initiative available as a free, open resource for the wider financial services industry.
Financial services brands signed up include NatWest, Santander and Skipton Building Society, among others. Nationwide said it is also developing guidance to help organisations beyond banking implement the free cards.
Support from officials and industry leaders
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said: “It has been extremely positive to see industry get behind our Financial Inclusion Strategy, which is helping more people access the products, services, and support they need every day.”
Kathryn Townsend, head of customer accessibility at Nationwide, said: “By making speak easy a shared industry resource, we’re helping more organisations provide accessible support and creating a more consistent and inclusive experience for everyone.”
Agata Laight, head of social impact and sustainability, Europe, Visa, said: “Access to financial services is fundamental to financial wellbeing and economic inclusion. Speak easy is a practical tool that can make a meaningful difference for people with communication difficulties, helping them access support more easily, independently, and with confidence.”
Positive feedback from early adopters
Polly Tolley, head of customer vulnerability at NatWest, said: “This is a great example of the industry working together to deliver a simple but innovative solution that improves accessibility for customers.”
Sara Fawcett, senior customer outcomes manager for Skipton Building Society, said: “We are proud to be an early adopter of the speak easy cards across our Skipton Building Society branch network. They have made it easier for customers to communicate their needs and for our colleagues to provide the right support, helping to create a more inclusive and accessible experience for everyone. The feedback we’ve received from both customers and colleagues has been extremely positive, and we’re delighted to see the cards being made available more widely.”
Graeme Cumming, head of vulnerable customer strategy at Santander UK, said: “For the millions of people across the UK that are living with communication difficulties, we know that everyday conversations can be challenging. Speak easy cards are a great way to improve accessibility, increase independence and empower more customers when they visit our branches.”
Dr Rasha Kassem, senior academic and leader of the Fraud Research Group at Aston University, said: “From a fraud perspective, this is a positive initiative because being able to communicate quickly and clearly with a financial institution can be particularly important when someone has concerns about fraud or has experienced fraud. People with communication difficulties can face additional barriers when trying to explain what has happened, particularly in situations that may already be stressful or confusing. Fraud perpetrators may also deliberately create urgency, pressure and uncertainty, making accessible routes to support especially important.”
