Nationwide FlexPlus Mobile Phone Insurance Explained: Cover, Excess and Claims

What FlexPlus mobile phone insurance covers

FlexPlus is Nationwide's packaged current account, and mobile phone insurance is one of several benefits bundled into the £18 monthly fee alongside worldwide travel insurance and UK and European breakdown cover. The phone cover itself is administered by Lifestyle Services Group and underwritten by Assurant General Insurance Limited, the same insurance group that underwrites several other UK packaged bank account phone benefits. Cover applies worldwide and pays out up to £2,000 including VAT for a single claim, covering loss, theft, accidental damage and mechanical breakdown once any manufacturer warranty has expired. The policy extends beyond the account holder: a partner and any children under 19, or under 22 if they are in full-time education, are covered as long as they live at the same address as the account holder. This family scope is broader than several rival packaged accounts, which often limit cover to the account holder and, on a joint account, the second named holder only. Unauthorised network charges run up after a phone is lost or stolen are also covered up to a set limit, provided the loss or theft is reported promptly to the police and the network provider.

How to make a claim

Claims are handled through Nationwide's mobile phone insurance portal, and the process starts with identifying the device using its IMEI number, found by dialling *#06# on the handset's keypad or checking the original box or settings menu. For loss or theft, the account holder must report the incident to the police and obtain a crime reference number, and separately notify their network provider to block the SIM and handset, both of which are conditions of any successful claim. Claims can typically be started online through Nationwide's internet banking or the mobile phone insurance claims portal, with supporting documents such as proof of purchase or a police reference uploaded electronically. Once a claim is approved, replacement devices are usually sourced from refurbished or remanufactured stock rather than new, which is standard practice across most packaged bank account phone insurance policies, not unique to Nationwide. Turnaround times vary by claim type, with repairs generally processed faster than full replacements. Anyone whose FlexPlus phone claim has been turned down should read the separate guide on what to do when a phone insurance claim is rejected, which covers the standard appeal routes and the Financial Ombudsman Service process.

Excess bands by claim type

Unlike some packaged accounts that charge a single flat excess regardless of the claim, FlexPlus applies a banded excess of £30 to £100 depending on the nature of the claim, with Nationwide publishing the exact current bands on its dedicated mobile excess page at nationwide.co.uk/mobileexcess. As a general pattern across this type of policy, repair claims tend to sit toward the lower end of the excess range, while full loss, theft or replacement claims sit at the higher end, reflecting the greater cost to the insurer of sourcing a replacement handset rather than fixing an existing one. Anyone budgeting for a potential claim should check the current published bands before assuming a figure, since insurers periodically revise excess structures, and the FlexPlus account fee itself was increased from £13 to £18 a month in December 2024, showing these packaged benefits are not fixed indefinitely.

FlexPlus versus standalone phone insurance

Whether FlexPlus represents good value depends heavily on how many of its bundled benefits a household actually uses. At £18 a month, the account costs £216 a year, and that figure needs to be weighed against what a household would otherwise pay separately for worldwide travel insurance, UK and European breakdown cover, and standalone mobile phone insurance for potentially several family members. A single adult who only wants phone cover for one device will typically find a standalone mobile insurance policy cheaper on its own terms, since they are paying for travel and breakdown cover they may not use. A family with several devices to insure, existing FlexPlus banking needs, and a genuine use for the breakdown and travel elements is more likely to see the account pay for itself. For a like-for-like comparison against Lloyds and Halifax's equivalent packaged accounts, see the guide to packaged bank account phone insurance compared, and for the full picture of standalone options, the best mobile phone insurance in the UK hub sets out the wider market.

Cancelling FlexPlus phone cover

A detail that catches some account holders out is that mobile phone insurance under FlexPlus cannot be cancelled as a standalone benefit while keeping the current account open. The insurance is tied to the packaged account as a whole, so the only way to stop paying for phone cover, along with the travel and breakdown benefits, is to close or downgrade the FlexPlus account itself, typically by switching to a fee-free Nationwide current account. Anyone who no longer needs the phone insurance element but values the travel or breakdown cover, or vice versa, cannot pick and choose which benefits to keep, which is a structural feature of packaged bank accounts generally rather than something specific to Nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nationwide FlexPlus mobile phone insurance worth it?

It depends on how many of the bundled benefits a household uses. At £18 a month, FlexPlus includes travel insurance and breakdown cover alongside phone insurance, so households that use all three are more likely to find it worthwhile than someone who only wants phone cover for a single device.

What is the excess on a Nationwide FlexPlus phone insurance claim?

The excess ranges from £30 to £100 depending on the type of claim, with the current published bands available on Nationwide's dedicated mobile excess page.

How many phones can be covered under one FlexPlus account?

Cover extends to the account holder and eligible family members, including a partner and children under 19, or under 22 if in full-time education, provided they live at the same address as the account holder.

Can you cancel just the phone insurance and keep the FlexPlus account?

No. Mobile phone insurance is bundled into the FlexPlus account as a whole, so the only way to stop the cover is to close or downgrade the account itself.

Who underwrites Nationwide FlexPlus mobile phone insurance?

The policy is administered by Lifestyle Services Group and underwritten by Assurant General Insurance Limited.