Understanding your overdraft debt

If you've tried our top tips for getting out of your overdraft above but you're still struggling, you should look to get expert help. You can find additional information our Struggling financially page, including links to independent charities who can help with money management, dealing with debt and reduced income.

Credit scores are based on a few different factors, such as the amount of credit you have, the average age of accounts, and the number of inquiries on your credit report.

An overdraft could negatively affect your credit score if you regularly go beyond your overdraft limit or into an unarranged overdraft. For more information about credit scores, head on over to our Credit scoring guide.

When you apply for any type of credit, including overdrafts, it will impact your credit score as a credit check is performed as part of the application. That’s why it’s a good idea to check your chances of being accepted before you apply.

At NatWest, we don’t charge fees for using your overdraft, just interest. If you’re looking to understand more about how much interest you’d pay based on your own circumstances and borrowing amount, head on over to our Overdraft cost calculator.

Other overdraft charges, such as Unpaid Transaction Fees, are accrued during a charging period. At the end of the charging period you will be notified of the total amount owed and when it will be taken from your account – this will be 21 days after the end of the charging period.

The charging period start date is always the day after the account statement is produced i.e. if the statements are set to be produced on the 1st of the month, the charging period will start on the 2nd and finish on the 1st of the next month.