Major UK banks and building societies are rolling out free Speak Easy cards so customers who find verbal communication hard can point to what they need in a branch instead of speaking. Nationwide developed the picture-and-phrase set with people who have lived experience of those difficulties, then opened it as a shared resource with Visa so every provider can use the same unbranded tool.
The move, announced on 12 August 2026, already covers Virgin Money, NatWest, Santander, AIB Group (UK), Bank of Ireland and Skipton Building Society. Customers check the live list on the Signing Banks site as more names join.
The cards that replace a spoken request
Speak Easy is a physical pack of cards. Each one carries a common banking phrase or request next to a clear picture, with key words in bold. A customer picks the card that matches what they want and shows it to a colleague. That starts the conversation without anyone having to find the right spoken words under pressure.
The tool works for everyday tasks such as checking a balance, making a payment, reporting a lost card or asking for large-print letters. It also covers setting the pace of the meeting itself. Nationwide first put the cards into all 605 of its branches in September 2024 after a pilot in Greater Manchester. Virgin Money followed across its network in 2025 and now offers a downloadable version customers can keep on a phone.
Colleagues keep packs visible on counters and tables. They can offer them if someone appears to be struggling, then move to a quieter spot if asked. Conversations often take longer and rely on closed questions so the customer can answer with a yes/no/don’t-know card.
Colour codes and the phrases customers point to
The pack is split into colour-coded sections so the right card is easy to find quickly.
- Grey, Before we start: “Please speak slowly.” “Can we go somewhere quieter.” “Can I have a pen and paper.”
- Red, Urgent: “My card has been lost or stolen.” “Urgent: I do not recognise a payment on my account.”
- Amber, Support: “What is my account balance.” Cash-withdrawal amounts plus “other amount.” “I want to update my personal details.”
- Green, Help: “Help me use the cash machine.” “What ID do I need to open an account.” “I need letters in large font / audio.”
A separate yes/no/don’t-know card keeps the exchange going. There is also a reception-area set for head-office visitors with phrases such as forgotten pass or Wi-Fi access. Cards must be printed professionally to the approved specification, stay unbranded, and include the copyright card in every pack. Local office printing is not allowed.
Built with stroke survivors and learning-disability panels
Nationwide colleagues, many with their own lived experience of communication difficulties, created the first version. After the Manchester pilot they brought in expert panels from the Stroke Association and the British Institute of Learning Disabilities. Those groups refined wording, pictures and layout so the cards actually work for the people who need them.
Caitlin Longman, Accessibility Lead at the Stroke Association, said at the original launch that two-thirds of people experience communication difficulties or aphasia soon after a stroke, and that the right tools make the difference in places like banks. The cards are aimed at anyone who finds face-to-face talk difficult or stressful: stroke recovery, Motor Neurone Disease, autism, learning disabilities, stammers, hearing loss, mental-health conditions, throat cancer, or English as a second language.
- 2024: Pilot then full rollout across Nationwide’s 605 branches as the first high-street provider to offer dedicated communication cards.
- 2025: Virgin Money adopts the tool network-wide and makes digital copies available.
- 12 August 2026: Nationwide and Visa release the cards as a free open resource for every financial-services provider; six major names already signed up.
Rebecca Brindley, Government Disability and Access Ambassador for the Banking Sector, called the collaboration the real progress: disabled people, industry partners and providers working together on shared barriers rather than each firm inventing its own fix.
Six providers already share the same tool
The consistency is the second-order gain. A customer who learns the colour system at one branch can walk into another provider’s hall and find the same cards. That removes the need to master a fresh set of symbols or scripts every time they switch banks or visit a different town.
| Provider | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Originator, all branches | Launched 2024, 605 sites |
| Virgin Money | Full network + hubs | Adopted 2025; downloadable PDF |
| NatWest | Adopted | Positive colleague and customer feedback already reported |
| Santander UK | Adopted | Focus on independence for millions with communication difficulties |
| Skipton Building Society | Early adopter | Branch network live; strong internal feedback |
| AIB Group (UK) / Bank of Ireland | Adopted | Confidence and inclusion emphasis |
Access and the live list of partners sit on the Signing Banks Speak Easy download site. Polly Tolley, Head of Customer Vulnerability at NatWest, said a consistent approach across financial services makes it easier for people to get the support they need. Sara Fawcett of Skipton reported that both customers and colleagues found the cards helpful almost immediately.
Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Accessibility at Nationwide, put the shared-resource logic plainly in the Nationwide industry-wide Speak Easy release: everyone deserves to communicate confidently when they access essential services, and making the tool shared creates a more consistent experience.
One in five will need this at some point
Figures Nationwide obtained from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists show that as many as one in five people in the UK will experience communication difficulties during their lives. That is up to 14 million people. More than 10 per cent of children already have a long-term communication need.
- Up to 14 million people face communication difficulty at some point (RCSLT).
- 1 in 5 lifetime prevalence used across the Speak Easy materials.
- Two-thirds of stroke survivors experience aphasia or related difficulties soon after the event (Stroke Association).
The RCSLT figure of up to 14 million people underpins Communication Access UK, a wider partnership that includes the Stroke Association, MND Association, Headway and others. Without tools that work, people lose equal access to products and services and face higher risk of fraud, mis-selling or financial abuse. The cards give them a dignified way to stay independent rather than relying on a companion to speak for them.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby welcomed the industry move. She said inadequate access to essential banking can leave people in vulnerable situations and that the initiative matches the government’s push for greater independence and confidence in everyday services.
Not having adequate access to essential banking services can be debilitating and place people into vulnerable situations.
Rigby linked the cards to the broader Financial Inclusion Strategy that aims to make products and support reachable for everyone who needs them.
How the cards lower the bar for reporting fraud
One of the most practical uses is the red urgent section. A customer who suspects a scam or does not recognise a payment can simply point to the card instead of having to describe the problem out loud while stressed or embarrassed. That discreet route is repeatedly highlighted by the banks as a way to get help faster and with less distress.
Graeme Cumming, Head of Vulnerable Customer Strategy at Santander UK, said everyday conversations can be challenging for the millions living with communication difficulties and that the cards increase independence and empower customers in branch. George Higginson of Bank of Ireland UK noted that asking to check a balance or replace a card is straightforward for many people yet overwhelming for others; the cards remove that barrier.
Agata Laight, Head of Social Impact & Sustainability Europe at Visa, framed the partnership through the Towns Partnership: access to financial services is fundamental to wellbeing, and Speak Easy lets people get support more easily, independently and with confidence. The free release means any provider can pick up the same tool without starting from scratch.
Virgin Money branch Speak Easy guidance tells customers they will usually find the cards on the counter or tables, or can simply ask a colleague. The same page lists the range of conditions and situations the cards are designed for, reinforcing that the tool is for anyone who finds speaking hard that day, not only people with a formal diagnosis.
Nationwide wants the same cards in shops and councils
The longer-term plan is already public. Nationwide is writing guidance so organisations outside financial services can introduce the same cards. The goal is a recognisable tool that works across different customer-facing sectors. A person who uses Speak Easy at the bank would then meet the same colour system and phrases at a council desk, a high-street shop or another essential service, without having to learn a new system each time.
That portability is the second-order effect that turns a useful branch pack into shared infrastructure. It lines up with the UK Financial Inclusion Strategy aims of making banking and related support reachable and less dependent on perfect verbal fluency or digital confidence alone.
Customers who want the cards today can ask for them in any participating branch or download the materials from the Signing Banks site. Providers who want to join follow the free partner route on the same site. The list of names will keep growing as the guidance for other sectors appears.
The cards themselves stay simple: point, show, get the help. For the millions who will need that option at some point, the fact that the same pack now travels between banks is the practical change that matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is on a Speak Easy card?
Each card pairs one common banking phrase or request with a clear supporting picture and bold key words. Colour coding groups them into Before we start (grey), Urgent (red), Support (amber) and Help (green), plus a separate yes/no/don’t-know card. Example phrases include “Please speak slowly,” “My card has been lost or stolen,” and “Help me use the cash machine.”
Who developed the Speak Easy cards?
Nationwide colleagues, many with lived experience of communication difficulties, created the first set. Expert panels from the Stroke Association and the British Institute of Learning Disabilities then refined the wording, images and layout after the 2024 pilot so the final pack meets real customer needs.
How many people in the UK experience communication difficulties?
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists states that up to 14 million people, or one in five of the population, will experience communication difficulty at some point in their lives, with more than 10 per cent of children already having a long-term need.
Can any bank download and use Speak Easy for free?
Yes. Nationwide and Visa released the cards as a free open resource. Providers download the print-ready files from the Signing Banks site, follow the professional printing specifications, keep the cards unbranded, and include the copyright card. Local office printing is not permitted.
Will Speak Easy cards appear outside banks?
Nationwide is preparing guidance specifically so other customer-facing sectors can adopt the same unbranded cards. The stated aim is a single recognisable system that works across services so customers do not have to learn a new tool every time they deal with a different organisation.
