Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Wirex Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S opened a Wirex account via a referral link to participate in a Refer a Friend promotion offering up to £100 in rewards for 20 card transactions. The promotion was terminated one week after launch without direct notification to customers. Mr S made 12 qualifying transactions during the active period and 8 after it ended, receiving £30 in earned rewards and £40 in goodwill compensation. He requested the £30 shortfall to reach the maximum award plus compensation for inconvenience. The ombudsman found Wirex acted within its contractual rights, as its terms explicitly permitted termination without notice, and concluded the payments already made were fair and reasonable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Wirex's terms and conditions explicitly permitted termination of the promotion at any time without prior notice, and Mr S accepted this contractual position. Wirex correctly paid Mr S the reward amount earned for transactions completed during the active promotion period (£30 for 12 transactions) and additionally paid a gesture of goodwill (£40) for transactions made after the promotion ended. The ombudsman noted that while Mr S felt the communication method was not consumer-friendly, the Financial Ombudsman Service is not a regulator and cannot set rules for how promotions must be communicated. The ombudsman concluded Wirex acted within its contractual rights and treated Mr S fairly by paying earned rewards plus additional goodwill compensation.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website