Not upheld: account suspension and identity verification handling complaint against Revolut Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Mr B complained that Revolut unfairly handled his account and provided poor service when it suspended his account following a failed identity verification process. Revolut had requested ID verification as part of its FCA Know Your Customer obligations, but rejected Mr B's submission because he had uploaded a photo of a screen displaying his passport rather than a photo of the original document. The ombudsman found that Revolut's app instructions were sufficiently clear, the account suspension was necessary to meet regulatory obligations, and the explanation provided to Mr B was proportionate. The complaint was not upheld, and no compensation was ordered.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman determined that Revolut's suspension of the account was a necessary and proportionate step to meet its regulatory obligations under FCA KYC requirements. The app instructions were sufficiently clear that an original document was required. Revolut provided Mr B with a prompt investigation and proportionate explanation. No failing was identified on Revolut's part, and the detriment caused (lack of account access) was directly attributable to the failed verification process rather than poor service.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website