Not upheld: account management - pending transaction processing and temporary fund return complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5992777 of 2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00. account management - pending transaction processing and temporary fund return complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5992777 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company |
| Product | Current account |
| Claim type | account management - pending transaction processing and temporary fund return |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | None. The complaint was not upheld. However, the ombudsman reminded NatWest of its ongoing responsibility to treat Miss M with forbearance and due consideration moving forward, given her disclosed medical condition. |
Summary
Miss M complained that NatWest returned three pending payments to her account after she reported her debit card lost on 3 October 2025, giving her the false impression of available funds which she spent, causing her to exceed her overdraft limit. The payments had been in pending status and were manually processed by NatWest on 7 October 2025 after the retailers failed to present them within three working days. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding that Miss M should have monitored her account more carefully given a similar complaint in May 2025, and that she had a responsibility to verify funds before spending them. The ombudsman noted Miss M had disclosed a medical condition but reminded NatWest to treat her with forbearance going forward.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that the temporary return of funds was a natural consequence of the payment processing system and Miss M's decision to report her card lost before the retailers had presented the payments. The ombudsman emphasised that Miss M should have monitored her account more carefully, particularly given she had made a similar complaint in May 2025 and should have been aware that pending payments can be delayed. The ombudsman concluded that Miss M had a responsibility to check her account status before spending funds she was uncertain about, and that NatWest did not act unfairly in its handling of the situation.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company, all decisions | 1,171 | 14% |
| Current account, all decisions | 45,590 | 19% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website