Not upheld: account application decline and failure to provide reasons complaint against J.P. Morgan Europe Limited trading as Chase

Decision detail

Summary

Miss C applied for a current account with Chase on 16 July 2025 but her application was declined the same day. After reviewing her credit file and finding no adverse markers, Miss C complained that Chase failed to provide clear reasons for the decline. Chase maintained its decision and did not uphold her complaint. The ombudsman found that Chase was entitled to make this commercial decision and was not obliged to disclose specific eligibility criteria, and therefore did not uphold the complaint. Miss C subsequently opened an account with another provider.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman determined that while Chase is not obliged to open accounts for customers, it must have valid and non-discriminatory reasons for refusing. The ombudsman found Chase's decision was based on legitimate eligibility criteria and that Chase was entitled to protect its internal processes by not disclosing specific reasons. Banks are not obliged to provide reasons for commercial decisions, similar to how customers are not expected to explain their choice of bank.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website