Not upheld: alleged mis-selling/misleading information regarding transaction interest treatment complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Barclaycard

Decision detail

Summary

Mr N complained that Barclaycard misled him about how a £4,000 credit card purchase made on 27 July 2023 would be treated for interest purposes. Mr N claimed he checked his mobile banking application, saw a minimum payment of £110.00, and assumed the transaction was on an instalment-style basis. However, Barclaycard's 4 August 2023 statement clearly showed the transaction was on standard terms with 1.5383% monthly interest (18.46% yearly, 20.1% APR) and projected interest charges. Mr N did not complain until August/September 2025, approximately two years later, after receiving over 20 monthly statements showing the same terms. The ombudsman found Mr N's assumption was unreasonable and that Barclaycard had provided clear disclosure of the actual terms, rejecting the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr N's assumption about instalment-style processing was unreasonable, particularly given that Barclaycard's 4 August 2023 statement explicitly detailed the standard terms, interest rates, and minimum payment requirements three weeks before the payment due date. The ombudsman noted that Mr N had ample opportunity to understand the actual terms and clear the balance if he wished to avoid interest, and his two-year delay in complaining after receiving over 20 statements showing the same terms undermined his position. The ombudsman rejected Mr N's arguments regarding FCA principle 7 and CONC 3 breaches, and noted that Barclaycard's £300 settlement offer did not constitute an acknowledgement of wrongdoing.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website