Not upheld: account access restrictions and arrears management complaint against National Westminster Bank Public Limited Company

Decision detail

Summary

Mr D complained that NatWest disabled his online and digital access to three credit card accounts, which he believed directly worsened his situation. From February 2024, NatWest had been writing to Mr D about arrears, and in May 2025 removed his online banking and app access. By September 2025, all three accounts had defaulted and were passed to a Debt Collection Agency. The ombudsman found that NatWest's actions were reasonable and appropriate responses to the arrears, that the letters sent provided sufficient information, and that disabling access was intended to protect Mr D from further financial deterioration. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that NatWest's letters were appropriate and provided sufficient information for Mr D to take action. The removal of online access was a reasonable and standard action taken in response to arrears, intended to protect the customer from worsening their financial situation. While the ombudsman acknowledged Mr D's confusion regarding the conflicting messaging about card usage, the approach was deemed reasonable given the circumstances. NatWest took appropriate next steps after failing to receive required responses or payments over an extended period.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website