Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Nationwide Building Society

Decision detail

Summary

Ms L complained that Nationwide Building Society unfairly refused to refund £15.22 in interest charged when she paid her credit card bill three days late in December 2025 due to caring for elderly relatives. Ms L argued that Nationwide had discretion to refund the interest and should have exercised it fairly given her 14-year history as a good customer and the small nature of the oversight. The ombudsman found that Nationwide acted fairly by charging interest in line with the account terms and conditions, and that while Ms L's circumstances were sympathetic, Nationwide was not obliged to exercise discretion to refund the interest as a gesture of goodwill. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Ms L's terms and conditions clearly set out that interest can be avoided by paying the full bill on the due date. Ms L accepted she paid late, so charging interest was not an error and was fair. While the ombudsman acknowledged Ms L's circumstances (caring for relatives, long-standing customer, small oversight, only three days late), they found that Nationwide was not obliged to exercise discretion to refund interest as a gesture of goodwill. The ombudsman can only require action if unfair treatment is found, and none was identified here.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website