Upheld: Failure to cancel Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) and prevent subsequent payment attempts complaint against NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6292302 of 2026-05-18T00:00:00+00:00. Failure to cancel Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) and prevent subsequent payment attempts complaint against NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6292302 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-18T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY |
| Product | debit card |
| Claim type | Failure to cancel Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) and prevent subsequent payment attempts |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | NatWest to pay Mr P £200 for distress and inconvenience caused. Mr P may also accept NatWest's separate offer to reimburse £29.98 (two payments of £14.99) by contacting NatWest directly. |
Summary
Mr P requested cancellation of a CPA with a global technology company in October/November 2025 after setting up a £14.99 subscription. Although NatWest actioned a stop request, the retailer continued attempting payments unsuccessfully after the cancellation date. Mr P had to reduce his account balance to zero and use his wife's account for banking to prevent unauthorised debits. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding NatWest responsible for ensuring no unauthorised payments occurred after the cancellation request, and awarded £200 compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused by this matter spanning several weeks.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
Although CPA cancellations can be difficult to enforce due to the nature of how CPAs operate and account-updater services, NatWest was obliged to cancel the CPA when Mr P requested it and was responsible for ensuring no unauthorised payments were taken thereafter. The retailer's multiple unsuccessful payment attempts after the cancellation request, combined with Mr P's need to take proactive steps (reducing account balance to zero and using his wife's account) to prevent unauthorised debits, caused him distress and inconvenience over several weeks. The £200 compensation offered by NatWest reasonably reflects this impact.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, all decisions | 1,179 | 14% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website