Not upheld: promotional offer eligibility - failure to receive switch incentive complaint against Nationwide Building Society

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs P applied for a current account switch with Nationwide Building Society to receive a £200 switch incentive on 6 June 2025. The offer required her to make a debit card payment within 31 days of notifying Nationwide of the switch. Mrs P made a payment on 2 July 2025 but it was to a gambling site, which was excluded under the terms. Her first qualifying payment was made on 15 July 2025, outside the deadline. Mrs P complained that the terms were misleading due to selective bolding of text. The ombudsman found the terms were not misleading and that Mrs P did not satisfy the eligibility requirements, so the complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman determined that Mrs P did not satisfy the eligibility requirements of the offer. Although Mrs P made a debit card payment within the 31-day window, it was to a gambling site which was explicitly excluded in the terms. The ombudsman found the terms were not misleading despite selective bolding, as it would be reasonable to expect customers to read all terms and conditions, not just bolded sections. The different treatment of new versus existing customers was found to be fair as existing customers could begin meeting requirements before new customers even had an account opened.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website