Metro Bank

Retail bank. Products & services: Current Accounts, Business Banking.

Updated: 3 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Retail and commercial banking
Parent company: Metro Bank Holdings PLC (no. 14387040); controlled by Spaldy Investments Limited
Regulator: Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (FRN 488982)
Ombudsman: Financial Ombudsman Service
Founded: 2010
Legal entity: Metro Bank PLC (Companies House no. 06419578)

3.99Banking & credit cards - complaints per 1,000 accounts

What customers complain about

Customers most often complain to Metro Bank about everyday banking and credit-card issues, which make up the largest share of its complaint volume, along with mortgage/home-finance and credit-related matters. Its own published data (July-December 2025) shows around a quarter of banking complaints resolved within three days and roughly half upheld, with higher uphold rates on home finance. Common financial-services themes such as payment and fraud handling, account access, and service quality apply. Complain first to Metro Bank by phone, in the app, in a store or by post to its Customer Relations Team; if you are unhappy with the final response, or eight weeks pass, you can take the complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service. Metro Bank's store-led model means an in-branch complaint route is genuinely available, unlike app-only banks.

Complaint categories

1
Everyday banking and credit cards
Current accounts, savings, debit and credit cards generate by far the largest number of complaints by volume - 11,111 opened in the second half of 2025 - reflecting Metro Bank's mainly retail customer base.
Metro Bank complaints data, Jul-Dec 2025.
2
Credit-related complaints
Credit-related products carry Metro Bank's highest complaint rate at 13.11 per 1,000 accounts, even though the total number is smaller than everyday banking.
Metro Bank complaints data, Jul-Dec 2025.
3
Home finance / mortgages
Mortgage and home-finance complaints are fewer in number but had the highest uphold rate (75%) in the latest period, meaning most that were investigated were resolved in the customer's favour.
Metro Bank complaints data, Jul-Dec 2025.
4
Payments and fraud handling
As with all UK banks, disputed payments, scams and authorised push-payment (APP) fraud are a recurring source of banking complaints; since 7 October 2024 most APP scam victims have a mandatory reimbursement right.
PSR APP scam reimbursement policy; general FCA banking-complaint categories. Reported as a sector theme rather than a Metro-specific published breakdown.

Latest statistics

11,111Banking & credit cards - complaints openedJul-Dec 2025

Source: Metro Bank's own complaints data publication, reporting period 1 July - 31 December 2025 (the bank publishes these figures twice yearly and submits them to the FCA). Rates are as Metro Bank reports them (per 1,000 accounts, or per 1,000 balances for home finance). 'Upheld' is the share of closed complaints found in the customer's favour.

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Contact Metro Bank
Raise the complaint directly with the bank first.
Typical responseImmediate
What happens
Contact Metro Bank on 0345 08 08 500, through the app's 'Chat to us' option, in any store, or in writing to the Customer Relations Team, Metro Bank PLC, One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA. Explain clearly what went wrong, what you want put right, and give your account details and contact number.
2
Metro Bank investigates
The bank reviews your complaint and works towards a resolution.
Typical responseVaries
What happens
Metro Bank aims to resolve many issues at first contact. For payment or payment-service complaints (such as Direct Debits) it aims to respond within 15 business days; for other complaints it typically responds within around 35 days and will tell you if it may take longer.
3
Receive the final response
A written final response, or a holding letter if it needs longer.
Typical responseUp to 8 weeks
What happens
Under FCA rules Metro Bank must send a final response, or explain why it cannot yet do so, within eight weeks of your complaint. The final response should set out its decision and tell you about your right to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
4
Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service
Take an unresolved complaint to the free, independent ombudsman.
Typical response6-month window
What happens
If you are unhappy with the final response, or eight weeks pass without one, you can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge. You normally have six months from the date of Metro Bank's final response to do so. The Ombudsman resolves individual disputes; the FCA and PRA regulate the bank but do not settle personal complaints.

Response times

Metro Bank tries to resolve complaints at first contact. It says it aims to respond within 15 business days for payment-related complaints (for example Direct Debits and card payments) and typically within around 35 days for other complaints, notifying you if a case may take longer. In all cases the FCA's eight-week rule applies: Metro Bank must issue a final response, or explain why it cannot, within eight weeks. If it misses that deadline, or you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Metro Bank can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Financial Ombudsman Service

Recent news

12 November 2024
The FCA fined Metro Bank PLC £16,675,200 for failing to adequately monitor over 60 million transactions (worth more than £51bn) for money-laundering risk between June 2016 and December 2020. The fine was reduced 30% for early settlement from £23,821,700.
Read more
4 March 2026
Metro Bank reported full-year 2025 results, citing record underlying profit of around £98m and continued store expansion (new stores including Gateshead, Salford and Chester), marking its 15th year of operation.
Read more

Earlier cases

8 October 2023
Historic: Metro Bank announced a £925m package - a £325m capital raise and £600m debt refinancing - amid market concern over its capital position. Jaime Gilinski's Spaldy Investments led the raise and became majority shareholder (around 53%); some tier-2 bondholders faced a write-down. Shareholders approved the deal in November 2023.
Read more
23 January 2019
Historic: Metro Bank disclosed a major accounting error that understated the risk weighting of part of its loan book, triggering a share-price fall, a capital raise and later regulatory investigations into disclosures around the error.
Read more

Know your rights

FCA Handbook (DISP) complaint-handling rules
As an FCA-regulated bank, Metro Bank must acknowledge and investigate your complaint and issue a final response within eight weeks, and tell you about your right to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a general summary, not legal advice.
Payment Services Regulations 2017 and the PSR APP scam reimbursement rules (from 7 October 2024)
Governs disputed and unauthorised payments and gives most victims of authorised push-payment (bank-transfer) scams a right to reimbursement, subject to the scheme's conditions and limits.
Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)
Eligible deposits with Metro Bank are protected up to £85,000 per person if the bank were to fail - separate from the complaints process.
Consumer Duty (FCA)
Requires Metro Bank to deliver good outcomes for retail customers, including in how it handles complaints and communicates - a point you can reference if you feel you have been treated unfairly. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I complain to Metro Bank?

Call the UK call centre on 0345 08 08 500, use 'Chat to us' in the Metro Bank app, visit a store, or write to the Customer Relations Team, Metro Bank PLC, One Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA.

How long does Metro Bank take to respond to a complaint?

It aims for around 15 business days on payment complaints and about 35 days on others, but under FCA rules it must issue a final response within eight weeks.

Can I complain to Metro Bank in a branch?

Yes. Because Metro Bank is a store-led bank, you can raise a complaint in person at any of its stores - a route that fully digital banks do not offer. Check the store's opening hours first, as Metro Bank has been reviewing its historic seven-day opening.

What can I do if Metro Bank rejects my complaint?

If you receive a final response you disagree with, or eight weeks pass without one, refer the complaint free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service, normally within six months of the final response.

Where can I see Metro Bank's complaint figures?

Metro Bank publishes its complaints data every six months on its website; the latest report (1 July - 31 December 2025) shows 12,718 complaints opened across its products.

Are my savings safe given Metro Bank's past troubles?

Eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person. The 2023 refinancing and 2024 FCA fine affected investors and the bank's systems, not the deposit protection covering customers.

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