How to Complain About Tesco Bank

Company Overview

Industry: Retail banking, credit cards and insurance
Parent company: Barclays PLC (banking) / Tesco PLC (insurance & money services)
Regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (and Prudential Regulation Authority)
Ombudsman: Financial Ombudsman Service
Legal entity: Trading name of Barclays Bank UK PLC (banking products); insurance/money services retained by Tesco

3.7Complaints per 1,000 accounts — Banking & Credit Cards (Barclays Bank UK PLC, incl. Tesco Bank brand)
91%(62% within 3 working days, plus 29% within 8 weeks)Banking & Credit Cards complaints closed within 8 weeks

What customers complain about

Customers complaining about Tesco Bank most often raise banking issues now handled by Barclays: card, loan and savings account administration, payment and transaction problems, fraud and scam claims, and the disruption around the 31 January 2025 Barclays technology outage. Because the banking business transferred to Barclays Bank UK PLC in November 2024, these complaints are logged and reported through Barclays rather than a separate Tesco Bank return. Tesco-branded insurance complaints (car, home, pet, travel) are separate and are handled by the Tesco insurance business or its underwriter, Tesco Underwriting Limited. Whichever route applies, the business has up to eight weeks to issue a final response; if you are unhappy, or after eight weeks, you can escalate free to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of that response.

Complaint categories

1
Account administration and customer service
Barclays reports that the majority of complaints across its banking and credit-card products (which now include Tesco Bank) fall under 'general administration and customer service' — delays and bank errors.
Barclays UK complaints data, H1 2025, records 'General admin / customer service' as the main cause of Banking & Credit Cards complaints.
2
Disruption from the 31 January 2025 outage
A technology outage on 31 January 2025 drove a sharp, one-off rise in complaints in the period that also first fully included Tesco Bank figures.
Barclays UK complaints data, H1 2025, states overall complaint volumes rose 94% year on year, primarily due to the 31 January 2025 outage.
3
Fraud and scam claims
Payment fraud and authorised push payment (APP) scam claims are a recurring category for banking providers; since 7 October 2024 in-scope providers must reimburse eligible APP scam victims.
Reported theme for UK banking generally; the PSR mandatory reimbursement regime began 7 October 2024 (reported, not a Tesco-specific figure).

Latest statistics

157,983Total complaints opened — Barclays Bank UK PLC (all brands, incl. Tesco Bank)H1 2025 (Jan–Jun 2025)
91%(62% within 3 working days, plus 29% within 8 weeks)Banking & Credit Cards complaints closed within 8 weeksH1 2025 (Jan–Jun 2025)

No standalone Tesco Bank FCA complaints return exists after November 2024. The banking products now sit inside Barclays Bank UK PLC, whose H1 2025 (January–June 2025) FCA return explicitly covers the Tesco Bank brand alongside Barclays and Barclaycard. Figures are therefore firm-wide across those brands, not Tesco-brand-specific, and Barclays states the period's volumes were inflated by a 31 January 2025 technology outage and by the first full inclusion of Tesco Bank complaints. Tesco-branded insurance complaints are reported separately by the relevant insurance firms.

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Complain to the right business first
Raise it with Tesco Bank (banking) or the Tesco insurance business.
Typical responseUp to 4 working days for a quick resolution
What happens
Contact the business that provides the product. For credit cards, loans, savings or Clubcard Pay+ that is Tesco Bank (now Barclays Bank UK PLC) — use the product complaint line, the online form or PO Box 27010, Glasgow, G2 2DR. For car, home, pet or travel insurance, use the contact details on your policy documents, as insurance is handled by the Tesco insurance business or its underwriter. If Tesco Bank can resolve a banking complaint within 4 working days it will confirm this in a 'Summary Resolution'.
2
Acknowledgement and investigation
They log your complaint and investigate.
Typical responseAcknowledged by 5 working days
What happens
If the complaint is not resolved quickly, Tesco Bank sends an acknowledgement (by around 5 working days) and investigates. It aims to resolve the majority of complaints within about 2 weeks, with a further update by around 5 weeks if more time is needed.
3
Receive the Final Response
Their final written decision on your complaint.
Typical responseUp to 8 weeks
What happens
You should receive a written 'Final Response' setting out the outcome and, where relevant, any offer. If the business cannot give a final response within 8 weeks it must explain why and tell you when to expect one. A final response, or the passing of 8 weeks, is what unlocks your right to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
4
Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service
Free, independent adjudication if you're still unhappy.
Typical responseWithin 6 months of the Final Response
What happens
If you are unhappy with the Final Response, or 8 weeks have passed without resolution, you can refer the complaint free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You must usually do so within six months of the date of the Final Response. The Ombudsman resolves individual disputes; the FCA and PRA regulate the firms but do not settle individual complaints.

Response times

For banking products, Tesco Bank aims to confirm a 'Summary Resolution' within 4 working days where it can resolve a complaint quickly. If it cannot, it sends an acknowledgement (around 5 working days), targets resolution of most complaints within about 2 weeks, and provides a further update or Final Response by around 5 weeks. In all cases a Final Response, or an explanation for the delay, must be issued within 8 weeks — the regulatory maximum. For insurance complaints, the same 8-week backstop applies but the exact stages depend on the insurer or underwriter handling your policy.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

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

Financial Ombudsman Service

Recent news

1 November 2024
Barclays completed its acquisition of Tesco's retail banking business (credit cards, unsecured personal loans, savings and Clubcard Pay+), reported at around £600m, with a 10-year strategic partnership to keep the Tesco Bank brand.
Read more
31 January 2025
A major Barclays technology outage disrupted payments and services and drove a large one-off spike in complaints in the first half of 2025.
Read more
7 October 2024
The Payment Systems Regulator's mandatory APP scam reimbursement regime took effect, requiring in-scope providers to reimburse eligible Faster Payments/CHAPS scam victims (up to £85,000) within five business days.
Read more

Earlier cases

1 October 2018
Historic: the FCA fined Tesco Personal Finance plc (Tesco Bank) £16.4m for failing to protect personal current account holders in the November 2016 cyber-attack, which affected 8,261 of 131,000 current accounts and saw attackers take about £2.26m over 48 hours.
Read more

Know your rights

Financial Conduct Authority DISP rules (complaint-handling)
Require Tesco Bank / Barclays and the Tesco insurance firms to acknowledge and investigate complaints, issue a Final Response within 8 weeks, and tell you about your right to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is general information, not legal advice.
PSR APP scam reimbursement rules (from 7 October 2024)
Where you were tricked into authorising a Faster Payments or CHAPS transfer on or after 7 October 2024, an eligible claim should be reimbursed (up to £85,000) within five business days, subject to the scheme's conditions.
Consumer Credit Act 1974, s.75
For eligible Tesco Bank / Barclays credit-card purchases (broadly £100–£30,000), the card provider can be jointly liable with the retailer if goods or services are faulty or not supplied.

Frequently asked questions

Who handles my Tesco Bank complaint now?

It depends on the product. Credit cards, personal loans, savings and Clubcard Pay+ are provided by Barclays Bank UK PLC under the Tesco Bank brand since 1 November 2024, so those complaints are handled by Barclays. Car, home, pet and travel insurance stayed with Tesco and are handled by the Tesco insurance business or its underwriter, Tesco Underwriting Limited.

How do I complain about a Tesco Bank credit card or loan?

Use the product complaint line (credit cards 0345 300 4278, loans 0345 600 6016), the online form at tescobankportal.icasework.com, or write to PO Box 27010, Glasgow, G2 2DR.

How long does Tesco Bank have to respond?

It aims to confirm a 'Summary Resolution' within 4 working days for quick fixes, and must issue a Final Response within 8 weeks at the latest.

What if I'm still not happy?

You can take the complaint free to the Financial Ombudsman Service, usually within six months of your Final Response. The FCA and PRA regulate the firms but do not settle individual disputes.

Has Tesco Bank ever been fined?

Yes. In 2018 the FCA fined the former Tesco Personal Finance plc £16.4m over failings around the November 2016 cyber-attack on personal current accounts.

Tesco Bank