Barclays Bank UK PLC · DRN-6131025

The complaint Mr M complains that Barclays Bank UK PLC refused to refund payments he’d made towards his credit card account. What happened Mr M says that Barclays refunded a payment he’d made when he called to request it on 5 May 2025. However, he says, when he called on 4 July 2025 to request two further refunds, these weren’t returned. Mr M says Barclays told him the payments wouldn’t be refunded because he was up to date with his priority bills. Mr M adds that he then requested a further refund on 4 August 2025, and told Barclays it was to help pay priority bills, but he was again refused. He says Barclays was inconsistent with its messaging, which left him in financial difficulties. Barclays says that it agreed to refund Mr M’s payments in March and April 2025, but that he then wanted refunds in May and June 2025. It says it would typically refund a direct debit payment if it hasn’t been cancelled in time, or if Barclays has made a mistake, but in this case, Mr M had made the payments manually. Barclays adds that the initial refunds were made as a gesture of goodwill, but that Mr M only made one payment in each of May and June, so refunding them would mean he’s avoided a missed payment marker on his credit file. Our investigator did not recommend the complaint should be upheld. She explained that earlier refunds had been actioned as a gesture of goodwill. She further clarified that refunding the minimum credit card repayments Mr M subsequently requested would have meant missed payments being reported on his credit file. Our investigator added that this was an outcome Mr M said he wanted to avoid. Mr M responded to say, in summary, that he is frustrated by Barclays’s inconsistency when it said it would action refund requests for priority bills and then didn’t do it. He added that the earlier refunds were for overpayments and that Barclays should have done more to assist him when he said he needed help with priority bills. What I’ve decided – and why I’ve considered all the available evidence and arguments to decide what’s fair and reasonable in the circumstances of this complaint. On 26 March 2025, Mr M made the minimum payment on his credit card and, the next day, he paid an additional £300, which was refunded by Barclays on 28 March 2025.

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Mr M then paid £200 on each of 15 and 17 April 2025, with Barclays refunding the £400 on 22 April 2025. Barclays has said that it agreed to these refunds as a gesture of goodwill as Mr M said he needed the money for funeral costs. A further £50 payment on 25 April 2025 was refunded by Barclays on 7 May 2025, following a call with him on 5 May 2025. In this call Mr M told Barclays he wanted the refund because he’d made the payment in error and meant to pay another credit card. The agent explained to Mr M that, after the refunds, the £50 covered the minimum payment requirement of £49.75 for that month, so if that too was refunded, a missed payment would be reported to his credit file. However, the agent said that, if Mr M was struggling to pay then it can refund the money and discuss a plan. The agent also explained the effect it would have on Mr M’s account and said the refund could be requested if Mr M was “OK with that“. When Mr M agreed, the agent requested the refund and asked him if he was struggling to make the minimum payment. Mr M said he wasn’t, but he didn’t want any calls about the arrears and would be making the next payment on time. Mr M then made the made the minimum credit card repayments on 23 May 2025 (£49.75) and 1 July 2025 (£48.05). On 4 July 2025, Mr M called Barclays again and said he’d made the previous two payments in error and wanted them refunded as he’d paid the wrong people. He said he could instead make the payments again in about ten days’ time and confirmed he didn’t have any money worries, but needed the funds for repairs. Barclays then explained that it couldn’t refund the money based on the information it had from Mr M. Mr M made a further minimum payment of £46.52 on 1 August 2025 and then called Barclays three days later to request refunds of the last three payments to pay some priority bills. He said he’d just got a new job and would be able to repay the amount at the end of the month. The agent explained to Mr M that his account wasn’t in credit, so it would be unable to refund any money. He acknowledged the previous refunds, but said they were goodwill gestures and Barclays couldn’t authorise any further refunds. Based on everything I’ve seen, I don’t find Barclays made any mistakes here. It is not obliged to refund the payments Mr M made to his credit card and it had done so as a gesture of goodwill in the earlier cases. I accept that Mr M was asked whether he was in financial difficulties, but as a responsible lender, Barclays needs to ask these questions if a customer appears to be struggling to make payments. I understand Mr M’s perception as a result of those discussions was that Barclays has an obligation to refund money if a customer is struggling to pay priority bills. However, that is not the case. The refunds Barclays made were gestures of goodwill and, given the ongoing requests from Mr M, I don’t find it acted unreasonably by refusing further refunds.

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My final decision My decision is that I do not uphold the complaint. Under the rules of the Financial Ombudsman Service, I’m required to ask Mr M to accept or reject my decision before 28 April 2026. Amanda Williams Ombudsman

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