How far back can I reclaim bank charges?

Complaints are normally considered within six years of the charge, or three years from when you reasonably became aware you had cause to complain.

Does the Financial Ombudsman cost anything?

No. The service is free for consumers and its decisions are binding on the firm if you accept them.

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Free bank charges refund letter template

Ask a bank or lender to refund charges applied while you were in financial difficulty, or fees applied in error. This letter creates the formal complaint you need before going to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Who this letter is for

Reclaim unfair overdraft, late payment or account fees from your bank. It is written in the formal register companies, landlords and card issuers expect, and it records the facts, the remedy sought and the deadline in a way that supports any later escalation to an ombudsman or the courts.

How to use this template

1List every charge with its date and amount from your statements.
2Explain your circumstances at the time if you were in financial difficulty.
3Download the template and ask for a refund plus statutory interest.
4Send it to the complaints department, not the branch.
5After eight weeks or a final response, refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

What to include before you send it

List every charge with its date and amount — a table is fine.
Explain your circumstances at the time if the charges made things worse.
Free escalation: the Financial Ombudsman Service after 8 weeks or a final response.

The rights you are relying on

FCA Consumer Duty and CONC rules on treating customers in financial difficulty fairly, DISP complaint handling rules, and the Financial Ombudsman Service's eight-week deadline.

The letter template

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Email address] · [Phone number]
Account number: [ACCOUNT NO] · Sort code: [SORT CODE]
[Date]

Complaints Department
[Bank or lender name]
[Address]

Re: Formal complaint — refund of charges on account [ACCOUNT NO]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am making a formal complaint about charges applied to my account and I ask for a refund of [TOTAL AMOUNT].

The charges I dispute are:

[DATE] — [type of charge] — [AMOUNT]
[DATE] — [type of charge] — [AMOUNT]
[DATE] — [type of charge] — [AMOUNT]

My grounds are:

[Choose and complete:
- The charges were applied while I was in financial difficulty. I told you about my circumstances on [DATE], and the charges deepened the problem rather than being handled with forbearance;
- The charges were applied in error: [explain, e.g. the payment was made in time / the account was in credit / I had cancelled the mandate on [DATE]];
- The charges were not clearly disclosed before they were incurred.]

I ask you to refund [TOTAL AMOUNT] plus statutory interest, remove any related adverse entries from my credit file, and confirm in writing.

Please treat this as a complaint under your DISP obligations. If I do not receive a final response within eight weeks, or if I am dissatisfied with it, I will refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free for me to use.

Yours faithfully,

[Your name]

Enclosures: statements showing the charges.

Frequently asked questions

How far back can I reclaim bank charges?: Complaints are normally considered within six years of the charge, or three years from when you reasonably became aware you had cause to complain.
Does the Financial Ombudsman cost anything?: No. The service is free for consumers and its decisions are binding on the firm if you accept them.

Turn this example into your own formal letter

The £0.59 option creates one formal letter using your names, dates, sums and evidence. The £3.99 Case File also includes an email, evidence checklist, action plan and follow-up notice.

Uses the facts you provide Includes a clear response date

Personalise this letter — £0.59

Or read more about our personalised bank complaint letter.

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