Inactive accounts

Over time, accounts can become inactive - i.e. where no activity has taken place on the account for a long time. Savings, loans and credit card accounts can become inactive, even though there may still be a deposit or a credit balance on the account. If your account is inactive, we may have already contacted you to let you know that we would close it if we didn’t hear from you.

Later this year we will close any inactive accounts that are still open and move any funds held in them. Don’t worry, the money in the account is still yours. You can contact us at any time to find out how to get your money back.

Savings

What happens when you don’t use your savings account with us for a long time?

We monitor our savings accounts and identify when no activity has taken place over a long period of time, together with the balances held on these accounts. We may have written to you to check whether you still needed this account and informed you that, if you took no action, the account would be closed.

It is important to keep us up to date with your contact details, including changes to your home address, telephone numbers and email addresses so that we can stay in touch with you.

What happens if your account becomes inactive?

Your Savings Terms and Conditions, set out the circumstances in which we can treat your account as being inactive. In this case, we may have contacted you to find out what you would like us to do with your money.

If we didn’t hear back from you, or we didn’t have your up-to-date contact details, we may have closed your account to reduce the risk of fraudulent activity. Don’t worry, the money you held in the account is still yours and it will continue to earn interest, if applicable. You can contact us at any time to find out how to get your money back.

If you believe you’ve held a savings account with us and want us to check this, you can contact us directly. It would help if you have an account number and sort code, a statement, and/or details of any address change if you’ve moved house. But don't worry if you don't as we can search for your account on our systems.

If you’re not sure you had a savings account with us, then you can trace it using mylostaccount.org.uk. It is an official site offering a free service that helps you trace lost current and savings accounts.

Credit Cards & Loans

Credit cards and loans accounts that have a credit balance – for example, through overpayment by the account holder or where a redress payment or a refund has been applied to the account – can also become inactive over time.

What happens if your account has become inactive?

If your account has a credit balance and is treated as being inactive we may have tried to contact you to find out what you would like us to do with your money. If we didn’t hear back from you, or we didn’t have your up-to-date contact details, we may have suspended your credit card until you got in touch with us. We do this to reduce the risk of fraudulent activity. Don’t worry, the money in the account is still yours. You can contact us at any time to find out how to get your money back.

If you believe you have a credit card or loan account with us which might have a credit balance and want us to check this, you can contact us directly. It would help if you have an account number and sort code, a statement, and/or details of any address change if you’ve moved house. But don't worry if you don't as we can search for your account on our systems.