Fintech giant Revolut has been instructed by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to correctly compensate a customer who was repeatedly woken by push notifications. The customer, referred to as 'Mr A' in the FOS decision, raised a complaint after two separate notifications from the digital bank disrupted his sleep in the early hours of the morning.
According to the FOS, Mr A informed them that a family member had been unwell at the time, causing him concern when his phone activated. He stated that being woken up left him unable to get back to sleep, leading to a difficult day at work. Revolut initially offered £25 in compensation and explained how customers could manage their notification settings, including opting out of marketing communications. However, they noted that some regulatory communications do not have time restrictions.
The situation became further complicated when Revolut paid the initial £25 compensation into Mr A's business account, rather than his personal account where the notifications had been received. Despite an FOS investigator initially finding that Revolut was not at fault for sending the notifications and that the compensation offered was adequate, Mr A escalated his complaint to the ombudsman level.
James Akehurst, the nominated ombudsman for the case, ultimately agreed with the investigator's outcome regarding the compensation amount. While acknowledging Mr A's disappointment at not receiving more, the ombudsman's final verdict directed Revolut to correct the payment by transferring the £25 to the appropriate personal account. This ruling underscores the importance of precise communication and payment processes within digital banking.
A spokesperson for Revolut stated that they could not comment on individual cases subject to an ongoing FOS review. They reiterated that customers have the option to easily opt out of marketing communications, including push notifications, directly within the Revolut app at any time.
The case provides a glimpse into the types of consumer complaints the FOS handles, even as the Treasury reportedly considers ways to ease its workload. It highlights the growing scrutiny on how digital services interact with customers, particularly concerning privacy and convenience.