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Consumer protection

Problems with your bank?

Who can help

Banking complaint or consumer issue?

If you have a problem with your bank, as a first step, contact your bank’s customer service or complaints department.

Not happy with your bank’s answer?

If you are not satisfied with the answer, see the list below to find out who you can contact in your country about your issue.

The ECB is not able to intervene in individual disputes between customers and banks. However, on this page you can find information on who to contact for assistance.

Fraud, scams, stolen funds or unauthorised transactions
  • The police
  • The authority responsible for financial consumer protection or payment services 
A blocked, frozen or closed account, or problems restoring access to an account
  • The financial ombudsman
  • The financial mediator
  • The authority responsible for financial consumer protection
Refund requests, recovery of lost money, compensation or damages

  • The financial ombudsman 

  • The financial mediator
  • The dispute resolution body
  • The courts, depending on the case
Problems with payments, transfers, cards, loans, mortgages, interest rates, fees or charges
  • The financial ombudsman
  • The financial mediator 
  • The authority responsible for consumer protection
  • The dispute resolution body responsible for handling financial complaints
Commercial decisions by banks, such as refusal to open an account or grant a loan
  • The authority responsible for financial consumer protection or basic payment account rights
Customer service complaints (e.g. no response, delays, poor service, rude behaviour)
  • The financial ombudsman
  • The financial mediator 
  • The consumer complaints body
Discrimination complaints
  • The authority responsible for discrimination complaints
  • The consumer protection authority
Privacy or personal data issues, including problems with how a bank collects, uses, shares or protects your personal information
  • Your bank's Data Protection Officer
  • The data protection authority
Suspected misconduct, criminal activity, money laundering or terrorist financing involving a bank or its employees
Decisions taken by national central banks or banking supervisors in individual cases, or issues to do with their governance, audits or a lack of responsiveness
  • The central bank
  • The banking supervisory authority
  • The review, appeal or complaints procedures in your country
Please note that the ECB cannot review, change or overturn decisions taken by national authorities in individual cases.

You may also find useful information on the European Banking Authority website.

If you need guidance on your rights or possible legal solutions, you may also wish to seek legal advice.

What is the ECB’s role?

The ECB supervises the largest banks in the euro area. We check that these banks have enough funding, manage risks properly and comply with banking rules. This helps keep the banking system safe and resilient. It also helps ensure everyone in the euro area can be confident that money in their banks is protected, and that banks are strong enough to withstand crisis.

Find the direct link to your national relevant authority

Belgium

Autorité des services et marchés financiers/Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten

Bulgaria

Комисия за защита на потребителите (Commission for Consumer Protection) and Българска народна банка (Bulgarian National Bank)

Germany

Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht

Estonia

Finantsinspektsioon

Ireland

Central Bank of Ireland

Greece

Bank of Greece

Spain

Banco de España

France

Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution

Croatia

Hrvatska narodna banka

Italy

Banca d'Italia

Cyprus

Consumer Protection Service and The office of the Financial Commissioner (Ombudsman)

Latvia

Latvijas Banka and Consumer Rights Protection Centre

Lithuania

Lietuvos bankas

Luxembourg

Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier

Malta

Malta Financial Services Authority

Netherlands

Autoriteit Financiële Markten

Austria

Bankenschlichtung Österreich, Verein für Konsumenteninformation and Arbeiterkammer

Portugal

Banco de Portugal

Slovenia

Banka Slovenije

Slovakia

Národná banka Slovenska

Finland

Finanssivalvonta

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