Nationwide Building Society has explained its payment rules (Image: Getty)
Building Society has issued a clarification about an important seven-day card payments rules.
The issue came to light after a customer got in touch to ask when their funds would be return to their account.
They asked: “Why does it take so many days to get money back when a Deliveroo payment fails on an order?
“I’ve occasions over Xmas where shops turned down items ordered via Deliveroo – up to £30 now hanging there waiting to return to my account. What if I needed it?”
Nationwide explained the potential reason for the delay, saying: “When a card payment is put through, the merchant has up to seven days to take the payment which is why this can remain pending for the stated timeframe”.
They added that if the merchant cancels the payment earlier at their end, the matter can be “resolved quicker”.
The individual was unimpressed with this response, saying it’s “not acceptable in 2025”.
They voiced their concern that such a shortfall in cash could have been a bigger problem, warning: “Plenty of people will be in dire straits due to this. It has to stop.
“Can you give me any indication as to when it will return? This should not be a difficult question in a world ruled by technology.”
This back and forth took place on January 1 but the customer got in touch two days later as evidently their funds had still not been returned.
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Nationwide restated the rules that it could take “up to seven days from the date of payment” unless the transaction was cancelled sooner.
The person said the transaction had been cancelled as their Deliveroo order didn’t have the goods they wanted. The customer demanded: “I need the money. This is an issue which should be raised in Parliament. Must impact a lot of people.”
Nationwide then explained that if the funds couldn’t be returned sooner. they would come back “automatically aorund midnight on the seventh day”.
They also said the individual could check the exact date when they would get their money back if they got in touch via the banking app, through Internet Bank or by visiting the Nationwide website.
The baffled customer said it was “pretty ridiculous” to have to wait seven days particuarly as banks and building societies expect payments to arrive “straight away”.
Nationwide said it is “normal” for payments to remain pending for up to seven days so the company can “claim it their end”.
The group said: “A payment will only show as pending if it was approved our end, so it does sound like there will have been an issue with the company if they’re unable to claim this. We can check your account specifically using our online chat options.”