Coronavirus support for customers
2 July 2020
10 min read
Changes to our contact centres ↓
Get financial support ↓
Get product and account support ↓
Support for our current account customers ↓
Savings account support ↓
Existing Co-operative Bank and smile loans customers ↓
Existing Co-operative Bank and smile credit card customers ↓
Insurance customers ↓
Contacting us about a bereavement ↓
Visiting our branches ↓
Banking from home ↓
Changes to contactless payments ↓
Travel disruption and cancelled plans ↓ Deal with fraud ↓
How we're continuing business↓
Coronavirus support for business banking customers
Changes to our contact centres
Due to the impacts of coronavirus on our colleagues, we have taken the decision to reduce our contact centre opening hours to 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday.
Please be aware, we are currently dealing with unprecedented levels of calls and chats. Help us to protect our services and support our most vulnerable customers by only contacting us if it is urgent.
You can continue to manage your money from home using online banking or our mobile app. Getting started with online banking is easy and you can find more information below.
Financial support
We understand that this might be a challenging time for you financially. We are here to help. We have a range of measures in place to support you and your individual circumstances, as well as general guidance to help you manage your money.
Financial support and money management guidance
Support with specific products and accounts ↓
There is free, independent and impartial debt advice available if you are dealing with financial difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic.
Financial Conduct Authority coronavirus support
MoneyHelper coronavirus support
You may find it useful to contact the companies which you have to payments to, and discuss the possibility of adjusting your payment dates. You may also find it useful to contact all of your creditors to discuss the repayments. For most people, it makes sense to pay essential expenses and priority debts before any discretionary expenses or non-priority debts. For more information, visit the MoneyHelper ‘How to prioritise your debts’ page.
Financial abuse
Through our ongoing partnership with Refuge, we’re committed to tackling financial abuse. Sadly, an increase in domestic abuse has been reported during the lockdown. This trend is deeply concerning. We want to remind you that we have support available if you fall victim of financial abuse. We’re here for you.
Find out more about financial abuse
Read UK Finance's consumer information leaflet to find out how we can help
Government support and help for victims of domestic abuse
Support if you're self-employed
The Government have announced a package of measures to support those people who are self-employed. You can find out more about what this means for you here:
Product and account support
Current account customers
If you have an urgent issue, call us on 03457 212 212. Lines are open 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Call charges
To support customers who are using an arranged overdraft during these difficult times, we have made two important temporary concessions from 4 April 2020. We are waiving the interest on the first £500 of an arranged overdraft, and we are delaying the introduction of the increased overdraft interest rate of 35.9%, which was due to come into effect on 4 April 2020.
Coronavirus support for current account customers
There is free, independent and impartial debt advice available if you are dealing with financial difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic.
Savings account customers and Britannia customers
We are here to offer support to our savings account customers, including those with Britannia savings accounts. We have answered general questions on our support page, and you can also find information on recent changes to interest rates, managing your savings account and how to move money.
Mortgage customers
We are working quickly to ensure we can offer the right support, including mortgage payment holidays, to those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Find out more about these options.
Coronavirus support for mortgage customers
Existing Co-operative Bank and smile loan customers including personal and professional career development loans
If you need extra help and support due to financial difficulties you may be experiencing as a result of coronavirus, please visit our dedicated support page.
Existing Co-operative Bank and smile credit card customers
If you need extra help and support due to financial difficulties you may be experiencing as a result of coronavirus, please visit our dedicated support page.
Your rights as a credit card customer
At this difficult time it is more important than ever to understand your rights as a credit card customer and know what to do if you have not received goods or services that you have ordered. Please see our Your rights as a credit card customer section for further information.
Insurance customers
If your finances have been impacted, as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19), we may be able to offer you a payment holiday for up to 3 months to support you during this challenging time. We can also discuss amending your cover to meet any changes to your circumstances or cancelling your cover if it is no longer required.
If you have a Mortgage Payment Protection policy with the bank please contact the Bank on 08000 288 288.
If you have Credit Card Payment Protection Insurance or Flexi Loan Payment Protection Insurance please call 0345 600 6000.
If you have Overdraft Payment Protection Insurance please call 0345 212 212.
If you have home insurance through our relationship with Legal & General please contact them on 0345 073 0785.
Information about our call charges.
Contacting us about a bereavement
When you’ve lost someone close to you, sorting out the finances can be a worry. We aim to make things straightforward as possible.
Visiting our branches
Our branches will stay open wherever possible during this challenging time. However, opening hours may vary. If there are any changes to our branch opening hours, they will be updated on our branch locator page.
We have robust measures in place to ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of branch colleagues, including social distancing using security screens, enhanced cleaning standards and telephone appointments. In order to further protect our colleagues, customers and communities, we would ask that you only visit a branch if absolutely necessary. Please adhere to Government advice and stay at home where possible.
Remember, our mobile app, online banking and automated telephony service are available for your daily banking needs, helping you to continue managing your money from home.
Banking from home
You can manage your money online and through our mobile banking app, without having to leave your home. To get started with mobile banking, you'll need to register for online banking first. You can do this quickly and easily from our app.
To register for online banking, you can use either your bank account number and sort code or your 16-digit credit card number. For verification, you'll also need your mobile phone number or an email address.
Download our mobile banking app
Get online and mobile banking help
Staying safe online
We work hard to make sure online and mobile banking are as safe and secure as possible. Find out how we keep your money safe and what you can do to protect yourself online.
Contactless payments
As of 15 October 2021, the limit for contactless card payments has increased to £100, reducing your need to use a pin pad or handle cash when purchasing goods. These new limits are now in place for all of our customers with a contactless credit or debit card.
If you find that you have been unable to make a contactless payment over £30, it could be that the retailer has not upgraded their card reader. If you ask in the store you're shopping in, they will be able to confirm if they have changed the amount to £100.
Mobile payments
If your card isn’t contactless, you can still protect yourself and others by setting up a mobile wallet on a compatible device. It’s a secure way of making contactless payments with your mobile device. You can find out more about mobile payment methods below.
Travel disruption and cancelled plans
If your plans have been affected by coronavirus, you may be feeling uncertain or have some questions about the steps you can take regarding refunds or altering your original plans. Please use the two links provided below to find out more.
Get help with payments for cancelled travel plans, events or products due to coronavirus.
Get the most up-to-date information and advice on foreign travel from the government.
Fraud awareness
Keeping your money safe is one of our top priorities. Some fraudsters are using the coronavirus outbreak to scam people out of money and personal information.
We'll continue to raise awareness of common fraud scams and are committed to working with the wider industry on initiatives such as Take Five.
Five ways to avoid scams due to coronavirus
How we're continuing business during the coronavirus outbreak
We want to make sure we continue to serve our customers at a time when they need us most. The health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, and our community is our foremost priority.
Many of our colleagues are described as ‘key workers’. This means they have an essential role in keeping the bank running, ensuring our customers have access to their money at this critical time.
We’re pleased to confirm The Co-operative Bank has complied with the Government's guidance on managing the risk of coronavirus. We’ve compiled a comprehensive risk assessment that identifies the risks, and outlines the controls that we have put in place to manage those risks effectively, for the safety of both our customers and colleagues.
Changes we may make as a bank
We will continue to monitor the impact coronavirus may have on the wider financial markets and we will update customers if any changes are needed as things progress. It’s really important therefore that we have the right contact details for you. Check your details are up to date by visiting ‘My Settings and Details’ in the mobile banking app or ‘Profile’ in online banking.
Not found what you're looking for?
Contact our support team