Major changes are on the horizon for customers of a leading UK bank. Thousands of Sainsbury’s Bank customers will soon lose access to their credit card app due to an impending takeover.
The bank has disclosed the exact date when credit card holders will no longer be able to view their accounts.
This latest disruption follows Sainsbury’s Bank’s decision last year to sell its core banking operations, including loans and savings products, to NatWest.
As reported by The Sun, the bank has already begun the process of transferring some of its 1.8 million customers over to NatWest.
Sainsbury’s Bank has now reached out to credit card holders to inform them that their accounts will be transferred to NatWest between October 3 and 6. Customers will lose access to online and mobile banking services after 5pm on October 3.
Meanwhile, revised terms and conditions will come into effect from October 3. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s Bank stated: “There are no immediate changes and nothing customers need to do right now.
“We will continue to keep them informed throughout the transfer process.”
Changes to Sainsbury’s Bank
Sainsbury’s Bank has announced the sale of its travel money, car and home insurance operations as it refocuses on its grocery business.
It has transferred its car and home insurance division to Allianz, one of Britain’s top general insurers. Customers will be contacted by Allianz around their renewal date.
Those with policies that renew automatically will start moving to different providers from November 2025.
Pet and travel insurance products from Sainsbury’s Bank and Argos are not being affected right now.
The supermarket’s banking division has also sold off its travel money business to financial services and foreign exchange firm Fexco Group.
The supermarket’s 220 travel money kiosks will keep running inside shops.
But back in March, Sainsbury’s announced it would stop taking applications for savings accounts from both new and existing customers.
In a statement on its website, the bank said: “Thank you for your interest but we are no longer accepting savings applications from new or existing customers.
“Any savings applications made prior to March 13, 2025 will continue to be processed and completed accordingly.”
Moving to NatWest
All Sainsbury’s Bank customers will switch to NatWest’s systems by December. The move got the green light from the High Court in April.
Control of credit cards, loans and savings accounts officially passed to NatWest on May 1. But the shift of these accounts to NatWest’s systems will start in October and finish by December.
People with credit cards started getting letters about changes to their accounts in July.
Those with loans and savings accounts were contacted from August. Between September and October, NatWest will provide information on the upcoming phases, including how to register for its online banking services.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s Bank will be sending a goodbye message to its customers.
Starting from October, customers can expect a welcome message from NatWest, and their credit card, loan and savings accounts should transition seamlessly.
