UK bank closing credit card app after being snapped up by rival
The high street lender sold its banking services, including credit cards, loans and savings, to NatWest last year, in a move impacting 1.8 million customers
Sainsbury’s Bank customers will no longer be able to use its credit card app from next month.
The high street lender sold its banking services, including credit cards, loans and savings, to NatWest last year, in a move impacting 1.8 million customers.
However, in a new update, it has been revealed that Sainsbury's Bank credit card app will stop working from 5pm on October 3. Your credit card account will be transferred to NatWest between October 3 and 6.
Sainsbury’s Bank has written to affected customers to detail the changes, reports The Sun.
A Sainsbury’s Bank spokesperson said: “There are no immediate changes and nothing customers need to do right now. We will continue to keep them informed throughout the transfer process.”
Sainsbury's Bank announced that it would wind down its banking division in January last year, as it wanted to focus on its retail business.
NatWest agreed to purchase the bank in June 2024. The deal is set to see NatWest to take on £1.4billion of unsecured personal loans, £1.1billion of credit card balances and about £2.6billion of customer deposits.
Sainsbury’s Bank announced it will no longer accept applications for new savings accounts from either new or existing customers earlier this year.
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."
Sainsbury's Bank used to sell travel money services, but they have recently sold their travel money business to Fexco Group in July 2025. Its pet insurance business remains unaffected by the NatWest deal.
Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s CEO, said last year: “NatWest’s values and customer focus are a close fit with ours and as one of the UK’s leading banks, NatWest’s scale and financial services expertise will ensure our existing financial services customers continue to be well looked after.
“There will be no immediate change for our bank customers as a result of this announcement... We will focus all our time and resources going forward on growing our core retail business, delivering great quality and value, week in week out.”
Paul Thwaite, NatWest Group CEO, said last year: “We look forward to welcoming new customers to NatWest Group, where they will benefit from our expertise and award-winning digital banking offering.
“This Transaction is a great opportunity to accelerate the growth of our Retail banking business at attractive returns, in line with our strategic priorities.
“As well as a complementary customer base, the Transaction is expected to add scale to our credit card and unsecured personal lending business within existing risk appetite.
“NatWest Group has a strong track record of successful integration, and we are focussed on ensuring a smooth transition for customers.”
