If you are a customer who wants to make a complaint, please see the customer FAQs

Background

The Dispute Management System (DMS) has been designed by the Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) in close consultation with key stakeholders from UK Government, regulators, the financial services sector and consumer groups.

What is the Dispute Management System (DMS)?

The DMS is a communication process and best practice standards to adhere to when managing an enquiry, complaint or dispute.

It supports:

  • The communication and exchange of information.
  • Dispute, complaint and query management in a manner that is clear, consistent, transparent and ethical, with the best outcome for the claimant in mind.
  • The pathway to mediation, adjudication or arbitration, if the parties involved are unable to arrive at either a common resolution or one that is acceptable to the claimant.

What is it for?

The DMS is intended to support with the handling of payment initiation and account information service transaction-related cases.

These cases may have been initiated by a consumer or an Account Service Payment Service Provider (ASPSP) / Third Party Provider (TPP) (Account Information Service Provider (AISP) and/or Payment Initiation Service Provider (PISP)).

They typically involve:

  • A request for or exchange of information.
  • A request for a redress repayment (for example, where a party has paid out in response to a case, but believes the liability lies with another party).
  • Complaints forwarding.

What the DMS is not:

The DMS is complementary to but not a replacement of:

  • Any existing policies, procedures or agreements within or between parties in relation to complaints, disputes or queries.
  • Any solutions for adjudication, mediation or arbitration, including the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
  • Any legal or regulatory requirements that exist.

The DMS does not offer a liability model or provide a model for dispute, complaint or enquiry resolution.

Who is it for?

The DMS is intended for use by ASPSPs and TPPs. It is voluntary and not limited to those enrolled with Open Banking.

The process is not intended for merchants, retailers or consumers. Consumers wishing to raise a related complaint, dispute or enquiry, should contact their ASPSP or TPP directly.

If the consumer’s case cannot be resolved in-house and involves another party, the ASPSP or TPP may use the DMS to take it forward.

Signing up to the Dispute Management System

Why sign up?

The adoption of a common approach drives efficiency for participants and consumers alike. Being a participant can demonstrate a commitment to facilitating the best journey and most effective outcome for the consumer.

Those involved become members of an active community that considers how to improve and enhance dispute, complaints and enquiry resolution in the context of the DMS.

How do I sign up?

To ensure the DMS is accessible to all ASPSPs and TPPs, sign-up is free and the supplementary materials are available at no cost.

If you would like to become a participant of the DMS, please submit the following information relating to your complaints and/or disputes department to the Open Banking Service Desk at ServiceDesk@openbanking.org.uk:

  • The name of your company,
  • A generic e-mail address and
  • A generic postal address.

We aim to process your request within two working weeks, at the end of which your details will be published on the Contact List. However, all the resources are available below, so you may utilise the DMS immediately.

Open Banking does not conduct any prior or ongoing due diligence or authentication on members.

Resources

Code of Best Practice
All participants are expected to adhere to the Code of Best Practice. The Code ensures the DMS is operated in a manner that is clear, consistent, transparent and ethical, with the best outcome for the claimant in mind.

Questions to ask a claimant when receiving a case
Suggested script is available when receiving a case, to be used alongside completing the forms below.

Payment Initiation Related Case Form and Account Information-Related Case Forms
Standardised form templates to be used when receiving a case.

Reason Codes
Standardised reason codes to assign to each case.

Contact List
To enable parties to easily identify one another in order to communicate, Open Banking maintains a consolidated Contact List of participants, which includes postal and e-mail addresses.

Support

For any support, queries or issues relating to the DMS, supplementary materials or sign-up process, please contact the Service Desk at ServiceDesk@openbanking.org.uk