Giving control of your account to someone else
What you can do if you need someone to help you manage your account
Add a third party to your account
On some of our accounts, you can add a third party to act on your behalf. This is usually done if you need short-term support with your finances. The person you nominate will be able to carry out basic queries on your account.
Please note, for credit cards this doesn't include changing your account details or asking for statements. For car or home insurance this doesn't include cancelling or lapsing your policy.
Set up a Power of Attorney
If you need longer-term support with your finances, we can set up a Power of Attorney (POA) for you. Please note, an Attorney can only contact us about your account by telephone or letter.
Unsure if this is the right option for you? Our Power of Attorney explained page helps explain what a Power of Attorney is, the different types depending on where you live and useful guidance for attorneys once they're appointed.
How to add a third party to your account
To add a third party to your account please call us when the person you'd like to act on your behalf is with you or alternatively you can write to us.
Contact us by phone:
Credit Cards
Car and Home Insurance
If you have difficulties with your hearing or speech, contact us through the Relay UK app. You can find out how to use Relay UK on their website.
Calls may be recorded.
*This number may be included as part of any inclusive call minutes provided by your phone operator.
Write to us:
Tesco Bank, PO Box 342, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE12 2GD
Please include the name, date of birth, and contact number of the person you would like to nominate.
How to set up a Power of Attorney
To set up a Power of Attorney (POA) please call the department you wish to register with.
Your request will be passed to our specialist Power of Attorney team, who will advise you on which documents are needed to complete the registration process. Please wait for them to call you before sending us anything.
Contact us by phone:
Savings
Clubcard Pay+
Credit Cards
Loans
Car and Home Insurance
If you have difficulties with your hearing or speech, contact us through the Relay UK app. You can find out how to use Relay UK on their website.
Calls may be recorded.
*This number may be included as part of any inclusive call minutes provided by your phone operator.
After submitting a Power of Attorney to Tesco Bank
Savings, Loans, Clubcard Pay Plus and Credit Card customers:
We’ll send you the attorney confirmation, either by email or letter, once the POA has been set up. You can then phone or write to us to sort out how you manage the account(s).
- Statements - the attorney can request that statements are sent to their address.Statements - the attorney can request that statements are sent to their address.
- Update address - the attorney can update the customer’s address to their address. Update address - the attorney can update the customer’s address to their address.
- Telephone banking - the attorney will receive security details which will allow them to speak on behalf of the donor.Telephone banking - the attorney will receive security details which will allow them to speak on behalf of the donor.
Car & Home Insurance customers:
You can phone us if you have any queries about the account.
What can the attorney do once the Power of Attorney is set up?
Depending on the type of access granted under the POA, the attorney can usually:
- Access the account over the phone.Access the account over the phone.
- Have a card for a savings account in the donor's name.Have a card for a savings account in the donor's name.
- Have statements sent to their address (NB: statements can only go to one attorney’s address).Have statements sent to their address (NB: statements can only go to one attorney’s address).
- Open and close savings accounts on behalf of the account holder.Open and close savings accounts on behalf of the account holder.
- Update address details.Update address details.
- Add, remove, and cancel standing orders and Direct Debits.Add, remove, and cancel standing orders and Direct Debits.
- Request information account information.Request information account information.
Once the account is set up, the attorney cannot:
- Manage the account online.Manage the account online.
- Open new credit card or loan accounts on behalf of our customer.Open new credit card or loan accounts on behalf of our customer.
- Use their credit card to borrow more money.Use their credit card to borrow more money.
- Continue to use any credit cards when our customer has lost capacity.Continue to use any credit cards when our customer has lost capacity.
Please note that we cannot send statements to both our customer and their attorney.
How mental capacity affects bank accounts with Tesco Bank
The table below will help you understand how the accounts of the donor will be operated and is based on the declaration you signed when you registered the POA with us.
|
Donor has mental capacity |
Donor lacks mental capacity |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Name on account |
The account will remain in the name of the donor. |
The account will remain in the name of the donor. |
|
Donor’s signing rights |
The donor will still be able to sign on their account. |
The donor will not be able to sign. We will only accept an attorney’s signature on the donor’s account. |
|
Telephone and Online Banking |
The donor will have their own security details to access their account. |
Access to telephone and online banking will be revoked. |
|
Credit Card |
The donor will be able to control their account fully. |
The donor’s cards will be revoked and the account closed if the balance is nil. |
|
Statements |
All statements will continue to be sent to the donor unless instructed to send them to an alternate address. |
All statements will be sent to the sole or first attorney’s address. |
Frequently asked questions about Power of Attorney (POA)
If a donor is still able to make decisions for themselves, they should call us to open their first account with Tesco Bank. If the donor has lost mental capacity, the attorney will be able to open an account on the donor’s behalf, providing they have the relevant authority.
If the donor has mental capacity, they will still be able to operate their account in the same way as they did before the POA was registered with us. New accounts can be opened by either the donor or the attorney.
If you see any transactions which you do not recognise, please contact us to discuss them.
The OPG has a support line that anyone can contact if they have concerns about how an attorney is acting. Visit the Government website for more details on reporting a concern about an attorney.
Savings, Loans, Clubcard Pay Plus and Credit Card customers: Unfortunately, we cannot accept documents via email and we require documents to be posted to us. Please be assured that we will return the documents in the way we have received them (e.g. registered or special delivery).
Car and Home Insurance customers: We can accept documents via email, in addition to via post. Please send these to trudocs@tescobank.com.
We only accept fully certified or original documents.
Yes, we accept the code. Please visit the Governments lasting Power of Attorney webpage to receive a code for all Lasting/Enduring POAs. If there are conditions or restrictions, we will need to see the paper document.
NB: The code will start with a 'V' and is not the code on the LPA.
An attorney can choose to stop being an attorney at any time. The government website provides more information on how to end your Power of Attorney.
If a donor dies, the attorney should get in touch with us as soon as possible. The POA will then end automatically.
The LPA can be cancelled by the donor or removed by the Court of Protection. A donor must have the ability to make their own decisions when they end an LPA. An LPA can be cancelled by making a written statement called ‘deed of revocation’. This should then be sent to the OPG with the original POA. Visit the government website for more information on cancelling an LPA.