Cookie policy
Our website uses technology to collect information about its use, to distinguish between users, to help us provide you with a good experience and to allow us to improve the site and the service we offer. This means that when you visit our website, cookies or similar technologies will be placed on your computer or other device.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone or other device when you visit our website. A cookie file is stored on your device and allows us, or our third party partners (see below) to recognise you and make your visit easier and more useful to you when you revisit our website.
How does Santander use cookies?
Cookies allow us to recognise users (where appropriate), tailor the content on our website to fit the needs of our website's visitors and helps us improve the user experience. Without certain types of cookies enabled, we can't guarantee that the website and your experience of it are as we intended it to be.
We use cookies to obtain information about your visits and about the device you use to access our website.
This includes where available, your IP address and pseudonymous identifiers, operating system and browser type and, depending on the cookie, also includes the reporting of statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns.
Here are some examples of how we use cookies
- Without cookies enabled you can't use Online Banking. It uses cookies to protect you online and to prevent fraudulent activity.
- If you ever ask us to ‘Remember my ID’ to allow you to log on more easily, we’ll use a cookie to make it work.
- Without cookies enabled you can't apply online for our products. This is because our application forms use cookies to make sure that your application is secure and protected from fraud.
- Our website analytics services, categorised as ‘Experience and insight’ use cookies so we can see how visitors reach our website and the path they take through it. This helps us improve our service to you.
Types of cookies
The length of time a cookie stays on your device depends on its type. We use two types of cookies on our website:
- Session cookies are temporary cookies which only exist during the time you use the website (or more strictly, until you close the browser after using the website). Session cookies help our website remember what you chose on the previous page, avoiding the need to re-enter information and improve your experience whilst using the website.
- Persistent cookies stay on your device after you’ve visited our website. For example, if you tick the 'Remember my ID' box when you log onto Online Banking a persistent cookie will be used, so that the website remembers you the next time you use it. Persistent cookies help us identify you as a unique visitor.
Third Party Websites
Our website may link through to third party websites that may also use cookies which we don’t control. We recommend that you check the privacy and cookie policies of those websites for information about the cookies they may use and the collection of personal data. We can’t accept any responsibility for any content contained in these third party websites.
To help you understand cookies and the reasons for them, we’ve provided a description of each cookie we use.
Reporting credit card, debit card and all other types of fraud
Please call 0330 678 1507* or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone). 24 hours a day. 7 days a week
Technical Support
Please call 0330 123 0209* - 7am - 9pm Monday to Saturday and 9am - 9pm Sunday.
If you have lost or had your credit card or debit card stolen
Please call 0330 678 1507* or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone) or +44 (0) 151 966 6048 from abroad - 24 hours a day. 7 days a week
Suspicious emails
We will never send you an email asking you to enter or verify your Online Banking or personal details. If you receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your Online Banking log on, card or personal details, please do not reply as it will be fraudulent.
We would be grateful if you could forward any suspicious emails to phishing@santander.co.uk.
We investigate every report, though are not be able to guarantee a response to each email received.
If you think you've responded to a scam email or given your details out to the wrong people, please call our Online Banking Helpdesk on 0330 678 1507* or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone) (7am-9pm Monday to Saturday and 9am-9pm Sundays).
We are Santander UK plc, the data controller. You can contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at 201 Grafton Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 1AN if you have any questions.
This is our Privacy Statement which explains how we obtain, use and keep your personal data safe in relation to the Santander Private website (santanderprivate.co.uk) and the Santander Online Banking website for Personal, Business and Corporate customers.
Your personal data is data which by itself or with other data available to us can be used to identify you.
We're committed to keeping your personal information safe in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
The types of personal data we collect and use
The types of personal data we capture and use will depend on what you are doing on the website. We’ll use your personal data for some or all of the reasons set out in this Privacy Statement. If you become a customer we’ll also use it to manage the account, policy or service you’ve applied for and we’ll provide you with a separate data protection statement specifically in relation to that as part of the online application journey. Some of the information relevant to that is included in this Privacy Statement for consistency. Examples of the personal data we use in relation to our websites may include:
- Full name and personal details including contact information (e.g. home address and address history, email address, home and mobile telephone numbers);
- Date of birth and/or age (e.g. to make sure that you are eligible to apply for a product or service);
- Financial details (e.g. salary and details of other income, and details of accounts held with other providers if you apply for a product or service with us);
- Records of products and services you’ve obtained or applied for, how you use them and the relevant technology used to access or manage them (e.g. mobile phone location data, IP address, MAC address);
- Biometric data (e.g. fingerprints and voice recordings for TouchID and voice recognition);
- Information from credit reference or fraud prevention agencies, electoral roll, court records of debt judgements and bankruptcies and other publicly available sources as well as information on any financial associates you may have if you apply for a product or service with us;
- Family, lifestyle or social circumstances if relevant to the product or service you apply for (e.g. the number of dependants you have);
- Education and employment details/employment status for credit and fraud prevention purposes if you apply for a product or service with us; and
- Personal data about other named individuals as required. Where you provide the personal data of others you must have their authority to provide their personal data to us and share this Privacy Statement and any related data protection statement with them beforehand together with details of what you’ve agreed on their behalf.
Providing your personal data
We’ll tell you if providing some personal data is optional, including if we ask for your consent to process it. In all other cases, if you fail to provide the requested personal data, we may be unable to process or respond to your application, query or service.
Monitoring of communications
Subject to applicable laws, we’ll monitor and record your calls, emails, text messages, social media messages and other communications in relation to your dealings with us. We’ll do this for regulatory compliance, self-regulatory practices, crime prevention and detection, to protect the security of our communications systems and procedures, to check for obscene or profane content, for quality control and staff training, and when we need to see a record of what’s been said. If you take out an account or service with us, we may also monitor activities on your account/service where necessary for these reasons and this is justified by our legitimate interests or our legal obligations.
Using your personal data: the legal basis and purposes
We’ll process your personal data:
- As necessary to perform our contract with you for the relevant account, policy or service:
- To take steps at your request prior to entering into it;
- To decide whether to enter into it;
- To manage and perform that contract;
- To update our records; and
- To trace your whereabouts to contact you about your account and recovering debt.
- If a 123 Mini Account is opened in trust, you understand that the trustee may have to hold a qualifying account for this account to remain open.
- As necessary for our own legitimate interests or those of other persons and organisations, e.g.:
- For good governance, accounting, and managing and auditing our business operations;
- To search at credit reference agencies at your home and business address (if you are a business customer) if you’re over 18 and apply for credit;
- To monitor emails, calls, other communications, and activities on your account;
- For market research, analysis and developing statistics; and
- To send you marketing communications and for marketing to you in-branch, including automated decision making relating to this.
- As necessary to comply with a legal obligation, e.g.:
- When you exercise your rights under data protection law and make requests;
- For compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and related disclosures;
- For establishment and defence of legal rights;
- For activities relating to the prevention, detection and investigation of crime;
- To verify your identity, make credit, fraud prevention and anti-money laundering checks; and
- To monitor emails, calls, other communications, and activities on your account.
- Based on your consent, e.g.:
- When you request us to disclose your personal data to other people or organisations such as a company handling a claim on your behalf, or otherwise agree to disclosures;
- When we process any special categories of personal data about you at your request (e.g. your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, data concerning your health, sex life or sexual orientation); and
- To send you marketing communications where we’ve asked for your consent to do so.
You’re free at any time to change your mind and withdraw your consent. The consequence might be that we can’t do certain things for you.
Sharing of your personal data
Subject to applicable data protection law we may share your personal data with:
- The Santander group of companies* and associated companies in which we have shareholdings;
- Sub-contractors and other persons who help us provide our products and services;
- Companies and other persons providing services to us;
- Our legal and other professional advisors, including our auditors;
- Fraud prevention agencies, credit reference agencies, and debt collection agencies at account opening and periodically during account or service management;
- Other organisations who use shared databases to do income verification and affordability checks and to manage/collect arrears;
- Law enforcement bodies;
- Government bodies and agencies in the UK and overseas (e.g. HMRC who may in turn share it with relevant overseas tax authorities and with regulators e.g. the Prudential Regulatory Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office);
- Courts, to comply with legal requirements, and for the administration of justice;
- The Financial Services Ombudsman;
- In an emergency or to otherwise protect your vital interests;
- To protect the security or integrity of our business operations;
- To other parties connected with your account (e.g. guarantors and other people named on the application); joint account holders will see your transactions;
- When we restructure or sell our business or its assets or have a merger or re-organisation;
- Market research organisations who help to improve our products or services;
- Payment systems (e.g. Visa or MasterCard) if we issue cards linked to your account; they may transfer your personal data to others to process transactions, resolve disputes and for statistical purposes, including by sending your personal data overseas; this is necessary to operate your account and for regulatory purposes; and
- Anyone else where we have your consent or as required by law.
International transfers
In some instances your personal data may be transferred outside the UK and the European Economic Area. While some countries have adequate protections for personal data under applicable laws, in other countries steps will be necessary to ensure appropriate safeguards apply to it. These include imposing contractual obligations of adequacy or requiring the recipient to subscribe or be certified with an ‘international framework’ of protection. More details can be found in our ‘Using my personal data’ booklet.
Online applications
If you apply for an account online, before you enter any personal details into the online form, we'll tell you how your information will be used in our data protection statement relevant to that account, in the ‘Using my personal data’ booklet and sometimes in the relevant terms and conditions. You’ll be asked to confirm that you have read these and you’ll be asked to agree to our terms and conditions before your application can proceed.
The data protection statement, in conjunction with the ‘Using my personal data’ booklet, includes details of the uses we may make of your data, the legal basis we are relying upon to carry out that processing, and who we may share your personal data with. For instance, for credit account applications like loans and bank accounts, we may pass your details to a recognised credit reference agency to help process your application.
We may occasionally send you information about accounts and services which we think would be of interest to you but only where we have your consent or if this is within our legitimate interests (see above for more details about lawful reasons). You can choose to stop receiving information at any time by contacting us.
Contacting us by phone
You can call our customer services team on 0330 678 1507. To help us improve our service we may record or monitor phone calls as explained in the monitoring of communications section as necessary to comply with any legal obligations and for our legitimate interests.
Contacting us by email
When you contact us, we may need to collect some personal details like your name, address and phone numbers. Email isn't 100% secure so you shouldn’t send personal data such as your account information using normal email. Please consider another method, such as sending us a secure message through Online Banking or calling us, if you need to share personal information.
Emails are stored on our standard internal contact systems which are secure and can't be accessed by external parties. We store this information to identify trends, and for the purposes set out in the monitoring of communications section as necessary to comply with any legal obligations and for our legitimate interests. For more information on the criteria we use to determine our retention periods, see below.
Automated decision making and processing
Automated decision making involves processing your personal data without human intervention to evaluate your personal situation such as your economic position, personal preferences, interests or behaviour, for instance if you have accounts with us, in relation to transactions on your accounts, your payments to other providers, and triggers and events such as account opening anniversaries and maturity dates. We may do this to decide what marketing communications and marketing in-branch is suitable for you, to analyse statistics and assess lending and insurance risks. All this activity is on the basis of our legitimate interests, to protect our business, and to develop and improve our products and services, except as follows; when we do automated decision making including profiling activity to assess lending and insurance risks, this will be performed on the basis of it being necessary to perform the contract with you or to take steps to enter into that contract. Further details can be found in the ‘Using my personal data’ booklet.
Using our calculators, decision tools, guides and budget planners
To use our range of calculators, tools, guides and budget planners, you'll have to give us details of your financial situation and needs. The information we ask for will depend on what type of product or account you're interested in. By providing any personal data you do so on the basis of your consent. You’re free at any time to withdraw your consent but if you do you won’t be able to use these services.
When you use a calculator, guide, decision tool or budget planner all of the details you provide are anonymous - and once you leave we never store your details, unless, for example, you decide to save a quote.
Using our video services
You can apply for some of our products and services using a video session from your mobile device where you see and hear your Santander adviser in high quality two-way video.
If you use our video services, both the images and the audio will be recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes.
We’ll use any personal data captured about you for the performance of a contract or/with a view to entering into a contact with us as well as for our legitimate interests for good governance, accounting, managing and auditing our business operations, and to monitor emails, calls, other communications in relation to your dealings with us. Please see the monitoring of communications section for more information and the criteria for retention periods section for more information on the criteria we use to determine our retention periods.
You’re entitled to record your video session only for your own personal use and you should avoid sharing any footage with third parties or posting it on any websites. For your own privacy and protection please ensure that your location doesn't include items and images that you don't wish to be recorded.
Using your personal information for direct marketing
We’ll tell you if we intend to use your information for marketing purposes and we'll give you the opportunity to opt out if you want to (unless we need a consent to use your information for marketing purposes – if we do we’ll seek one). If you receive marketing emails and don't want to in future, please use the unsubscribe link within the email and we’ll remove you from future campaigns.
Surveys and competitions
We'll treat any survey or competition information you provide with the same high standard of care as we do all other customer information, using any details provided strictly within the terms of the competition and this Privacy Statement.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your computer, smartphone or other device and are commonly used on the internet. We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- collect information that will help us understand visitors' browsing habits on our website;
- compile statistical reports on website activity, e.g. number of visitors and the pages they visit;
- temporarily store any information which you may enter in tools, such as calculators or demonstrations on our website; and
- in some cases, remember information about you when you visit our site. We may need to do this to provide some of our services e.g. if you use the 'Remember my ID' tool when logging on to Online Banking.
We use cookies to enable us to perform our contract with you (e.g. if you apply for a product online or are an Online Banking customer) and for our legitimate interests (e.g. to help us improve our service). We’ll also ask your consent for non-essential cookies. To find out more about all types of cookies and how to control and delete them, including clearing your browsing history, you can read our cookie policy.
Criteria used to determine retention periods (whether or not you become a customer)
The following criteria are used to determine data retention periods for your personal data:
- Retention in case of queries. We’ll retain your personal data as long as necessary to deal with your queries (e.g. if your application is unsuccessful) or for a sensible period in order for us to reply to your online query and then deal with queries you raise upon receipt);
- Retention in case of claims. We’ll retain your personal data for as long as you might legally bring claims against us; and
- Retention in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. We’ll retain your personal data after your account, policy or service has been closed or has otherwise come to an end based on our legal and regulatory requirements.
Your rights under applicable data protection law
Your rights are as follows (noting that these rights don’t apply in all circumstances and that data portability is only relevant from May 2018):
- The right to be informed about our processing of your personal data;
- The right to have your personal data corrected if it’s inaccurate and to have incomplete personal data completed;
- The right to object to processing of your personal data;
- The right to restrict processing of your personal data;
- The right to have your personal data erased (the “right to be forgotten”);
- The right to request access to your personal data and information about how we process it;
- The right to move, copy or transfer your personal data (“data portability”); and
- Rights in relation to automated decision making including profiling.
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. It has enforcement powers and can investigate compliance with data protection law: ico.org.uk.
For more details on all the above you can contact our DPO, view the ‘Using my personal data’ booklet or ask for a copy in branch.
Data anonymisation and aggregation
Your personal data may be converted into statistical or aggregated data which can’t be used to identify you, then used to produce statistical research and reports. This aggregated data may be shared and used in all the ways described above.
Group companies
For more information on the Santander group companies, please see the ‘Using my personal data’ booklet.
Changes to this Privacy Statement
We’ll notify you if there are any material changes to this Privacy Statement if required by applicable law or where we intend to process your personal data for a new purpose before we start that new processing activity.
Legal statement about this Privacy Statement
This Privacy Statement is not designed to form a legally binding contract between Santander and users of our website or online services.
Links to other websites
Certain hypertext links in this website may lead you to websites which are not under the control of Santander UK plc. When you activate these, you may leave the santanderprivate.co.uk website. These links are provided solely for your convenience and do not represent any endorsement or recommendation by Santander UK plc.
We accept no responsibility or liability for the contents of any website to which a hypertext link exists and gives no representation or warranty as to the information on such websites. We accept no responsibility or liability for any loss arising from any contract entered into with any website to which a hypertext link exists.
No liability for unavailability
We accept no liability for any loss that may arise if the goods or services advertised within this website become unavailable.
Contacting us about our Privacy Statement
You can call our customer services team on 0330 678 1507 or write to our DPO at 201 Grafton Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 1AN if you have any questions.
Customer responsibility
It is your responsibility to ensure that your computer is virus protected. We accept no responsibility for any loss you may suffer as a result of accessing and downloading information from this site.
Easy ways to protect yourself from danger
There are some things you can do to protect your personal information online. It's by no means exhaustive but will help make sure you don't fall foul of Internet fraud:
- Never share a One Time Passcode (OTP) with another person, not even a Santander employee.
- Do not log on using a public computer.
- Always access Online Banking by typing https://www.santander.co.uk into your web browser and logging on via our website.
- Never enter your Online Banking details after clicking on a link in an email or text message
- Do not send confidential information by email as it’s not secure and there is always a risk it could be intercepted.
- If you’re logged into any online service, do not leave your computer unattended. Close down your internet browser once you’ve logged off.
- Never download software or let anyone log on to your computer or devices remotely, during or after a cold call.
For more information about staying safe online you can visit santander.co.uk/securitycentre.
Secure Online Services
You can easily identify secure websites by looking at the address in the top of your browser which will begin https:// rather than http://.
All information passed between you and Santander when using our online services is sent using secure industry standard encryption.
Your personal data rights explained
Your personal data is protected under Data Protection legislation, and as a consequence you have a number of rights that you can enforce against us as your Data Controller.
Take a look at our using my personal data booklet
Right to rectification
This right refers to having your personal data corrected if it’s inaccurate, or to have any incomplete personal data completed. To request a right to rectification you can contact us:
By phone
Call us on 0330 678 1507 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
Using Online Banking
Log on to your Online Banking and update your details in the ‘My Details & Settings’ tab. Choose ‘Change personal details’ from the left hand menu and then click ‘Change address’:
- Enter your new details (including postcode) and follow the onscreen instructions
- You’ll need to enter a One Time Passcode (OTP) to complete this change, so make sure you have your mobile phone to hand. Please note: you must never share a Santander OTP with another person, not even a Santander employee.
In branch
You can fill in a change of details form and take it to your nearest branch along with your debit/credit card or account passbook. You’ll also need proof of your ID with a signature such as a valid passport or full UK driving licence. You can:
- print off the ‘Change of details form’ from www.santander.co.uk
- request a copy of the form by calling us on 0330 678 1507 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
- collect a form from your nearest branch. Find your nearest branch
Right to object to processing
In certain circumstances you can object to the processing of your personal information.
To object to the processing of your personal information for marketing or market research, please refer to the ‘Changing your marketing preferences’ section.
If you object to the processing of your personal data for any other reason, it may mean we can’t provide certain products and services to you.
Right to restrict processing
You can ask us to restrict processing your data, for example where:
- you’re contesting the accuracy of your personal data;
- we no longer need to process your personal data, but you want us to keep it for use in legal claims; or
- you’ve objected to the processing by asking us to stop using your data, but you’re waiting for us to tell you if we have overriding grounds which mean we’re allowed to keep on using it.
If the right applies, this means with the exception of storage, your personal data can only be processed by us with your consent or for certain things such as legal claims or to exercise legal rights.
If you request that we restrict the processing of your personal data it may mean we can’t provide certain products and services to you.
To request a right to object to, or restrict processing you can contact us:
By phone
Call us on 0330 678 1507 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
In branch
Visit us in branch if you would like to speak to one of our team in person.
Please bring your debit/credit card or account passbook. You’ll also need proof of your ID with a signature such as a valid passport or full UK driving licence.
Find your nearest branch or call us on the relevant number above.
Right to erasure (Right to be forgotten)
In the circumstances below you can ask us to delete your personal data. Where the right doesn’t apply we’ll let you know why we can’t action your request.
This right may be applied where:
- personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was originally collected/processed;
- the processing was based on your consent which you withdraw (and there are no other legal grounds for processing that data);
- you exercise your right to object and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing; or
- there is no lawful reason to retain personal data or if the personal data has to be erased to comply with a legal obligation.
By phone
Call us on 0330 9 123 123 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
In branch
Visit us in branch if you would like to speak to one of our team in person.
Please bring your debit/credit card or account passbook. You’ll also need proof of your ID with a signature such as a valid passport or full UK driving licence.
Find your nearest branch or call us on the relevant number above.
Right to portability
You can ask us to provide you with a copy of certain personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. This right only applies to personal data that you’ve previously provided to us, we process electronically and we’re processing based on your consent or to perform a contract with you.
If you request a right to portability on a joint account, and you’re an account owner, trustee, registered contact or holder, you’ll receive your own personal data, and any transactional data linked to that account. Other account users (i.e. beneficiary or additional member) will only receive their personal data and won’t receive any transactional data. All account users will need to make a separate request for their data.
To request a right to portability you can contact us:
By phone
Call us on 0330 123 0209 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
In branch
Visit us in branch if you would like to speak to one of our team in person.
Please bring your debit/credit card or account passbook. You’ll also need proof of your ID with a signature such as a valid passport or full UK driving licence.
Find your nearest branch or call us on the relevant number above.
Marketing and market research opt-out
If you’d prefer not to receive up-to-date information on our products and services, or to be included in market research, you can indicate this by updating your marketing preferences at any time.
To opt-out of marketing and market research you can contact us:
By post
Write to us at the address below - providing your name, address and account number and in case we need to talk to you, your phone number and a convenient time for us to discuss your request.
Santander UK plc
Freepost MK1482
Milton Keynes
MK9 1LZ
(no stamp required)
By phone
Call us on 0330 678 1507 or you can call us on 0800 313 4321 (freephone).
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
In branch
Visit us in branch, if you’d like to speak to one of our team in person. Find your nearest branch.
Text or email opt-out
If you receive marketing emails or SMS and don't want to in future, please use the unsubscribe link within the email or text STOP to end SMS messages and we’ll remove you from all future campaigns.
Sharing of your personal data
If you open an account with us, your information will be kept after your account is closed. Your information may be shared across the Santander Group or associated companies, service providers or agents for administration purposes to:
- provide and run the account or service you have applied for, and develop and/or improve our products and services;
- identify and advise you by post, telephone or electronic media (including email and SMS) of products or services which our group of companies and our associated companies think may be of interest to you (for credit products this may involve releasing your details to a credit reference agency); and
- release your name, address and telephone number to market research organisations for the purpose of confidential market research surveys, carried out by post or telephone, on our behalf.
Complaints
We always strive to provide you with the best products and services. Unfortunately things can sometimes go wrong, but telling us about errors or oversights will give us the chance to fix things for you and make long-term improvements to our services.
The easiest and quickest way to get in touch about a complaint is by talking to our dedicated Complaints Team.
To talk to our dedicated Complaints Team you can contact us:
By phone
Call us free from a UK landline on 0800 171 2171.
To maintain a quality service we may maintain or record phone calls for training and security purposes.
In branch
Visit us in branch if you would like to speak to one of our team in person. Find your nearest branch
Using Online Banking
Log on to your Online Banking and use our secure messaging service, providing as much detail as possible about what’s gone wrong, along with your name, address, account number, telephone number and a convenient time for us to discuss your complaint.
By post
Write to us at the address below, providing as much detail as possible about what’s gone wrong, along with your name, address, account number, phone number and a convenient time for us to call you to discuss your complaint.
Complaints, Santander
UK plc, Sunderland, SR43
4GD
Our Complaints Leaflet is available upon request and contains further information on our complaints process, including the handling timescales. This information is also available on santander.co.uk.
You may also be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman Service acts as an independent and impartial organisation which helps settle disputes between consumers and financial services businesses. You can find out more information at financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
Alternatively, if you originally purchased your product with us online, you could submit your complaint through the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution website. The European Commission may ultimately forward your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You can find out more information at ec.europa.eu/odr.
Data subject access requests
You have the right to find out what information, if any, is held about you. This is known as a data subject access request.
A data subject access request is not designed to deal with general queries that you may have about your account. We therefore aim to provide you with the information you require without you having to make a formal request. If you would like to find out specific information about your account, you can contact us by phone or in branch.
To make a formal data subject access request you can contact us:
By post
Write to us at the address below, providing:
- daytime phone number in case we need to contact you to discuss your request;
- your sort code and account number(s); and
- detail on whether your request relates to a specific part of the company, for example a branch or Head Office department.
If your request doesn’t relate to an account, please let us know the nature of your relationship with Santander and any other relevant information.
Subject Access Requests,
Sunderland
SR43 4FN
Automated decision making and processing
In some instances we’ll undertake automated processing and decision-making to decide which of our other products or services might be of interest to you. You have a right not to have a decision made based solely on automated processing (including profiling) that produces legal or similar effects. This doesn't apply where the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract, is authorised by law, or the person has given their consent to the processing (though they can revoke their consent thereafter).
Where you have been inadvertently affected by an automated decision, and/or you think we have made a mistake, or you have further information to support your case, there is an underwriting process in place. We can’t guarantee to reverse a decision, but we’ll always be happy to reconsider your application if you believe you have been wrongly declined.
To ask us to reconsider your application you can contact us:
By post
Write to us at the relevant address below, providing your name, address, phone number and a convenient time for us to call you to discuss your request.
Application Review,
Santander, Sunderland,
SR43 4GQ
Mortgages
To discuss your application, contact your Mortgage Advisor. You’ll be required to provide a detailed budget planner and three full months’ bank statements.
If your application was made through a financial advisor who recommended us to you, please contact them initially and they’ll arrange for your case to be reviewed.
Safe and sound with Santander online
We're completely committed to protecting you when you use this website.
As you may know, internet security technology is very good these days. We confirm the identity of customers through the use of multiple security credentials that have been designed in accordance with financial industry standards and best practice.
Furthermore, any information sent between you and Santander when using the Santander online service uses strong industry-standard security technology.
Online and Mobile Banking Commitment
Be assured that your money is safe when you bank online.
There is protection provided by the Payment Services Regulations 2009. In the unlikely event funds are taken from your account as a result of fraud, we will refund you and restore your account to the state it would have been in had the unauthorised payment transaction not taken place.
There are some circumstances in which this protection is not available. For example if you have acted fraudulently or have deliberately or with gross negligence failed to take reasonable steps to keep your security information safe.
Protecting you with technology
The information on our website is split into 2 types of area: 'freely accessible' areas and 'secure' areas. We don't mind who visits the freely accessible areas and we don't check on who does. None of your personal information is kept there, just general information about our products and services that anyone can have access to.
Your security details
The secure areas are where we keep personal information, which is why you have to enter a personal password and security number before we can give you access. For example, you'll use the secure areas of our site when you access your Santander accounts online or apply online for an account.
You can identify secure areas by looking at the address in the top of your browser. A secure area's web address will begin https:// rather than the usual http:// and you can also tell this by the padlock symbol in the bottom right hand corner of your web browser.
On top of this, any information you submit online is protected by data encryption. Your browser scrambles the information, which is later unscrambled when it gets to us. It cannot be read along the way.
You may come across the term 128-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. This is the way the data is scrambled and unscrambled again at each end. The latest browsers have this built in – and it is automatically enabled unless you turn it off.
To prevent problems viewing secure sites like ours, it's always a good idea to have the latest version of your browser installed. For more help, talk to our technical support line on 0330 123 0209. Lines are open 7am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 9pm Sundays.
Changing your security details
When you access your account online for the first time, we ask you to change your allocated Registration number to a number that is more memorable to you.
You can change your Passcode/Password and Registration/Security Number at any time by using the 'Security Details' section of Online Banking. When changing your security details, use words and numbers you can easily remember, such as a place or name that you know, but make sure it's only memorable to you. You could also include numbers to make it harder for someone to guess.
To be more precise, you must choose:
- a personal Password/Passcode made up of letters and digits only – it must be between 8 and 16 characters long
- a Registration/Security Number exactly 5 digits long
Make your security details harder to guess
- Don’t choose a code that includes repeated characters, e.g. 1111aaaa.
- Don’t include sequential characters, e.g. 23456789.
- Make your Personal ID and Passcode/Password different.
If someone finds out your codes
If you think someone may know your security codes you should change them immediately, and notify us at once by phoning 0330 9 123 123 or 0800 313 4321 (freephone). Alternatively, you can visit your local branch.
Our website's secure areas
We only request and display personal information about you and your accounts and dealings from secure areas of our site.
Exactly the same security measures, including data encryption and passwords, apply to all our online application and transactional processes. In addition, these services are protected by firewalls. This technology monitors and prevents any unauthorised access to our computer systems (where personal data is kept) – which means unauthorised people cannot access account and personal details.
Our golden rules for safe Online Banking
To help you keep your Online Banking activity more secure, we recommend you follow some sensible rules:
Your security details
- Keep your personal Passcode and Registration Number safe at all times.
- Avoid writing them down.
- Never tell anyone what they are, even if you share a joint account with them. Don't even tell a Santander employee. While we might ask you to confirm certain characters from your password to identify yourself when you contact us, but we will never ask you to tell us the entire thing.
Your home computer
- Try to keep your computer PC secure using anti-virus software and firewalls. 2 popular packages are from McAfee and Norton
- Install the latest security updates to your system software as they become available. By keeping them up to date you’ll have the latest protection for the most recently found viruses.
- Always access the Santander Online Banking service by typing in the exact address (www.santander.co.uk/logon).
- We also recommend downloading Trusteer Rapport. It's free and it's won awards for keeping customers' details secure. Rapport works alongside your existing anti-virus and firewall software to give you more protection - even if your computer has a virus. Find out more about Trusteer Rapport
- Don't send your account or personal details by email because there's always a risk it could be intercepted on the way.
- Do not reply to, or use links within emails asking for your personal Password, Passcode Registration or Security number. Nobody needs to know them except you – not even us.
- Be wary of "spam" emails – especially those offering you the chance to make money and those originating from outside the UK. Spam emails are, at best, a nuisance – the electronic equivalent of junk mail – and at worst, sent by unscrupulous people trying to defraud you.
Using other computers
- When you access your accounts or apply online be extra vigilant and keep an eye on who's watching your screen.
- Never leave the computer alone while you are logged into Online Banking.
- If you use a computer in an internet cafe or use a public wifi (wireless) internet connection, always make sure you log off successfully when you have finished and close down your internet browser once you've logged off. Simply disconnecting from the internet itself isn't enough. Learn more about how to avoid the risks when using a public computer
- Protect your passwords by taking the following precautions; before going online using Internet Explorer click 'Internet Options' in the 'Tools' menu. On the 'Content' tab, click 'AutoComplete'. Uncheck the four boxes. When you finish surfing, go back to the same options page and click 'Clear Forms' and 'Clear Password'.
- When you finish surfing with Microsoft Internet Explorer, click 'Internet Options' in the 'Tools' menu. On the 'General' tab, click 'Delete Files' and 'Delete Cookies'. Then click 'Clear History'. This will remove all your password information and prevent it from being accessed without your knowledge. These settings will be different with other browsers, please contact your vendor or administrator for advice.
General guidance
- Online Banking customers are recommended to use programs to wipe their hard drives before they sell or give away their PC.
- If you receive an email purporting to be from Santander asking you to click on a link to / or to provide personal information about your account, do not follow the link or provide information. Please forward these emails to phishing@santander.co.uk and run an extra virus scan on your machine.
- Please check your statements regularly and if you have any doubts about anything, let us know.
- If you have any problems, remember our Technical Support Staff are here to help you. You can talk to them on 0330 123 0209. Alternatively, pop into a branch and ask a member of staff for help. View call charges
For your added protection, if you have been inactive in Online Banking for 10 minutes we will automatically log you off.