Page 3 | Bank won’t let me retrieve credit on credit card

Original poster

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 22:18

Babyenroute · 22/10/2026 22:17

Why not? I do that a lot. Or do a transfer at the end of a week or something.

Show quote history

Because it’s a pain in the arse when I have a lump sum sitting there.

OP posts:

Babyenroute · 22/10/2026 22:17

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:30

I’m not going to send £40 here and there across. That’s ridiculous.

Show quote history

Why not? I do that a lot. Or do a transfer at the end of a week or something.

TeamsThemeTune · 22/10/2026 21:58

I don't think it's at all unreasonable for OP to want access to her own money, the reasons don't matter.

OP, is the positive balance shown on a monthly statement (which must be accurate), or just on the app/online (which may conceivably show a lag, although this is unusual for credit cards)?

Have you called them and spoken to someone on the phone, or just done this via their app? £640 refund from a well-known company would not usually be a flag for ML, especially as you've previously made a payment to the same people. It might just be that their system is a bit shit and can't cope with a credit balance refund via the app messaging, and the fact that you did a balance transfer post purchase has probably bamboozled them a bit as it's going back onto a different card with a different credit provider.

See the FAQs about managing your account and there is a section on what to do if your account is in credit. If the virtual assistant fails, just call them.

https://www.mbna.co.uk/credit-cards/help-and-support/faqs/managing-your-account.html

MBNA even state that in some cases they will refund a positive balance automatically if you have an account with them or a member of Lloyds Banking Group, so everyone stating categorically that this never happens and they won't return it because it's definitely considered to be money-laundering is just ... well I'll be polite and call it 'misguided conjecture'.

MBNA: Error

https://www.mbna.co.uk/credit-cards/help-and-support/faqs/managing-your-account.html

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 18:59

Actually we are all jumping, as it is so obvious, but it is clearly not to you,

do you have anyone who can help you?

so here is how it works,

you spend on your credit card, up to the value of. 640 pounds, on things you would normally spend on your debit card,

you keep a running total, so you do not go over the 640,

when you have done this, the 640 you would have spent on your debit card will be sitting in your current account,

you then transfer rhis into your savings account,

does this make sense?

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 18:53

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:19

It would be nice if I had a lump sum of £640 lying around!

Show quote history

This is utterly bizzare, if you spend 640 on your credit card, you save 640 on your current account, when done, at the end, as said, in a one off transcrion you transfer it,

how on earth is this so complex to you?

FallingfortheUnderdog · 22/10/2026 18:24

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:30

I’m not going to send £40 here and there across. That’s ridiculous.

Show quote history

You're being ridiculous, how it giving one card rather than another anything other than a practical solution to a minor annoyance

You're making a problem where there isnt one

Original poster

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:19

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 18:02

I’m sorry you need to explain why,

yes you need to ensure you don’t spend more than 640 on your credit card, but you just need to transfer 640 from your account once, there is no need to do it daily or after each transaction,

Show quote history

It would be nice if I had a lump sum of £640 lying around!

OP posts:

Original poster

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:19

rwalker · 22/10/2026 18:13

That’s how money laundering works someone credits your account and you empty it

Show quote history

“Someone” being on the beach 😂 and no, a refund is not money laundering. They can see it’s from a company.

Youre on about when people send money to banks and get you to transfer it on to someone else. Not when someone spends £640 on their card, and gets a refund for that amount back a couple of months later.

OP posts:

rwalker · 22/10/2026 18:13

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:00

Of course it is.

Tap card.

At end of day recall exactly which transactions occurred and then send the money across, open banking app, send money.

Everyone’s citing money laundering but that’s when you take dirty money and make it “clean” aka legitimate, not claim back a positive balance.

Show quote history

That’s how money laundering works someone credits your account and you empty it

Portmore · 22/10/2026 18:06

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:00

Of course it is.

Tap card.

At end of day recall exactly which transactions occurred and then send the money across, open banking app, send money.

Everyone’s citing money laundering but that’s when you take dirty money and make it “clean” aka legitimate, not claim back a positive balance.

Show quote history

There are strict rules on credit card companies to prevent money laundering.

It doesn't mean they are accusing you , the rules are in place to prevent it.

Nothing you can do about it.

Same as buying a gift card using another gift card or asking a shop to transfer 2 small value gift cards into one larger one

It's not allowed. End of. Move on

Boreded · 22/10/2026 18:03

Happyjoe · 22/10/2026 17:55

Do they do that when the account is in credit?

Show quote history

No they don’t…they would charge a handling fee though and it will show on the credit file that there is cash transactions which can impact the score

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 18:02

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:00

Of course it is.

Tap card.

At end of day recall exactly which transactions occurred and then send the money across, open banking app, send money.

Everyone’s citing money laundering but that’s when you take dirty money and make it “clean” aka legitimate, not claim back a positive balance.

Show quote history

I’m sorry you need to explain why,

yes you need to ensure you don’t spend more than 640 on your credit card, but you just need to transfer 640 from your account once, there is no need to do it daily or after each transaction,

WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady · 22/10/2026 18:01

Why does it have to be that £640 returned to you to save rather than £640 from your current account whilst you use the credit card for day to day spends? I sort of wonder whether your insistence and urgency sort of explains why they don’t offer this.

Boreded · 22/10/2026 18:01

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 13:26

I have a credit card with a £640 credit balance on it. I actioned a balance transfer forgetting I had a refund coming in for a hotel (I thought it would be coming to my debit card).

I have messaged them multiple times asking to return it. They won’t because of a pending transaction. Every time I ask them what the pending transaction is, they won’t say.

They’ve said my only option is to spend it!!! £640!!!!

AIBU to complain to the financial ombudsman?

That will take too long. Email their executive office and it’ll get picked up by their complaints team. Google/AI the email address and you will know where to send it

Original poster

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 18:00

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 17:53

But neither is spending 640 on it and transferring rhe 640 out your current account, it’s not a multi step process,

Show quote history

Of course it is.

Tap card.

At end of day recall exactly which transactions occurred and then send the money across, open banking app, send money.

Everyone’s citing money laundering but that’s when you take dirty money and make it “clean” aka legitimate, not claim back a positive balance.

OP posts:

Fupoffyagrasshole · 22/10/2026 17:59

Op I had similar and it’s 10k on a Barclaycard it was hell trying to sort it and I was talking to fraud team and everything and they kept saying or would be on my account in 5 days - it never came and 2 months later I finally get told they can’t do that large of an amount

im never going to spend 10k on the card I need it back

I got there in the end via the ombudsman

Happyjoe · 22/10/2026 17:55

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 13:30

Apparently they’ll charge me interest on it!!

Show quote history

Do they do that when the account is in credit?

Portmore · 22/10/2026 17:54

It's because of money laundering prevention laws.

Use the credit card as your normal debit card then transfer the £640 from your current account.

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 17:54

Boomer55 · 22/10/2026 17:53

Buy shopping etc from this credit card instead of your current account. Then just transfer the money up to savings.

Yes all at once . I can’t grasp why the op thinks she needs to do it each transaction,

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 17:53

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:30

I’m not going to send £40 here and there across. That’s ridiculous.

Show quote history

You don’t need to, do it once at the end,

Boomer55 · 22/10/2026 17:53

Buy shopping etc from this credit card instead of your current account. Then just transfer the money up to savings.

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 17:53

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:50

MBNA.

I had paid a holiday in instalments with on the beach (first two went via my debit card, then I paid the bulk on credit for points).

I then cancelled a part of the holiday that was refundable, and the company said they’d send the refund to the payment method associated with my account.

I assumed that would be my debit card because that’s where I initially set up the payment plan to. It was my credit card. In the meantime I’d done a balance transfer, not knowing the refund would be coming to my credit card. (It’s 0% for 36 months. A no brainer). So I wanted my money back in my bank. Not hard.

But neither is spending 640 on it and transferring rhe 640 out your current account, it’s not a multi step process,

Goatsarebest · 22/10/2026 17:52

Just for our records
What's the difference between a serious complaint and a non serious complaint and what does the threat entail to make it serious.

Charlenedickens · 22/10/2026 17:51

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:42

Because it means every transaction becomes a multiple step process. Instead of just tapping my card I then have to open up my banking app, check how much the transaction was, and send it across. I’ve just managed to get them to agree to a money transfer on the phone, with 0 fees and interest charged, after threatening a serious complaint. I’ll be cutting up my card and never spending with them again because that was horrific!

Show quote history

Huh? Why? Just spend 640 on it and take 640 out your current account and put it in a savings account,

Original poster

tellingeveryonehowbadly · 22/10/2026 17:50

MBNA.

I had paid a holiday in instalments with on the beach (first two went via my debit card, then I paid the bulk on credit for points).

I then cancelled a part of the holiday that was refundable, and the company said they’d send the refund to the payment method associated with my account.

I assumed that would be my debit card because that’s where I initially set up the payment plan to. It was my credit card. In the meantime I’d done a balance transfer, not knowing the refund would be coming to my credit card. (It’s 0% for 36 months. A no brainer). So I wanted my money back in my bank. Not hard.

OP posts: