Consumer complaint received 2025-12-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card — Can't use card to make purchases
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Complaint For the past eight months, Barclays has repeatedly and incorrectly locked me out of my online credit card account and Rewards portal. This has occurred four separate times, each time immediately after I attempted to redeem my reward points.

Every time, Barclays required extensive identity verification. I submitted all requested documentsmultiple timessuch as Social Security card, drivers license, and other materials. I have spent dozens of hours on the phone and submitted everything they requested. Many rejections were due to trivial reasons such as the angle of the Social Security card or lighting. Each time, after significant effort, Barclays eventually confirmed I was fully verified and that the lockouts were caused by a Barclays system error, not by me. 

I was explicitly assured several times that this would not happen again. Despite this, the account locked again almost immediately afterwardfour times in total. 

Now, I am being told that Barclays can not authenticate my identity and that my account will remain locked indefinitely. At the same time, Barclays demands that I continue making payments, but they refuse to provide access to my statements or rewards. 

I am also being charged late fees, interest, and other charges, despite having no ability to view the account or understand what I supposedly owe. Representatives tell me to just make payments without telling me the charges. This has resulted in thousands of dollars in fees and interest that I had no ability to prevent. 

To make matters worse, every Barclays representative gives me completely different and contradictory instructions : One agent told me the account can be reopened Another insisted it is locked indefinitely One manager required me to send bank statements The next manager told me not to send bank statements at all Some agents say the documents I provided are sufficient Others say I must start over and resubmit everything This back-and-forth has continued for months with no progress and no consistency. The conflicting instructions have made it impossible for me to comply or resolve the issue. I am being bounced between agents with no escalation path, even when I explicitly request one. 

Barclays is currently : Locking me out of my account for eight months Promising resolution and then reversing course Giving contradictory requirements from different employees Charging me late fees, interest, and possibly annual fees Refusing to let me view statements or redeem earned rewards Refusing to properly authenticate me despite full compliance Refusing to escalate to any department with actual authority to resolve this This appears to violate the CARD Act, Regulation Z, and fair billing practices. It is also an example of unreasonable and inconsistent identity verification procedures that prevent a consumer from managing their own account.

I respectfully request CFPB assistance to require Barclays to : Immediately unlock my account OR close it in good standing Waive all fees, interest, late fees, and charges incurred while my access was blocked Provide full and complete statements for the entire disputed period Allow redemption of all earned rewards or provide compensation Ensure my case is reviewed by Executive Customer Relations or the Back Office Identity Resolution Team, not frontline security staff After eight months of full compliance, repeated promises, contradictory instructions, and escalating fees without account access, I need immediate regulatory intervention.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation