Financial Consumer Agency of Canada publishes revised Guideline on Complaint-Handling Procedures for Banks

June 23, 2026

Ottawa, Ontario

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has published a revised Guideline on Complaint-Handling Procedures for Banks and Authorized Foreign Banks.

Banks are required to comply with complaint handling obligations set out in the Bank Act and the Financial Consumer Protection Framework Regulations. The requirements include establishing complaint handling procedures, adhering to prescribed timelines for resolving complaints, and communicating clearly with consumers.

FCAC revised the Guideline to reflect the supervisory observations the Agency has made

since its introduction in 2022 and to clarify expectations for how banks meet their legislative obligations. It reinforces FCAC's expectation that banks implement complaint handling processes that are effective, timely, and accessible, and that support clear, consistent, and transparent outcomes for consumers. 

FCAC has strengthened its expectations in several key areas, including:

• Timelines: The revised Guideline confirms that a Bank must resolve or close a consumer’s complaint within the legislated 56-day period. Banks may not pause the 56 day period.
• Acknowledgement of complaints: To enhance accessibility and consumer understanding of the process, the revised Guideline makes explicit FCAC’s expectation for banks to provide consumers with a clear and timely acknowledgement confirming receipt of a complaint. The acknowledgement is to include key information about the complaint-handling process, including applicable timelines, the steps involved, and what the consumer can expect next.
• Notice of Final Decision: To provide consumers greater transparency, the revised Guideline sets out FCAC’s expectation that banks clearly indicate when they have provided their final response to a consumer’s complaint. FCAC expects banks to issue a Notice of Final Decision at the conclusion of any complaint that has not been resolved at the first stage of the bank’s process, and to inform consumers of their right to escalate their complaint to the external complaints body.
• Redress and remediation: The revised Guideline makes explicit banks’ obligation to have a comprehensive policy to provide timely redress where required under the Bank Act. The Guideline also clarifies FCAC’s expectation that banks provide consumers with timely remediation for harm based on the circumstances of the complaint.

Quick facts

• FCAC protects Canadians by supervising the compliance of federally regulated financial entities, such as banks and federal credit unions, with their legislative obligations, codes of conduct and public commitments, and by strengthening Canadians’ financial literacy.
• Guidelines are intended to assist regulated entities in complying with market conduct obligations. They establish practices that FCAC expects regulated entities to incorporate within their business operations.