Misleading eBucks Rewards Criteria – FNB Not Transparent or Fair

Complaint:

I am extremely disappointed with how FNB eBucks has handled my query regarding April 2025 rewards qualification. I met all clearly stated criteria, yet my Boost My Rewards was unfairly denied.

I spent R4,211.46 between 27–29 April 2025, which is well over the R4,000 minimum spend required for the Aspire account, as clearly stated in the app:

“Spend at least R4000 on FNB Aspire Debit, Fusion or Credit Card every month.”

There is no mention anywhere in that message that this spend is subject to when a merchant clears/banks the transaction. As a consumer, I spent the money — it was deducted from my account immediately — and I can no longer access those funds. That is "spending."

To make things worse, I confirmed with an eBucks agent last year (I have the email) that reward calculations are based on the transaction date — not when the merchant processes it. The same agent even responded to a separate query of mine earlier this month, proving they're still active at eBucks.

I was away on a fully sponsored trip abroad from 27 March to 27 April, and upon returning, I immediately made sure to meet the monthly spend. I have the bank proof, travel proof, and screenshots — yet FNB refuses to take any responsibility, simply saying "rewards are based on when the merchant banks the transaction," which contradicts both their app messaging and previous agent guidance.

Their reply (attached) is dismissive and lacks any form of accountability — ignoring the misinformation provided by their own agent, the unclear T&Cs, and the app wording, which gives no hint that merchant processing delays can punish clients.

Additionally:

The eBucks website is nearly unusable when trying to find the correct terms — there’s no search function and hundreds of hidden pages across different campaigns.

They claim “terms have changed,” but never communicate these changes to customers properly.

This is not transparency. This is not fair. And it is certainly not how a leading bank should treat loyal customers.

Unless this is resolved — including reinstating my April eBucks Boost and providing my Kauai voucher — I will escalate this to the Financial Ombud, ICASA, and share this experience across all available platforms. I’m also actively reviewing whether to close all my FNB accounts if this is how I can expect to be treated.

I have the following and have already/can provide it to FNB eBucks.

- Bank proof of April spend (R4,211.46) - provided this

- Screenshots of app wording - provided this

- Email from eBucks agent confirming spend date rules - provided this

- Proof of travel dates (can provide this)

FNB – please take responsibility and fix this.