Provisional decision: review of the SME Banking Undertakings 2002
The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) purpose is to help people, businesses and the UK economy by protecting competition and tackling unfair behaviour.
________________________________________
About this consultation
The CMA has published its provisional decision that the remaining provisions of the SME Banking Undertakings 2002 (the ‘Limitation on Bundling Provisions’) are no longer appropriate and should be released. These provisions require 8 banks not to compel customers to open or maintain a BCA as a condition for accessing business loans or deposit accounts.
We want to hear from you
We invite stakeholders' views on our provisional decision and notice of intention to release the Limitation on Bundling Provisions. The information we receive will inform our final decision on the outcome.
We would particularly like to hear from respondents representing banks, SMEs, relevant regulators and the UK Government.
We are not seeking views on any other order or undertaking relevant to retail banking for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Responding to our consultation
This consultation closes at 5pm on 3 September 2025. Please respond by email to remedies.reviews@cma.gov.uk (subject line: SME Banking Undertakings review).
If your response contains any information that you regard as sensitive and do not want to be published, please include a non-confidential version for publication on our website.
Your personal data
Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its statutory duty under section 88(4) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 (as preserved in Schedule 24 Enterprise Act 2002) to keep under review undertakings and orders.
For more information about the CMA’s statutory functions, how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that personal data (including your right to complain), please visit the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.