How Long Does a Bank Have to Respond to a Complaint in Canada?
You complained to your bank weeks ago and nothing has happened. Federal rules put a clock on that complaint, and once it runs out you can take the dispute to a free outside ombudsman.
- Rules checked October 30, 2026
- By Krish Paul
- 7 min read
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This guide sets out the deadlines that apply to the bank and to you, with a dated example and the steps that keep your complaint moving.
The short answer
A federally regulated bank must deal with your complaint and give you a written final response within 56 days after the day it receives it. If the bank misses that deadline, or answers and you disagree, you can take the complaint to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) for free.
The 56 days come from section 14 of the Financial Consumer Protection Framework Regulations, which sets the period the Bank Act leaves to regulation. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) counts them as calendar days, so weekends and holidays are included.
Every deadline in a bank complaint
The 56-day rule is only the first clock. Once you escalate, OBSI has its own time limits, and you have one too.
| Step | Who | Limit | Counted from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written final response | Your bank | 56 days | The day the bank receives your complaint |
| Say if the complaint is outside its mandate | OBSI | 30 days | After you bring the complaint to OBSI |
| Target to finish a bank investigation | OBSI | 90 days | When an investigator is assigned |
| Final written recommendation | OBSI | 120 days | When OBSI has the information it needs |
| Bring the complaint to OBSI | You | 180 days | The date on the bank’s final response letter |
| Raise the problem with the bank | You | 6 years | When you knew or should have known about it |
Sources: FCPF Regulations, section 14; FCAC; OBSI FAQ. All limits are calendar days. The six-year rule is an OBSI mandate limit, not a court limitation period.
What your bank has to do
The duties sit in section 627.43 of the Bank Act and are summarized by the FCAC. When you complain, the bank must:
- Give you a written acknowledgment of the date it received your complaint.
- Explain its complaint-handling process and what you need to do to follow it.
- Deal with the complaint and send a written final response within 56 days.
- Keep a record of the complaint for at least seven years.
Banks must also post their complaint process and OBSI’s contact details in every branch and on every website where they offer products in Canada. The FCAC keeps a list of each bank’s complaint process. Within 135 days after each financial year ends, every bank has to publish the number and nature of complaints its designated complaints officer handled, the average time taken and how many it believes were resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
One detail trips people up. Your bank’s internal complaint office works for the bank, however senior it is. The Bank Act bars banks from describing their own complaint staff with terms that suggest independence, such as “ombudsman.” OBSI is the independent body.
The deadline used to be 90 days
Before June 30, 2022, banks had 90 days to deal with a complaint. OBSI noted the change when the Bank Act consumer protection framework came into force. Older articles and forum posts that quote 90 days for banks are out of date.
Only one outside body now
Since November 1, 2024, OBSI handles escalated complaints for all Canadian banks. Before that, RBC, TD, Scotiabank, National Bank and Tangerine used a different body, ADRBO. If an old letter from your bank names ADRBO, OBSI is now the place to go.
A worked example with real dates
Here is how the clocks fall for a hypothetical complaint. Dates were counted by script and checked by hand.
- Monday, November 2, 2026: you email your complaint and the bank receives it that day.
- Thursday, December 10, 2026: the bank sends a final response you disagree with. You can go to OBSI right away.
- Tuesday, June 8, 2027: your 180-day window to bring the complaint to OBSI closes.
Now say the bank sends nothing. Day 56 after November 2 is Monday, December 28, 2026, so from Tuesday, December 29, you can go to OBSI without a final letter. The holiday season does not pause the count.
If you escalate and OBSI has everything it needs by Friday, January 15, 2027, its 120-day limit for a final recommendation is Saturday, May 15, 2027. That is 194 days from your first complaint. In practice OBSI says it finishes most bank cases well inside its 90-day target.
Hypothetical example. Your own dates depend on when the bank receives your complaint and when OBSI has your file.
Banks, credit unions and investment firms differ
- Banks and federal credit unions: 56 days, then OBSI.
- Provincial credit unions: regulated by the province. OBSI says those that use it have 90 days, or 60 days for Quebec residents, before you can escalate. Others may send you to a provincial regulator.
- Investment firms: OBSI says they also have 90 days, or 60 days for Quebec residents.
The FCAC does not resolve individual complaints. It can explain the process, and it reports to Parliament on the complaints banks record.
What to put in your complaint
A clear first complaint saves weeks. Send it in writing so the date is easy to prove, since OBSI counts its 56 days from when you first complained in writing.
- The factsWhat happened, with dates, amounts and account details, but never your full card number or password.
- The peopleNames of staff you spoke to and the date of each call or visit.
- The fix you wantA refund, a fee reversal or a correction to your account.
- A requestAsk for written acknowledgment of the date received and for a final response within 56 days.
How to escalate a bank complaint
- Complain to the bank first. Use the branch, phone or online channel, then follow the bank’s escalation step if the first answer does not work. You can usually expect two internal steps.
- Write down the received date. Count 56 calendar days from it and put that date in your calendar.
- Keep the final response letter. The date on it starts your 180-day window for OBSI.
- Go to OBSI. File once you have the final letter or day 56 has passed. OBSI is free and funded by industry.
- Decide on the result. OBSI can recommend up to $350,000. A bank does not have to follow it, but OBSI publishes refusals. If you are still not satisfied, a lawyer can explain court options and limitation periods in your province.
Common reasons to complain have their own rules too. A dispute over a cheque hold, for example, is covered by the federal limits in our guide to how long a bank can hold a cheque. For a payment taken without your consent, see how to reverse a pre-authorized debit, and for bounced payment charges, the $10 NSF fee cap.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a bank have to respond to a complaint in Canada?
A federally regulated bank must deal with your complaint and give you a written final response within 56 days after the day it receives the complaint. If it does not, you can take the complaint to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) without waiting any longer.
When can I go to OBSI with a bank complaint?
You can go to OBSI as soon as the bank gives you its final response letter, or once 56 days have passed since you first complained, whichever comes first. You then have 180 days from the date on the bank’s final response letter to bring the complaint to OBSI.
Does it cost anything to complain to OBSI?
No. OBSI’s service is free for consumers because it is funded by industry.
Is an OBSI decision binding on my bank?
No. OBSI’s recommendations are not binding, and a bank is not required to follow them. If a bank refuses, OBSI makes that refusal public. OBSI can recommend up to $350,000 for a single complaint.
Can the FCAC resolve my complaint against my bank?
No. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada does not resolve individual complaints. It can explain your bank’s complaint process and guide you through the steps, and it supervises whether banks follow the rules.
Do credit unions have the same 56-day deadline?
Federal credit unions follow the same 56-day rule as banks. Provincial credit unions are regulated by their province. For provincial credit unions that use OBSI, OBSI says the firm has 90 days, or 60 days for Quebec residents, before you can escalate.
- Sources, checked October 30, 2026: Financial Consumer Protection Framework Regulations (SOR/2021-181), current to 2026-09-30, section 14; Bank Act, current to 2026-09-30, sections 627.43 to 627.48; FCAC: How to file a complaint with your bank (modified 2026-09-16); FCAC: Filing a complaint with a bank, your rights (modified 2026-09-16); FCAC: How FCAC oversees your bank’s complaint-handling process (modified 2026-09-16); OBSI: FAQs; OBSI: Single ECB transition FAQs; OBSI: Terms of Reference updated to reflect recent Bank Act change (posted August 2, 2022); OBSI: How we are funded.
- Method: Example dates were calculated in Python from Monday, November 2, 2026, and re-checked by counting days month by month. Day counts are calendar days, as the FCAC describes them.
Important: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Provincial credit unions and other provincially regulated firms follow their own complaint rules. Gizly is not paid by any bank or organization mentioned here. See our affiliate disclosure.
How this page was made: Gizly uses AI tools to help research and draft its guides. Krish Paul, the editor, is responsible for what Gizly publishes. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix it.
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