Chase told to pay £150 to neurodivergent customer because app didn't have dark mode
A Chase customer – known only as 'Mrs C' – said that the bank's app was more difficult to use because she couldn't toggle the background colour.
Those with neurodivergence – a blanket term often used for conditions including autism and ADHD – sometimes prefer using dark mode as it is said to reduce distractions, making it easier for them to focus.
Mrs C, who has complained about the bank before, said the lack of a dark mode option 'made her feel as though she didn't matter' in a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
She also claimed she has to use the app because an undisclosed disability means she cannot speak on the phone.
An online FOS ruling, which found in her favour, said: 'For a bank to not have dark mode on their app disadvantages neurodivergent customers, including herself, and makes her feel not listened to and that Chase doesn't take accessibility for their customers seriously.'
Chase told the FOS that changing the app to provide a dark mode would be a 'colossal and expensive task'.
It also said that Mrs C had been a customer for more than a year when she complained in March 2024, and hadn't mentioned the lack of dark mode before.
'No evidence'
Ombudsman Nicolas Atkinson wrote: 'There are certain groups of customers who've found that 'dark mode' makes websites and apps, for example, more accessible to them. That includes, for example, people who are neurodiverse.'
He added: 'I can see that Chase offers this to its card merchant services customers, so it's disappointing to see it say that this would be a colossal and expensive task when it has no evidence to back this up.'
Chase had offered to pay Mrs C £50 after mistakenly calling her to discuss her complaint, despite knowing that she was unable to speak on the phone.
But the bank was ordered to pay an extra £100 because of the lack of dark mode although the ombudsman admitted that it was 'not an ideal solution'.
Some banks already have apps with dark modes. In March this year, Lloyds introduced it on its mobile app for iPhones, and Spanish bank BBVA has a similar feature.
Dark modes, which turn the background of an app to a darker black or grey colour, rather than white, can reduce eye strain and keep phone batteries running for longer.
Chase, which was launched in the UK in 2021, is a digital-only bank which offers current and savings accounts. It is owned by JPMorgan, America's largest bank.
A spokesman for Chase said: 'We offer a range of different accessibility options based on the needs of our customers, and in line with our commitment to create accessible and inclusive products and services for all.
'While we don't currently offer dark mode in our app, customers can make colour adjustments on their mobile phones – including colour inversion which will make the Chase app 'dark', if the device allows and the customer chooses to.'
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