First National Bank (FNB) is facing mounting criticism from account holders across South Africa after a wave of surprise service charges, processing adjustments, and automated debit order fees pushed several transactional accounts into negative balances.
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Distressed clients have taken to social media and consumer complaint forums to voice their anger over unexpected balance dips, pointing to confusing fee structures, delayed billing batches, and automated overdraft administrative costs as primary drivers.
The situation has sparked renewed public debate regarding transparency in digital retail banking and the financial impact of automated fee deductions on everyday consumers.
Automated adjustments and unforeseen deductions
The root of customer discontent stems from batch transaction processing, delayed point-of-sale settlements, and monthly service fee deductions landing simultaneously on active accounts.
Account holders reported logging onto their digital banking apps to find unexpected negative balances, often triggered when scheduled debit orders or account maintenance charges processed after available funds had already been depleted by prior card purchases.
For clients without formal overdraft protection facilities, these automatic adjustments resulted in unpaid item penalties and secondary administration charges, further deepening the negative standing on their accounts.
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Fnb is the biggest scam in the entire world! I am glad people are waking up to see them for who they are! Tell me why after branch visits, private banker calling, emails to CEO of Pvt bank telling you all is sorted but you still have -7K @FNBSA and am not the alone! https://t.co/cpmVgV9aHS
— bongani (@bonganisikhosa7) October 6, 2026
Public outcry and consumer backlash
The unexpected charges have sparked intense reaction across public platforms, with consumers questioning the clarity of FNB’s real-time notification systems.
Affected clients argue that lagging transaction notifications prevent them from monitoring their true available balance, leaving them vulnerable to surprise honour fees and negative balance adjustments.
Civic groups and consumer advocacy watchdogs have noted that while banks operate within statutory pricing guidelines, sudden balance drops severely compromise lower-income and middle-class households operating on tight monthly budgets.
FNB: The response
Addressing recent customer concerns over discrepancies in displayed account balances, First National Bank (FNB) spoke to BONA and clarified that the issue stemmed from delayed transaction processing rather than security failures.
FNB confirmed that the discrepancy was caused by “the delayed processing of certain transactions and not as a result of unauthorised withdrawals or any compromise of customer accounts,” emphasising that it affected only a small group of users.
The bank apologised for the disruption, reaffirming that “the accuracy and integrity of our customers’ account information remains a priority.”
FNB stated it is reaching out directly to impacted clients to resolve individual cases and urged customers who suspect their accounts were affected to contact the bank through Secure Chat, Secure Call, their designated banker, or an FNB branch to have their accounts reviewed.
Also see: FNB enhances ATM experience for international cardholders
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