FNB under fire
FNB’s decision to amend eBucks earning rules a mere four months after its annual rule changes has left customers fuming, with many threatening to leave the bank.
The bank recently announced an unusual change in eBucks levelling criteria that will take effect in November 2025, after already adjusting the requirements in July 2025.
Although FNB has previously added and removed partners several times throughout a given year, it only adjusted the levelling criteria annually, typically a month after its banking fee revisions.
The changes result in Premier and Private customers getting 2,500 fewer points on the levelling system for criteria that were relatively simple to meet.
These include having 80% of monthly spending on a virtual card, checking various options under the Nav>Credit page, and viewing the “Track My Rewards” tab in the FNB mobile app.
On the positive side, FNB has increased the number of points customers can earn by paying extra for its insurance products by 3,000.
However, to offset the loss of 2,500 points, customers will have to take up an FNB Life Customised product with a minimum combined cover of R4 million for Premier and R6 million for Private.
For customers on the more affordable Aspire account, FNB has also introduced a minimum monthly spending requirement of R5,000 and added two new behavioural banking requirements.
In less than a day since FNB published the amended requirements on its website, dozens of FNB customers have complained about the unexpected alterations on social media platforms.
“FNB shifting the eBucks earn rules just three months after their annual update is one of the most underhanded moves against customers, utterly pathetic,” one customer said.
“FNB is dealing in shockingly bad faith by changing their eBucks terms again mid-year. Over 10 years with FNB. My family is moving to another bank,” a second user said.
“What you guys are doing with eBucks is unethical…Never thought I’ll look for another bank but now it’s the time,” a third said.
“My family has been banking with you for three generations. Your bait-and-switch eBucks rule change has me planning a move,” a fourth complained.
A search for “eBucks” on Thursday, 2 October 2025, showed many more complaints from FNB customers expressing interest in alternative banks.
FNB’s support team have repeatedly responded to complaints that the changes “better reflect how our customers bank and spend today”.
“The recent updates are designed to balance fairness and value across the programme, but we’re always reviewing feedback like yours to improve,” the team said in response to one complaint.
Raw deal for eBucks earnings on 24-month device contracts
One particular problem is the discount the bank introduced on 24-month device contracts available through its FNB Connect app.
This feature gave Premier and Private customers back a portion of their monthly electronic device or appliance instalment in eBucks. The precise amount is based on their Reward Level.
At Level 5, Premier customers earn back 40% of their instalment, Private Clients get 60% back, and Private Wealth customers receive 100%.
The rule changes result in many users losing 2,500 levelling points unless they pay for more insurance products.
Users who barely met the threshold for a particular level are likely to drop down two levels. For example, those with just enough points to reach Level 5 would drop to Level 3.
A Premium customer who previously earned R200 back on a R500 instalment will now earn R50. A Private Client customer with a device with the same instalment will get back R75 instead of R300.
The table below shows the eBucks earnings that customers get on instalments for devices or appliances bought through eBucks partners on the FNB Connect platform.
| Level | Premier | Private Clients | Private Wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 3 | 10% | 15% | 25% |
| 4 | 20% | 30% | 50% |
| 5 | 40% | 60% | 100% |
FNB set expectations — then pulled the rug
Many users likely opted to pay for products over 24 months specifically because the eBucks earned would offset all or a large portion of the interest they would pay otherwise.
One customer on Twitter/X accused FNB of “moving the goalposts’ after locking people into 24-month device rebates and called on people to lay a complaint with the National Consumer Commission.
FNB’s eBucks terms and conditions specifically state that it can amend the programme’s rules and partners at any time.
However, its habit of changing levelling criteria annually had cemented in the minds of its customers the notion that this would be the strategy going forward.
When asked about how the levelling changes would reduce the eBucks earnings of customers who are using the 24-month contract benefit, FNB said the discount was market-leading and offered significant value to customers.
“It is important to note that while there are 43,000 Private Wealth points available to reach Level 5, only 13,500 points are required, for example,” FNB said.
“As a behavioural rewards programme, we focus on ensuring that the behaviours we incentivise deliver value both to our customers and to the bank.”
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