The Standards of Lending Practice (previously the Lending Code) are voluntary and set the benchmark for good lending practice in the United Kingdom, outlining the way registered firms are expected to deal with their customers throughout the entire product life cycle. The Lending Standards Board, which oversees the standards, began its work on 2 November 2009, taking the place of the former Banking Code Standards Board.Lending Standards Board, About Us, published in 2015, archived on 21 October 2015, accessed on 2 April 2025
The Standards of Lending Practice for personal customers covers loans, credit cardis, charge cards and overdrafts.The StandardsThe Standards for personal customers The Standards of Lending Practice for business customers covers loans, credit cards, charge cards and overdrafts,The Standards for business customers with a separate set of standards covering asset finance.Other voluntary standards
Each section of the Standards contains: A customer outcome; An overall statement of how a firm intends to achieve this outcome; and A detailed set of standards that demonstrate the approach.
While a number of these outcomes are well established within firms, new areas do emerge from time to time. As and when they do, the Standards of Lending Practice will evolve to help registered firms develop their approach to them.
References
External links Lending Standards Board