Need to contact

AFCA

and make sure they reply?

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) is Australia's free, independent external dispute resolution scheme for consumers and small businesses with unresolved complaints against banks, insurers, super funds, and other licensed financial firms. AFCA customer service focuses on helping you lodge and progress a dispute after you've already exhausted your financial firm's internal complaints process.

AFCA is not a regulator or a court — it's an ombudsman-style service, and membership is compulsory for licensed Australian financial services providers. Determinations are binding on firms if the consumer accepts them.

Key AFCA contact channels at a glance:

• Freecall phone: 1800 931 678 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm AEST/AEDT)
• Email: info@afca.org.au
• Online: AFCA portal for lodging and tracking complaints
• Mail: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
• Accessibility: Interpreters, Auslan, and National Relay Service on request

AFCA resolves tens of thousands of complaints each year, though consumer sentiment on public review platforms is mixed — its ProductReview profile sits around 1.5 stars, with praise for fair, structured outcomes balanced against frustration over long wait times.

Drawn from ProductReview, consumer forums, and the Treasury's 2021 AFCA Review, these are the recurring themes in the AFCA customer service experience.

Long case assignment delays

• Reviewers regularly report waiting 5+ months just to be allocated a Dispute Resolution Specialist.
• End-to-end case timelines of 8–18 months are commonly cited during high-volume periods.

Perceived bias toward financial firms

• Consumers feel outcomes lean toward banks, insurers, and super funds.
• Part of this perception stems from AFCA being funded by the member firms it oversees.

Staff conflicts of interest

• Complaints that case managers have prior employment history with financial services companies.
• Concerns that this shapes how evidence is weighted during investigation.

Jurisdictional knock-backs

• Complainants wait months only to be told their matter falls outside the AFCA Rules — e.g. commercial, time-barred, or above monetary limits.
• Lack of early triage on jurisdiction is a frequent frustration.

Communication gaps

• Difficulty reaching case managers directly once a matter is allocated.
• Inconsistent updates and unclear timelines between stages.

Outcome dissatisfaction

• Frustration that AFCA determinations cannot be appealed on the merits — only via limited judicial review.
• Some consumers feel their submitted evidence was under-weighted.

In 2024–25, AFCA itself resolved 1,646 complaints about its own service, with 27% substantiated and 73% not substantiated.

AFCA expects you to complain to your financial firm first. If that hasn't resolved the issue — or 30 days have passed without a final response (45 days for super, 21 days for hardship/default) — use the channels below.

Phone Support

• Number: 1800 931 678 (freecall within Australia)
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm AEST/AEDT
• Best for: Initial enquiries, checking case status, or asking whether your matter falls within AFCA's jurisdiction.

Online Complaint Portal

• Lodge a complaint: via the AFCA make-a-complaint page.
• Track progress: log in to the AFCA portal to view status and correspondence.
• Best for: Most consumers — the online form is the fastest way to lodge.

Email

• Address: info@afca.org.au
• Best for: General enquiries and supplying additional documents when asked.

Paper Complaint Form

• Download: complaint form (PDF).
• Submit by mail: Australian Financial Complaints Authority, GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001.

In Person

• Address: Level 10, 800 Bourke Street, Docklands VIC 3008.
• Note: Most matters are handled remotely; walk-in support is limited.

Accessibility Support

• Translating & Interpreting Service (TIS): 131 450.
• National Relay Service: 1300 555 727.
• Auslan and other support: arranged on request via the accessibility and support page.

If you want step-by-step help preparing a formal dispute, you can also lodge a complaint about a financial provider through Ajust.

AFCA is a dispute resolution body, so traditional refund or warranty policies are replaced by jurisdiction and process rules. The summaries below are orientation only — full detail sits in the AFCA Rules and Guidelines.

Jurisdiction

• Complaints must be about an AFCA member financial firm and fall within the AFCA Rules.
• Some commercial, wholesale, or non-financial matters are excluded.

Monetary and compensation limits

• The general claim limit is approximately $1,263,000 per claim in Australia.
• Compensation caps vary by product type; updated limits apply from 1 January 2026.

Time limits

• Generally within 2 years of the firm's final IDR response, or 6 years of becoming aware of the loss.
• Superannuation matters have longer limits; some product disputes are shorter.

Cost

• Free for consumers and eligible small businesses.
• Funded entirely by member financial firms.

Process stages

• Registration and referral back to the firm, case management, negotiation or conciliation, preliminary assessment, and determination — see the process we follow.
• Firms must implement accepted determinations within 30 days.

Binding decisions

• Determinations bind the financial firm if the complainant accepts them.
• Consumers aren't bound and can still take the matter to court; superannuation determinations bind both parties.

If AFCA upholds your dispute and a refund or remediation is ordered, you can track how the firm is handling it — for broader refund expectations, see our guidance on refunds from Australian providers.