Consumer Duty
FCA Consumer Duty training covering the four outcomes and cross-cutting rules, helping every role deliver and evidence good outcomes for retail customers.
Want this course for your team?
See it in action and get pricing tailored to your firm and learner numbers.
Request a demoWhat is the Consumer Duty and why does it matter?
The Consumer Duty, introduced by the FCA, raised the standard of care firms must give retail customers, shifting the focus from following a process to delivering good outcomes. Central to it is the Consumer Principle, supported by cross-cutting rules requiring firms to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm and help customers pursue their financial objectives.
How does the Consumer Duty change how a firm is judged?
The Duty changes how your firm is judged. Showing a step was completed is no longer enough: your firm must evidence that customers received good outcomes in practice, and act where they did not. Getting this wrong invites regulatory scrutiny, remediation costs and reputational damage. Because the Duty touches every stage of the customer journey, it is everyone’s responsibility.
Who needs Consumer Duty training?
The Duty applies to all staff involved in the design, sale or servicing of products for retail customers: product, pricing, marketing, customer-facing, operations and back-office teams. Senior Managers carry a specific accountability to monitor outcomes and act when they fall short. Training should be tailored to how the Duty applies to each role.
What does Consumer Duty training cover?
This course translates the Duty into practical terms for every role. It explains the Consumer Principle and cross-cutting rules and works through the four outcomes: products and services, price and value, consumer understanding and consumer support. It helps your team apply the Duty to real decisions and customer interactions, and recognise and act on the risk of foreseeable harm.
It is designed for all staff involved in the design, sale or servicing of products for retail customers.
What your team will learn
- Explain the Consumer Duty and the cross-cutting rules
- Explain the four outcomes the Duty requires
- Apply the Duty to decisions and customer interactions
- Recognise and act on the risk of foreseeable harm
What's included
- ~20 min of focused, scenario-based learning
- CPD accredited (CII)
- Built-in quiz with a configurable pass mark
- Reviewed and kept current with UK regulation
- Time-stamped completion records for your audit trail
How it works
-
Assign it in seconds
Enrol a team, a role or your whole firm from the CityREPORTS dashboard, with automated reminders that chase completion for you.
-
Your team completes it
Learners work through the course at their own pace on any device, finishing with a short assessment that demonstrates understanding.
-
Evidence it to the regulator
Every completion is time-stamped and retained, so you can prove the right people did the right training at any moment.
Frequently asked questions
- What must Consumer Duty training cover?
- Training must cover the Consumer Principle, the three cross-cutting rules (act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm, support customers' financial objectives) and the four outcomes: products and services, price and value, consumer understanding, and consumer support. The FCA expects content tailored to how the Duty applies to each role.
- Who needs Consumer Duty training?
- All staff at FCA-regulated firms that sell or distribute retail products and services, including product, pricing, marketing, customer-facing, operations and back-office teams. Senior managers carry a specific accountability to monitor customer outcomes and act when they fall short, and their training should reflect that responsibility.
- How does the FCA expect firms to evidence Consumer Duty training?
- The FCA expects time-stamped records showing the right people completed the right training. In 2026 its focus has moved from whether the Duty is implemented to whether it is embedded and monitored, so firms should link role-specific training to outcomes data and their annual Consumer Duty board report.
- How often should Consumer Duty training be refreshed?
- There is no fixed regulatory interval, but training should be reviewed at least annually and updated whenever the FCA issues new guidance or multi-firm review findings. Firms should also re-assign training when outcomes monitoring reveals a gap, or when staff move into a role touching a different outcome.
- Where does the Consumer Duty sit in the FCA Handbook?
- The Consumer Duty is set out in the FCA's Principles for Businesses as Principle 12, 'a firm must act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers', and detailed in the PRIN 2A rules and guidance. It applies across the retail distribution chain and takes precedence over the older Principles 6 and 7 where they overlap.
- What are the consequences of breaching the Consumer Duty?
- Because the Duty is a Principle, breaches can trigger FCA supervisory intervention, skilled-person reviews, redress and remediation programmes, restrictions on business, and financial penalties. The FCA can also act against accountable Senior Managers under SM&CR. A failure to evidence good outcomes attracts scrutiny in its own right, alongside poor outcomes themselves.
- Does the Consumer Duty cover vulnerable customers?
- Yes. The Duty reinforces existing FCA expectations on vulnerability. Firms must consider customers' characteristics, including those in vulnerable circumstances, across all four outcomes, designing products, communications and support that meet their needs. Training should help staff recognise vulnerability and adapt their approach to avoid foreseeable harm.
Related courses
FCA Conduct Rules
A focused course on the Individual Conduct Rules and what acting with integrity, due skill and care looks like in real situations.
Supporting Vulnerable Customers
Help staff recognise the drivers of vulnerability and adapt their service to deliver good outcomes, in line with FCA guidance and the Consumer Duty.
Complaints Handling
Ensure staff can identify, record and handle complaints in line with FCA DISP rules and deliver fair outcomes for customers.