DJs boss says customers are still spending but uncertainty is ahead

Latitude Financial and David Jones confirmed on Monday they had inked a 10-year deal in which Latitude would provide two new credit cards to David Jones customers from September 2023.

David Jones’ previous financial services partner, American Express, was taken to court by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) last year over allegations it breached its obligations to properly target suitable customers with the David Jones co-branded Amex.

The regulator claimed Amex knew that cancellation rates among customers who applied for cards in David Jones were high and that some consumers were confused about whether they had applied for a loyalty of credit card, but that Amex did not review whether it was targeting appropriate customers.

The case is the first time the regulator has tested new consumer protection laws, which flip the onus of responsibility from customers reading the fine print to providers having to make sure that a product fits consumer needs.

Customers that held David Jones-branded American Express cards were told last week that the card scheme would end this year.

Fyfe told this masthead that the launch of the Latitude partnership had nothing to do with ASIC’s investigation of American Express, noting that David Jones has been reviewing new potential financial services partners since last year.

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“Latitude gave us the best proposition – because it’s an omni-proposition for us. It’s digitally and physically available to our customers,” he said.

Latitude chief executive and managing director Ahmed Fahour said the company was focused on adhering to the regulatory requirements for consumers as well as providing the best possible experience for them when using the cards.

“For me, the regulatory standard is the minimum standard. There is actually something far above that, which is consumer protection,” he said.

“The last thing in the world that we want is to have somebody have a card that they can’t afford. That’s bad for everybody.”

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