For regulated firms · Consumer Duty
Comprehension checks for Consumer Duty communications
For Consumer Duty testing, a quick comprehension question can expose wording people misunderstand. This is a small outside reading of a redacted communication, not a Consumer Duty test pack or compliance opinion. We aim for first answers within about 15 minutes in UK daytime; replies may be slower for now.
We review requests by hand.
Consumer Duty testing: a narrow comprehension question
Show one redacted instruction and find out what action a reader thinks it asks them to take. Keep the question narrow enough to expose unclear wording:
- Example: PineBank shows “Please check your address and tell us if it has changed.” Then asks what the letter requests: Check details, Pay or Call.
- What action would you take after reading this paragraph?
- How clear is the instruction from 1 to 5?
What the example answer split shows
Illustrative result: In the illustrative PineBank result, 10 of 20 choose Check details, six Pay and four Call. Half the group therefore choose a different action from the intended one. The next step is to rewrite the request and retest it with a suitable sample. This fictional quick check is not evidence that a real firm has met an FCA outcome.
How to check a redacted communication
Remove names, account numbers and other personal details. Use up to 280 characters of text or an image of a redacted letter, then ask one neutral comprehension question. Members answer blind and give a reason. Read every misunderstanding before changing the communication, and keep your own records of the wider testing process.
The Ask hub covers other formats.
Where real readers can help, and the limits
A communication can be accurate to the person who drafted it and still leave a reader unsure what to do. An outside reading may identify an ambiguous verb or missing deadline. Use that insight to improve clarity, then test with the people and controls your firm actually needs.
Honest limit: This is not a representative consumer sample, vulnerable-customer panel, audit pack or management-information export. There is no targeting by age or circumstance today. A result cannot show regulatory compliance; obtain your own legal and compliance advice.
What it costs
Asking is free during early access, by invitation. At paid launch a quick take starts from 30p an answer plus 50p a question (launch example); 20 quick takes would come to about £6.50. You see the quote before asking.
Your questions, answered
What does Consumer Duty say about testing communications?
Under FCA PRIN 2A.5, firms must test communications before use where appropriate and monitor their impact. The FCA also describes comprehension checks as one possible method in its consumer-understanding review. Sources checked 7 October 2026. The right testing programme depends on the firm and communication; this quick take is not an FCA-approved test pack or legal advice.
How do I test customer understanding?
Define the action a reader should understand, remove personal data and ask what they think the message asks them to do. Look at the wrong answers and reasons before rewriting it. A regulated firm also needs its own suitable sampling, records and review process.
Is this enough evidence for the FCA?
No. Twenty opinions from a mixed group cannot demonstrate that your actual customers, including those with additional needs, understand a communication. It may help you spot a wording problem, but your firm must decide what evidence and controls the regulations require.
Can I test with vulnerable customers?
Not through the current pool. Members are verified UK adults without targeting by vulnerability, circumstance or other segment. Do not present the result as evidence about people with particular needs. Use an appropriate, consented research method for that question.
Is my letter confidential?
It is not posted in a public feed, but people answering see it on their own screens. Redact names, accounts, addresses and anything you could not show a stranger before uploading. A redacted excerpt may be safer than a full letter.
How much does this test cost?
During invitation-only early access, asking is free. At paid launch, the example rate is 30p per answer plus 50p per question, so 20 answers would be about £6.50. You see the quote before posting. This pays for a small wording check, not a compliance assessment or representative Consumer Duty evidence.
Find out what people really think.
Free during early access. No card needed.
Free during early access. We review requests by hand. Have an invite code? Join