Lloyds Bank has issued a detailed response to a customer's request for new features on its widely used mobile banking application. This comes as the high street lender, which serves around 10 million online banking users, also released fresh research indicating a significant improvement in affordability for those looking to get onto the property ladder.
Customer Calls for Enhanced App Functionality
A user contacted Lloyds Bank via social media on 24 December 2025, proposing an update to how credit card transactions are displayed. The customer suggested the app should show separate totals for 'Pending' and 'Confirmed' balances alongside the overall total, arguing this would make it easier to track new transactions and match receipts against their own records.
In its reply, Lloyds acknowledged the feedback, stating: "I completely understand why having a pending total would make it easier to match receipts and track transactions. We really appreciate you sharing ideas that help improve the experience." The bank initially clarified that transactions typically appear as pending and pointed customers towards the 'available balance' as the most current figure.
First-Time Buyer Affordability Shows Notable Improvement
Alongside this customer service exchange, Lloyds published new analysis revealing a positive shift for first-time buyers. Nationally, the typical property price for a first home now stands at £237,518, a modest increase of 2.4% over the past year.
However, stronger average income growth of 6.2% (to £40,021) combined with lower mortgage interest rates has improved the key affordability ratio. The price-to-earnings ratio for a typical first-time buyer has fallen to 5.9, down from 6.2 last year. This marks the first time the ratio has dipped below 6.0 since the end of 2015.
Mortgage Costs Stabilise as Rents Rise
The research highlights that typical monthly mortgage payments for new buyers have risen by just 0.1% over the last year to £1,087. This stability is attributed to lower interest rates offsetting small property price increases. The average rate for a five-year fixed mortgage with a 10% deposit has fallen from 4.7% to 4.5%.
As a result, mortgage costs now consume 32.6% of an average first-time buyer's income, down from 34.6% a year ago and the lowest proportion since mid-2022. In contrast, the UK rental market has seen costs climb sharply by 5.5% to a monthly average of £1,346, although this remains around 40% of average income due to wage growth.
Lloyds Bank's engagement with customer feedback on its digital services continues alongside its role in analysing key trends in the UK housing and mortgage market.
