UK lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the drive for banks and retailers to work together to enable customers to self-exclude from purchases such as alcohol and gambling, but do not support making such measures mandatory.

In a report released today, the parliament’s Treasury Select Committee has also nudged banks into allowing customers to block themselves from profligate borrowing or spending, after MPs heard stories of vulnerable customers hiding their credit cards in ice to resist their impulses.

Several UK banks earlier this year followed the lead of online-only Monzo by pledging to introduce payment blocking mechanisms, as consumer protection and gambling control advocates increasingly turn their attention to the financial services sector.

But payment service providers (PSPs) are currently only able to help block customer transactions by disabling purchases from merchant codes that designate alcohol shops or gambling operators.

Buying a lottery ticket at a newsagent or a bottle of vodka at a supermarket is still possible for consumers who have enacted a payment block because retailers typically do not divulge itemised transaction data to PSPs.

The Treasury Select