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The plans are currently going through the High Court for approval
A major high street bank is preparing to move all of its customers over to a rival as part of a massive deal.
Millions of account holders could be affected by the shake-up early next year.
Coventry Building Society is set to take on every customer from The Co-operative Bank following its £780million acquisition of the lender.
The building society purchased The Co-operative Bank back in January 2025 with the aim of merging both businesses into one.
That process is now moving forward, with the plans currently before the High Court for approval.
The legal mechanism being used is known as a Part VII Transfer. On 18 August, the High Court gave the green light for the process to move ahead.
That ruling allowed The Co-operative Bank to begin reaching out to its customers and suppliers about the planned switch.
A final court hearing has been set for 2 December. If the judge grants approval at that stage, the full transfer of accounts to Coventry Building Society would go ahead on the proposed date of 1 January 2027.
Users of smile, The Co-operative Bank's digital banking service, are also included in the move.
Co-operative Bank customers do not need to take any immediate action. Nothing will change about how they manage their accounts or access banking services while the process is under way.
Those with a Co-operative Bank account should have already received a letter or email explaining the planned move. Existing Coventry Building Society customers will not be affected.
Even after the transfer goes through, The Co-operative Bank and smile brands will continue to be used as trading names. Customer correspondence will still carry the familiar Co-operative Bank branding and logos.
However, Coventry Building Society will appear at the bottom of all communications going forward.
A spokesperson for The Co-operative Bank said: "We have started the process of reviewing our brands, but we are taking our time to get this right and all possibilities are open."
Rachel Macfarlane, general counsel at Coventry Building Society, described the move as a significant milestone in bringing The Co-operative Bank into the society and building a simpler structure for the future.
She acknowledged the legal process was technical but stressed that the practical impact for customers was straightforward, with no disruption to everyday banking.
Some customers may also become members of the mutual once the transfer completes, depending on the products they hold.
