HSBC has become the latest of the UK lenders to halt the sale of packaged accounts as it prepares to launch a new paid-for account.
Rising consumer complaints and tighter regulation implemented by the Financial Conduct Authority have led several British banks to suspend packaged current accounts while they review sales practices or alter the accounts themselves.
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HSBC said: "In preparation for the launch of the new version of the HSBC Advance current account, expected later this year, the account is temporarily unavailable to new customers in the UK.
"This will allow for a smoother transition to the new version of HSBC Advance and reduces the risk of disruption to customers."
"Packaged" or "added value accounts (AVAs)" are current accounts that offer paid-for extras such as insurance policies, overdraft facilities and music downloads.
HSBC said that existing customers with an Advance account, which currently costs £12.95 a month and includes global travel insurance and breakdown cover, would be moved onto the new account when it launches.
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By GlobalDataCustomer complaints about the controversial banking product have rocketed since last year, with the Financial Ombudsman Service revealing that complaints about packaged accounts in the year ending 31 March 2014 were 5,667, up 248% on the previous year.
Lloyds TSB suspended the sale of AVAs in December 2012 after it was found that sales incentives pushed staff into misselling insurance and investment products to customers between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2012.
One employee at Lloyds was even found to have sold products to himself, his wife and a colleague in a desperate attempt to meet his sales targets.
In December 2013 the bank announced it would restart selling packaged accounts across all of its distribution channels over the coming months.
During the same month, Barclays was found to be selling one of its packaged accounts online despite the terms and conditions being unavailable, although the problem was quickly remedied.
The lender has now changed its packaged accounts so that customers must voluntarily sign up for the paid-for benefits they want, whereas Santander dropped AVAs entirely in 2012 in favour of the "simplified" 123 account.
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