Barclays yesterday scored a victory in its long battle with the Competition Commission over the sale of "rip-off" payment protection insurance after an appeals tribunal overturned a ruling banning banks selling the insurance at the same time as a loan or credit card.

The bank said the decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal was a victory for consumer choice and would allow customers the chance at the point of sale to buy a loan combined with insurance cover.

The ruling will come as a severe blow to the Competition Commission which wanted a seven-day breathing space imposed before banks could contact customers about purchasing cover for their loan payments.

It argued that customers came under intense pressure from sales staff to buy the cover when they agreed a loan. It said research showed that industry guidelines had failed to eradicate mis-selling and only a ban on sales of the insurance as an add-on product would be sufficient.

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