"we have made the strategic decision to focus on serving a broader range of customers in more specific areas, which means moving away from our mortgage offer."
The Bank says it will consider the complete transfer of related balances and ongoing administration of relevant accounts.
The Bank, which has offered mortgages since 2012, currently serves over 23,000 customers with total lending balances of £3.7bn.
Gerry Mallon, chief executive of Tesco Bank, said: “In recent years, challenging market conditions have limited profitable growth opportunities. Our focus is on how we best serve Tesco customers and align our resources effectively to their needs while ensuring that our offer remains sustainable in the long term.
“To that end, we have made the strategic decision to focus on serving a broader range of customers in more specific areas, which means moving away from our mortgage offer. We have therefore chosen to cease lending to new customers and announce our intention to explore a sale of our portfolio. Our priority in any sale, is to complete a commercially acceptable transaction with a purchaser who will continue to serve our customers well.”
