Barclays has announced that the “technical issue” affecting payments and transactions for customers has been resolved, though it is still working to update bank balances for some individuals. The bank confirmed that delayed payments have now been processed but is still addressing any remaining issues after several days of disruptions.
When the issue began on Friday, customers reported difficulties with mobile and online banking, as well as issues with making essential payments. While it is understood that the disruption was not caused by a cyber attack, Barclays has not provided details about the cause of the problem or the exact number of customers impacted.
Barclays has apologized for the disruptions caused by the recent technical issue and assured customers that no one affected would be left out of pocket. A spokesperson mentioned on Sunday that the bank was extending the hours of its call centers and would proactively reach out to vulnerable customers. The bank confirmed that account balances would be updated by the end of Sunday and that services had returned to normal. However, early Sunday reports from the website Downdetector, which tracks outages, showed that hundreds of issues were still being reported, particularly with mobile and online banking.
Some customers on social media also expressed frustration, saying they were still facing problems and seeking compensation. Barclays, one of the UK’s largest banks with over 20 million retail customers, saw nearly 5,000 reports of issues on Saturday, more than double the number from Friday. The bank’s website on Saturday afternoon acknowledged ongoing problems with its app and online banking, and warned customers that making or receiving payments might be impacted. It also noted that high street branches might not be able to resolve all queries due to the ongoing issues.
For many, Friday marked payday and the deadline for self-assessment tax returns, with some Barclays customers reporting difficulties in making payments to HMRC. In response, HMRC assured that it was working with the bank to minimize the impact and confirmed that the Barclays outage would not result in late payment penalties, as these would not apply until March 1.
On social media, Barclays advised customers experiencing trouble accessing their money to seek support from friends and family or to reach out to food banks for assistance. In response to a user who mentioned being unable to access their account, the bank shared a link to the Trussell Trust, a charity that operates food banks across the country.
One customer, Emily from Exeter, shared her distress, explaining that she had to spend the weekend on a friend’s couch because she couldn’t move into her new house. “I’m effectively homeless with my two children and two cats,” she said. Her children were staying with family members, while her removal van, which held all her belongings, was left abandoned. Emily, a single mother, expressed her frustration, saying, “I’ve worked incredibly hard for this, and to be left homeless is indescribable.”