Barclays customers are continuing to experience significant disruptions with payments and transfers for a second day following severe IT problems that have also affected the bank’s app and online banking systems.
Since the outage began on Friday, which coincided with payday for many UK workers and the deadline for self-assessment tax returns, customers have been reporting difficulties completing essential transactions. Some have been unable to pay for everyday necessities, such as food, while others have faced serious complications, including delayed house moves.
Barclays reassured customers that cards and cash machines remained functional, although some users have disputed this, claiming they were still unable to withdraw cash. The bank has promised to “ensure that no impacted customer is left out of pocket” as it works to resolve the issue.
On Saturday afternoon, Barclays’ website acknowledged that problems persisted with both its mobile app and payment systems, warning customers to expect continued disruptions. The bank also advised that it might be unable to assist with all queries in branches due to the ongoing technical challenges.
Business owner Tim Horner from West Sussex described the toll the outage has had on his e-commerce platform, revealing that he was unable to pay his employees or remit payments to HMRC. “I’ve lost thousands of pounds,” he said, noting that numerous customers had been unable to complete transactions on his website.
Ruth, a self-employed cleaner, shared her distress over not being able to access funds from her savings account to buy necessities for her children. “There could be many single mums in the same situation with no access to money,” she said.
Barclays, one of the UK’s largest banks with over 20 million retail customers, has not disclosed the cause of the IT failure or the total number of affected customers. However, the outages have been widely reported, with over 4,000 issues flagged on the website DownDetector on Saturday, more than double the number from the previous day.
For some families, the disruption has been severe. Scott, a 27-year-old from West Sussex, explained that he and his pregnant wife were unable to move into their new house after the funds for the transaction failed to go through. “We just have to sit and wait,” he said, describing the situation as “ridiculous.”
Additionally, some customers have been unable to make payments to HMRC due to the technical glitches, potentially risking late fees for tax returns. HMRC, however, reassured taxpayers that penalties would not be imposed until March 1.
Barclays has faced similar issues in the past, with a widespread payment system failure affecting multiple UK banks last June. The Chartered Institute for IT has stressed the importance of resilient and secure banking systems, highlighting how deeply integrated digital services are into daily life.
In a statement, Barclays apologized for the ongoing issues and assured customers that the situation would be resolved as quickly as possible. “Customers should not try to make the payment again,” the spokesperson added.
