On Tuesday, Barclays' banking app experienced a significant IT system outage, disrupting the services for approximately 1,200 customers. The bank's official handle, Barclays UK Help, confirmed the issue and issued an apology through social media. As more bank branches are closing, the importance of online access is becoming increasingly critical.
Over 2,000 customers reported the outage on DownDetector starting around 10am. Users expressed their frustrations on X (formerly Twitter), with complaints about inaccessible mobile and online banking, PC access, and a non-functioning "message me when fixed" function on Barclays' system status page. One customer urgently needed to transfer money while another stated, "We expect better Barclays!". Barclays assured they were addressing high call volumes to their telephone banking service while working on resolving the issue.
The disruption led to "account balance blips" and a "spinning wheel of doom", as reported by affected customers. Barclays UK Help informed customers that they could check the service status on Barclays' website, Down Detector, or via the Barclays and Barclaycard apps. The bank also confirmed that card and ATM services remained unaffected during the outage.
While there is no standard compensation scheme for such outages, customers who incurred costs or whose credit rating was affected could potentially claim compensation. This could include any late payment fees resulting from the disruption. Customers can lodge formal complaints with Barclays, and if unsatisfied with the response, they can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS can instruct the bank to reimburse any fees, charges or fines incurred due to the outage based on the evidence presented.
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