A payday system crash has left customers unable to pay for things like their shopping
Barclays has pledged to ensure that no customer will be left ‘out of pocket’ following a system failure on payday that resulted in customers being unable to buy essentials like groceries. The glitch, which has left many without access to their funds for more than 24 hours, forced several customers to return shopping deliveries they couldn’t pay for and even left some struggling to feed their children.
The high street bank is facing a wave of criticism today after the issue, which began on Friday morning, staggered on. Problems have been reported on both the mobile banking app and online banking services, preventing payments and wage deposit checks.
DownDetector saw a spike in complaints about Barclays’ digital services, with over 3,000 reports in just a few hours, as users grappled with mobile banking glitches and internet banking access issues. The timing coincided with January payday for many UK workers, prompting a barrage of angry comments directed at Barclays support on social media platforms.
One distressed mother shared her plight on social media, saying, “My four-month-old is out of milk powder and screaming for a feed and I still haven’t been paid,” and revealed “I’ve been in tears for hours.”
Another customer expressed frustration, stating: “Due to you Barclays I’m left without money had a food shop due for delivery this morning which now will get cancelled, leave my four kids with no food it’s a joke as (it is) my money,” reports the Express.
An upset customer voiced their concern, saying: “How can I eat and keep warm if I can’t get to my funds? ” Another fumed: “Well I’ve just had to put all my shopping back in Tesco never been so embarrassed in my life .. as can’t access my own money.”
Barclays issued an apologetic statement on Saturday regarding the incident: “We’re incredibly sorry for the ongoing technical issues that are impacting our customers’ accounts. Some may see an outdated balance, and payments made or received may not show.
“We’re working hard to fix this issue, and customers should not try to make the payment again. Customers can use their cards and withdraw cash, and as soon as these remaining issues are resolved, we’ll let our customers know.
“We will ensure that no impacted customer is left out of pocket.”
Barclays issued several apologies on social media to customers. In response to one customer on X, the bank said: “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience caused.
“We’re having some problems with our systems today and you may have trouble using some features in our app, online banking as well as payments in and out of your accounts.” Another post to a customer from the Barclays customer support account on Saturday morning said: “I can only apologise for the ongoing issue that you are facing. I can assure you that we’re working on getting this fixed just as soon as we can.”
