Barclays Outage Leaves Customers Without Access for 24 Hours

On Friday, January 31, 2025, Barclays experienced a significant technical outage that left many customers unable to access their accounts for nearly 24 hours. The disruption affected online banking, mobile app services, and payment systems, causing widespread inconvenience.

The timing of the outage was particularly problematic, coinciding with HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) deadline for self-assessment tax returns and payday for numerous workers. Many customers reported issues such as missing funds and interrupted banking services. Some expressed their frustration on social media, highlighting difficulties in accessing their money for essential needs.

Barclays acknowledged the problem, stating they were “currently facing intermittent errors” with their payment system and were “working to fix this as quickly as possible.” The bank assured customers that card payments and cash withdrawals remained functional during the outage. They also emphasized that no customer would be financially disadvantaged due to the incident and confirmed direct communication with HMRC to prevent any late payment penalties.

As of Saturday, February 1, 2025, Barclays reported that the technical issues had been resolved. The bank apologized for the inconvenience caused and assured customers that they are taking measures to prevent such incidents in the future.