March 06, 2025
Santander Bank Systems Crash, Leaving Millions Unable to Make Payments
In a troubling development, Santander Bank's systems have crashed, leaving millions of customers unable to make payments or access their accounts. The outage, which began around 12:30 PM today, has affected a wide range of services, including mobile banking, telephone banking, and card payments. Customers have reported being unable to log in to their accounts or complete transactions, causing significant disruption and frustration.
The incident comes on the heels of a similar issue faced by Barclays, which was recently ordered to pay up to £12.5 million in compensation for a series of IT outages over the past two years. Barclays' most recent outage, which occurred at the end of January 2025, left customers unable to access their funds on payday and the deadline for self-assessment tax returns.
Santander has acknowledged the issue and is working to resolve it as quickly as possible. In a statement, the bank said, "We are aware that some customers are currently unable to access some of our services, and we are very sorry for the inconvenience this is causing. We are working hard to fix the problem and will provide updates as soon as possible."
The outage has sparked concerns about the reliability of banking systems in the UK, with many customers expressing their frustration on social media. "I can't believe this is happening again," one customer tweeted. "First Barclays, now Santander. How are we supposed to trust our banks if we can't even access our money?"
The Treasury Committee has been investigating IT failures across major UK banks and recently revealed that nine of the top banks and building societies experienced more than 33 days of unplanned outages over the past two years. The committee is examining the root causes of these failures and the steps banks are taking to prevent them.
Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, emphasized the importance of reliable banking services. "For families and individuals, losing access to banking services can be a terrifying experience. Banks must ensure their systems are robust and reliable to maintain customer trust and confidence."
As Santander works to restore its services, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of robust IT infrastructure in the banking sector. Customers and regulators alike will be watching closely to see how the bank addresses the issue and compensates those affected.
