A widespread outage hit mobile apps for Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland just as millions of Britons were expecting to be paid, causing panic, frustration and disruption on one of the busiest financial days of the month.
The crash happened in the early hours of the UK's primary payday, leaving many customers unable to access wages, transfer funds or complete urgent transactions. The incident also disrupted overseas travellers who relied on app-based banking for bookings and emergency payments.
Outage Hits as Wages Drop Into Accounts
Frustration mounted as the outage peaked around 5am, just as salaries were being deposited. According to The Scottish Sun, hundreds of users reported issues through monitoring service DownDetector. Lloyds Bank received 786 reports, Halifax logged 447, and Bank of Scotland registered 91.
App users experienced login errors, repeated crashes and sudden logouts following a recent update. Many found themselves locked out at the worst possible time, when bills were due and wages had just arrived.
Lloyds Bank acknowledged the problem in a message on X, formerly Twitter, as cited by The Independent: 'Sorry about this. Some customers are having issues with our app right now. Bear with us as we fix this.'
Halifax advised users to 'wait a few extra moments or give logging on another try,' while Bank of Scotland issued a similar message. Social media quickly filled with complaints, with one user asking: 'Why is your app crashing every time I open it?'
Payday Transfers Blocked Amid Technical Glitches
Customers voiced concern over missing wages and the inability to move funds to cover rent, bills or savings. Many noted that essential transactions, such as standing orders or utility payments, failed to go through.
Lloyds confirmed in a separate statement that more customers have recently been shifting money from current to savings accounts. This trend made the timing of the outage particularly disruptive. Many were left unable to manage their money or pay urgent expenses.
British Travellers Left Stranded Abroad
The mobile app failure also affected British travellers, some of whom were stranded overseas while attempting to manage accounts from abroad. According to Travel and Tour World, individuals trying to book accommodation or access emergency funds encountered declined payments and stalled transfers.
With limited access to in-person banking, some reported being caught off guard while on business trips or holidays. For those relying solely on their mobile apps, the disruption exposed serious gaps in digital infrastructure.
One international banking report described the event as a stress test for the global shift toward online banking, noting the vulnerability it exposed among digital-first users.
No Official Explanation Yet for Widespread Disruption
As of now, the banks involved have not provided a clear explanation for the outage. While some users linked the failure to a recent update in the Bank of Scotland's app, the disruption also affected Lloyds and Halifax, indicating a broader technical issue.
So far, the banks have only acknowledged the severity of the issue and said their teams are actively working on a fix. No timeline has been offered for full restoration of service.
This latest incident adds to a series of recent tech failures involving major UK banks, including previous outages at HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland. The episode has reignited concerns about the resilience and reliability of digital banking systems.
What Affected Customers Can Do Next
Customers still experiencing issues are advised to try logging in again after a short wait. Both Halifax and Bank of Scotland have suggested retrying after several minutes. In the meantime, desktop online banking via the banks' websites remains the recommended alternative.
Those facing urgent needs, such as missed payments or delayed transfers, are encouraged to contact the banks' customer service hotlines directly. Users may also be eligible for compensation if they have suffered financial loss or inconvenience due to the outage.
For ongoing updates, customers should monitor official bank accounts on social media. With technical teams still working on repairs, further guidance is expected to follow shortly.
