Tesco Bank tech problems block users from accounts

Tesco

A glitch at Tesco Bank left one in 20 customers unable to access their online accounts yesterday.

The technical issue affected current accounts, savings accounts, and loans both online and using the Tesco Bank mobile app, although the company hasn't yet revealed what caused the hiccup.

Any bank-based transactions - such as paying standing orders or direct debits weren't affected and the majority of customers were able to make debit and credit card payments.

Transfers from one account to another could not be completed online, but Tesco Bank said any customers wishing to transfer money could do so by phoning customer services instead.

A spokesperson for Tesco Bank said: "We are aware that some of our customers are currently unable to view their accounts in online banking. We are working hard to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

"Customers can still continue to use their accounts as normal and can contact us by phone if they need any help with their account. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience."

Although it's the first reported incident for Tesco Bank, many others over the years have suffered with outages, with the most high-profile being the RBS group in 2012, which prevented customers from accessing money from cash points or paying for goods with their debit and credit cards.

In November, it was announced RBS would have to pay a record breaking fine for the inconvenience it caused. The outage was blamed on a software update that went wrong and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said this could have been prevented if the company had updated its system in a controlled environment.

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.