NatWest Online Banking Going Down: History, Causes, Number of Affected Users, Response And Everything To Know
On May 28, 2024, NatWest, one of the major high street banks in the United Kingdom, experienced an unexpected online banking and mobile app outage. As many as 10 million customers were affected by this disruption. Let’s delve into the details of what happened, the response, and the potential implications.
Date and Duration:
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- On May 28, 2024, NatWest experienced an outage that affected both its online banking platform and mobile app.
The Outage
- Between 5:40 am and 9:30 am, retail and business customers attempting to log into the NatWest online banking portal or mobile app were greeted with an error message.
- The issue also prevented instant access to current and savings accounts.
- Users encountered a message stating: “Something went wrong,” followed by: “We’re sorry, some kind of error has occurred when trying to establish a connection between your device and ourselves.”
- The bank’s digital services were temporarily down, causing inconvenience for customers.
Affected Users:
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- As many as 10 million users may have been impacted by the outage.
- Customers reported issues with logging into the app and online banking, preventing them from checking balances or transferring money.
Response and Apology:
- NatWest is currently undergoing a major digital transition.
- Despite this transition, other NatWest Group brands, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, remained unaffected by the recent outage.
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- NatWest promptly acknowledged the issue and apologized to customers.
- The bank advised affected customers to use telephone banking services or visit branches and ATMs for essential transactions.
- Debit and credit cards remained functional for payments and also cash withdrawals.
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- While the immediate impact was inconvenience, the outage highlights the importance of reliable digital banking services.
- NatWest’s response and transparency during the incident are crucial for maintaining customer trust.