Thousands of customers of the banking giant HSBC and its subsidiary First Direct were left frustrated and unable to manage their finances on Tuesday following a major technical outage.
The widespread disruption locked users out of their online banking portals and mobile apps, preventing them from checking balances, making payments, and accessing other critical services. The issue began in the morning and persisted for several hours, sparking a flood of complaints on social media platforms.
Customer Frustration Boils Over on Social Media
Affected customers quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to report the problems, many receiving an cryptic 'ERR03' error message when attempting to log in. The official support accounts for both HSBC UK and First Direct were inundated with queries from angry and concerned users seeking answers.
One user complained about being unable to pay a builder, while others expressed anxiety over not being able to verify their account status or complete urgent transactions.
The Bank's Response
In response to the mounting pressure, an HSBC UK spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating: "We're aware that some customers are having issues accessing personal online and mobile banking. We're urgently investigating and are very sorry for any inconvenience."
The bank confirmed the problem was related to a technical glitch within its systems and not the result of any malicious cyber activity. Their teams worked throughout the incident to identify the root cause and restore full service as quickly as possible.
A Pattern of Problems?
This incident raises questions about the resilience of digital banking infrastructure, especially for large institutions like HSBC. While occasional outages are inevitable in complex tech systems, customers increasingly expect seamless, 24/7 access to their money. Such disruptions can erode trust and highlight the vulnerabilities of a fully digital financial system.
For now, service has been restored, but many customers will be hoping for a more stable service from one of the UK's largest banks.
