Metro Bank customers across Britain were thrown into financial uncertainty on Tuesday as a significant system failure left many unable to access their accounts or view accurate balances.
The digital disruption, which began affecting customers in the morning, rendered both the mobile banking app and online banking portal virtually unusable for hours. Frustrated account holders took to social media to report zero balances, missing transactions, and failed payments.
Customer Accounts Show Alarming Zero Balances
One concerned customer reported: "Logged into Metro Bank app to see my balance is £0.00 and no transactions showing. This is extremely worrying." Another stated they were unable to pay for essential shopping due to the outage, highlighting the real-world consequences of the technical failure.
The banking institution acknowledged the problems around midday, attributing them to "a technical issue" affecting their digital services. In a statement, Metro Bank advised customers: "We're aware some customers are having problems with our online banking and app services. Our IT team are working hard to fix this."
Payment Chaos and Growing Customer Anxiety
As the day progressed, reports flooded in from customers unable to make crucial payments including bills, direct debits, and card transactions. The timing proved particularly problematic for those attempting to make time-sensitive payments or manage their daily finances.
Many customers expressed frustration at the lack of specific information about when services would be fully restored. The incident raises fresh questions about the reliability of digital banking infrastructure and the contingency plans in place when such failures occur.
Bank's Response and Service Restoration
Metro Bank confirmed they were working urgently to resolve the problem but provided no detailed explanation for the root cause of the system collapse. By late afternoon, the bank reported that services were gradually being restored, though some customers continued to experience intermittent issues.
This incident represents another challenge for Metro Bank, which has faced various operational difficulties in recent years. Customers have been advised to monitor the bank's official social media channels for further updates on the situation.
