Monzo outage locks out thousands; some Santander users report issues today

Thousands of Monzo customers faced disruptions on Wednesday afternoon as a major technical outage prevented users from accessing their accounts or making transfers, with reports also surfacing of intermittent issues at Santander. The widespread problem with the popular digital bank began around midday on August 19, quickly generating thousands of user complaints on social media and through independent tracking sites.

According to outage tracker Downdetector, reports of problems with Monzo surged from a baseline of zero to over 3,000 by 1:05 p.m., with a peak of 3,246 reports logged earlier in the day. Users reported being unable to use the banking app or complete bank transfers, leading to immediate real-world consequences. One user described how a failed transfer left their 13-year-old child unable to order food at a card-only venue. Another customer reported their 16-year-old daughter was stranded on her first day at a new job because they could not send her emergency funds. Other complaints involved delayed rent payments, inability to buy petrol, and being unable to pay for lunch at a till.

Monzo publicly acknowledged the incident on social media, stating, "We're sorry for...