Thousands of NatWest customers have been left unable to access their funds after a major outage hit the bank’s mobile app.
The issue, which began shortly after 9am, has caused widespread disruption, preventing users from making payments or logging into their accounts.
According to Downdetector, the number of reported issues quickly rose to over 3,000 as users took to social media to report being locked out of the app. Many have received a connection error message stating that the bank is unable to establish a secure link with their device.
Frustrated customers have shared their concerns online, with some saying they’ve been unable to pay for shopping or travel to urgent medical appointments due to the outage.
One user wrote that they were left embarrassed at the checkout, while another expressed anger over missing a time-sensitive appointment because they couldn’t access their funds.
NatWest has acknowledged the issue on its official service status page, stating that a number of customers are experiencing login problems with the mobile app. The bank apologised for the disruption and said technical teams are working to restore services as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, customers are being advised to use NatWest’s online banking platform as an alternative method of accessing their accounts.
Around 9% of the complaints submitted to Downdetector also relate to online banking, suggesting that some users are experiencing difficulties beyond just the app.
This incident comes at a time when digital banking reliability is under increasing scrutiny, as more people depend on mobile platforms for everyday transactions.
