NatWest fixes issues which left customers unable to use mobile app
6 June 2025, 17:14
The bank said its app was back up and running and apologised to users who were unable to view or make payments.
NatWest’s mobile app is back up and running after service issues left its customers unable to log in for several hours on Friday.
The bank said it had fixed the problems and apologised to users who were unable to view or make payments.
A spokeswoman for the bank said: “NatWest customers experienced difficulty accessing our mobile app today.
“We have resolved the issues causing this and customers are now able to log in and make payments as normal.
“We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”
More than 3,000 outages were reported through services monitoring site Downdetector at about 10am on Friday.
And many more could have been affected by the outage across the approximately ten million customers who use the mobile app to access their bank accounts every day.
Disgruntled customers took to social media site X to express their frustration over the outage, which has left them unable to send or receive money through the app.
Several users said they could not pay bills, send wages or transfer funds between accounts on Friday morning.
NatWest reassured customers the issue stemmed from an update it made to the app on Thursday, after some customers raised concerns over recent major cyber hacks affecting Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.
It also urged people to use online or telephone banking, or visit a branch, while it was trying to fix the issues.
High street banks have been in the firing line over a string of outages that have affected customers, particularly around the end of month when it is typically pay day for many households.
Data gathered by the Treasury Committee in March found there had been more than 33 days’ worth of unplanned tech and system outages in the last two years for nine of the UK’s biggest banks and building societies.
NatWest had 13 “material” incidents between 2023 and 2025, paying nearly £350,000 in compensation for customers who complained, it told the committee.
Barclays said it could pay up to £12.5 million in compensation for millions of customers affected over the period.
Common reasons given for the incidents include problems with third-party suppliers, disruption caused when systems were changed, and internal software malfunctions.
Jenny Ross, money editor for consumer champion Which?, said: “Banks are encouraging more and more of us to rely on apps to do our essential banking, so when these go down it can be devastating.
“In the worst cases there’s a risk that impacted NatWest customers may miss important bill payments, find themselves unable to pay for essential services or risk going overdrawn – issues which could come with knock-on effects like late payment or overdraft penalties, or affect their ability to get credit or borrow money.
“NatWest must ensure customers are kept updated and are swiftly compensated where appropriate.
“Anyone affected should keep evidence of impacted payments in case they need to make a claim, and if you think you’ll be unable to pay a bill, contact the company involved as soon as possible to ensure they’re aware and waive any late payment fees.”
