Lloyds Bank and Halifax customers have become the latest to be hit by problems with their banking app after issues with Barclays over the weekend.
Customers of both companies – which are both part of the Lloyds Banking Group – reported issues with their banking apps this morning, with users claiming they have had issues making and receiving payments.
The issues come after a major outage hit Barclays on Friday and carried on into the weekend, which the bank said was a “technology issue” and left many customers unable to access funds or make payments.
According to service monitoring website Downdetector, issues for Lloyds and Halifax started at around 7am on Monday morning, with several hundred people reporting issues with the two apps.
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Lloyds has replied to customers raising concerns on social media.
In response to one customer on X, Lloyds said: “We know some customers are having issues making or receiving payments. We’re sorry for this and are working to have everything back to normal.”
Halifax posted an identical reply to customers who made direct complaints to its official account on social media.
In a further reply to one customer later on Monday morning, Lloyds said the issue appeared to be isolated to “receiving payments”.
“Please do not make the payment again. Customers can still use online banking, app and telephone banking as usual. We’re sorry for this and are working to have everything back to normal as soon as possible,” the bank said.
Hi, I'm Colin S. We know some customers are having issues receiving payments. Please do not make the payment again. Customers can still use online banking, our app & telephone banking as usual. We're sorry for this & are working to have everything back to normal.
— Lloyds (@LloydsBank) February 3, 2025
The latest glitches come at a time when many bank branches are poised to close.
Stephen Perkins, Managing Director at Yellow Brick Mortgages commented: "Recent banking issues are a stark reminder of our reliance on online banking and apps. Such incidents in an increasingly cash-less society can cause great damage to the most vulnerable in society, and disrupt business and the economy.
"With two banks disrupted in quick succession, you do wonder if this is purely coincidence or something more sinister."
Last week, Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to shut 136 more high street branches, as it accelerates plans to cut costs and digitise the bank.
It will close 61 Lloyds, 61 Halifax and 14 Bank of Scotland branches between May this year and March 2026.
The closure plan was announced weeks after Lloyds shook up its branch business to allow customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to use stores across any of its brands for in-person banking.
Dariusz Karpowicz, Director at Albion Financial Advice commented: "The banking sector appears to be stumbling through a technological rough patch, with Halifax experiencing widespread payment issues mere days after Barclays' significant service disruption.
Coming on the heels of the self-assessment tax deadline chaos, this latest banking breakdown has left customers and businesses in an increasingly precarious position. These consecutive failures in our major banking institutions raise serious questions about the resilience of our financial infrastructure in an increasingly digital economy.
While technological advancement has revolutionised banking convenience, these disruptions serve as a stark reminder of our systemic vulnerability - particularly concerning given the rapid shift towards a cashless society."
We know some customers are having issues receiving payments. We're sorry for this and are working to have everything back to normal. You'll see options for raising your concerns at: https://t.co/zowKGeDLyl. ^Will
— Halifax (@HalifaxBank) February 3, 2025
Keith Budden, Managing Director at Ensurety added: "It appears to be Lloyds as well being affected by this latest issue.
"While there is every likelihood that these latest issues are completely unrelated to Barclays severe issue at the end of last week, the conspiracy theorists will no doubt have their cookbooks out concocting all kinds of fresh recipes.
On a more serious note, these breaches do indicate the wisdom of not having all of your eggs in one basket - it can make sense to have an emergency credit card, or a deposit of some spare cash into an account of an unrelated bank. At least then, if an app problem does occur you can still put fuel in the car and food on the table."
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