London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 15, 2026

Santander banking services working again after day of technical problems

Santander banking services working again after day of technical problems

Santander has said all of its services are now working as normal, after widespread problems left customers unable to access their money.

For much of Saturday, a technical problem affected Santander's services

On Saturday the bank's online banking and app stopped working and there were also issues in branches and with cards, cash machines and telephone banking.

Customers called it a "nightmare", with people unable to pay for petrol to get to work and payments being rejected.

The bank apologised and promised "no one will be out of pocket".

The problems began on Saturday morning and lasted much of the day until about 21:15 BST when Santander tweeted that all of its services were running again as normal.

However, some customers replied to Santander's tweet saying they were still having problems - including the app still not working, transactions not showing or being unable to use cards online.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience you've experienced today," said the bank, which has 14 million active UK customers.

"If you need help, some of our branches will be open on Sunday from 10am to 12pm. We'll publish a list of these tomorrow."

Earlier, the bank said it will share details on its website and social media channels from Monday about how impacted customers can make a claim.

'An absolute nightmare'


The problems on Saturday left many people stuck in difficulty after they were unable to make payments.

One customer, Marcus Evans from Aberdare in south Wales, told the BBC he had lost a day's wages as he could not buy petrol to travel to his job as a CCTV operator.

"It's been an absolute nightmare," said the former member of the Armed Forces, who also said he could not do his weekly shop. "It's ridiculous.

"I get my military pension and my wages paid into a Co-operative savings account and I transfer money on a weekly basis into my Santander account."

Mr Evans said Santander "should have things in place to ensure that this doesn't happen"

Samantha Stewart said she had travelled all the way from her rural home in Argyll to the mainland to go shopping with her mother, when she realised she could not access her money.

"It wasn't until I was in the first store that I'd tried to log on," she said. "I was wanting to transfer money from savings over to my account because I was planning to do quite a big shop.

"Essentially I was left with £27 in my account. I had to decide whether to chance it with Apple Pay, knowing that it would take me into unarranged overdraft, or to go home."

Meanwhile, Stephen Curtis, 58, from Gloucester, said he was "definitely leaving the bank" after the problems.

'Unforgivable'


He said he was in a car showroom trying to buy a new car when his card was declined. "It was so embarrassing," he said.

"This is unforgivable. I work in IT, I know about systems, I know about backups and upgrades. To have this happen, I would get the sack if it happened in my job."

Another customer, Jason Crossland, from Rotherham, told the BBC he became stuck in an outlet shopping centre with his children, unable to buy enough petrol to get home.

The head of money at consumer magazine Which? said the technical issues would have left many customers stressed.

"Customers can incur fines, penalties and fees when they're not able to access their finances, so the bank must offer compensation to all those who have been impacted in this way," said Gareth Shaw.

On Saturday evening, shortly before the problem was fixed, the UK's financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, said it was aware of the issue and in contact with the firm.

It is not yet clear what caused the problem. Planned maintenance had been due to be performed on the Santander mobile banking app overnight on Friday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Visit Draws Mixed Reaction From Local Communities
Trump Calls on France and UK to Help Safeguard Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Boris Johnson Labels Bitcoin a ‘Ponzi Scheme’, Sparking Debate in Crypto World
UK Considers Targeted Aid for Vulnerable Households as Energy Costs Rise
Stellantis Urges Immediate Review of UK Electric Vehicle Sales Targets
Home Office Reverses Course to Allow Some Dual Nationals to Enter UK Using EU Passports
Reform UK Proposes Replacing Top Civil Servants With Officials Aligned to Government Agenda
Netflix Adds Critically Acclaimed ‘Best Film of 2025’ With Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
‘The Sums Don’t Add Up’: UK Farmers Hit by Soaring Costs as Iran War Disrupts Global Supplies
Confidential UK Biobank Health Records Found Online After Researchers Accidentally Expose Data
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
×