Global IT failure causes massive disruption to payment systems and travel
Banks, trains, planes, shops, schools and healthcare have all been hit by a global IT outage (Friday 19 July).
What’s affected?
A range of industries have been impacted meaning you might have problems paying for certain services and can't access others.
Airlines
Today was expected to be the busiest day for UK departures, but more than 1,000 flights have been cancelled worldwide so far and this number is expected to grow
Find out your rights if your flight has been delayed or cancelled.
Banks and building societies
The following banks have confirmed issues:
- Santander – says contactless, chip and PIN, ATMs and online banking are all affected
- Metro Bank – says it’s having problems with payment services, including sending and receiving money
NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, Lloyds’ and Barclays’ customers have reported issues although they say the outage ‘isn’t affecting them’.
Schoolcomms
The parent app used to pay schools, order dinners and book kids into after-school clubs is down. They’ve apologised to customers on X.
Trains
National Rail says there are delays and cancellations across the network, affecting Avanti West Coast, c2c, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, Lumo, Merseyrail, Northern, Southern, Thameslink, Transport for Wales and TransPennine Express.
Find out your rights if your train journey is delayed or cancelled.
Pharmacies
Pharmacies have said they can’t access prescriptions but we don’t know if you’ll have any problems paying for them. Take cash and expect long delays if you’re picking up a prescription. The UK’s National Pharmacy Association has raised the issue with NHS England and has asked for people to “be patient”.
Shops, including cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets and pubs
Shoppers have reported contactless payments being declined, though chip and PIN seems to be working in some places. We wouldn’t rely on chip and PIN working though, and lots of places are currently only accepting cash – make sure you’ve got some on you to avoid being caught out.
What’s caused the global outage?
The problem began after an update to Windows by third-party cyber-security firm Crowdstrike. Mac and Linux systems aren’t affected.
Crowdstrike has since issued a statement saying the issue has been “identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed”.
Michelle Kight
Michelle is a qualified journalist who spent over seven years writing for her local online newspaper. Having grown up in some of the North West’s most deprived areas, she has a first-hand and empathetic understanding of what it means to face serious money worries. With a strong interest in mental health issues, she is a keen advocate of boosting the accessibility of financial wellness services.
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