HSBC UK’s users were unable to access online and mobile banking on Black Friday
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The UK users of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) recently found themselves unable to access online and mobile banking services.
We understand some customers are having trouble accessing banking services as usual right now.
We're investigating this as a matter of urgency and will share an update as soon as possible.
— HSBC UK (@HSBC_UK) November 24, 2023
Online and mobile banking out on Black Friday
The timing of the incident was also unfortunate, as it happened on Friday, November 24, preventing the users from authorizing online card purchases on Black Friday. The situation caused outrage among customers who started calling the bank with complaints at 07:00 GMT.
In mere hours, the bank received thousands of complaints about issues, with thousands more on the Downdetector website.
HSBC finally made a public announcement on X around 11:00 on the same day, apologizing for the state of its service and the impact on its consumers. The bank acknowledged the disruption to its online and mobile banking, stating that, if users are not able to make online card purchases using the app, they can opt for a one-time passcode via SMS.
We’re really sorry if you’re impacted by a disruption to Online and Mobile Banking right now. If you’re not able to authorise an online card purchase via the app, you can opt for a one time passcode via SMS. We’ll share updates here.
— HSBC UK (@HSBC_UK) November 24, 2023
HSBC added that it would share any updates regarding the situation on its social media, but as of 13:20, no further updates have arrived. HSBC simply said that it has experienced an internal system issue, and that it is working on resolving it.
The bank then posted another announcement at 7 PM GMT, stating that it understood that it is Friday night and that some of its users would be heading out. It reassured them that debit and credit cards, as well as contactless payments, are all working normally.
7pm Update: We know it’s Friday night and some of you will be heading out. Rest assured that debit and credit cards, as well as contactless are working as normal, and you can check your balance at an ATM. We're working hard to get a fix in place for mobile and online banking.
— HSBC UK (@HSBC_UK) November 24, 2023
It also said that users can check their balances on ATMs. Meanwhile, its staff is working on getting a fix that would resolve issues with mobile and online banking.
Online and mobile banking restored
With complaints from the users continuing to arrive, the bank posted several more announcements, including the one at 8 pm GMT, which said: “8pm Service Update: We’re still working on a fix for personal mobile and online banking. We understand this is frustrating, and are really sorry. Please rest assured that debit and credit cards are working as normal. We’ll continue to share updates here.”
Finally, at 11 pm GMT, the company said that online and mobile banking services are getting back up and running, once again apologizing for the inconvenience. This was followed by another update at 9 AM GMT on Saturday morning, confirming once more that online and mobile banking have been fully restored.
9am Service Update: Online and Mobile Banking services are back up and running following an earlier disruption to service but some services maybe slower as customers log in. We’re really sorry to those impacted and we’ll continue to monitor systems closely.
— HSBC UK (@HSBC_UK) November 25, 2023
HSBC UK also warned users that scammers might try to take advantage of the event and potentially trick users into sending their money to “safe accounts,” or try to get them to share security details.
