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uk Money & financial emergencies bank app down • online banking down • banking website not working • cannot make a payment • urgent bank transfer • time critical payment due • payment due today • rent due today • mortgage payment due today • bill payment deadline • bank transfer stuck • faster payment failed • payment pending too long • chaps payment needed • can’t access account • bank outage • unable to send money • missed payment risk • transfer deadline today

What to do if…
your bank’s app and website are down and you cannot make a time-critical payment

Short answer

Use your bank’s telephone banking or a branch to ask them to make the payment for you using the fastest appropriate method. At the same time, contact the person/company you’re paying to ask for a short hold and to confirm their official alternative ways to pay.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t keep retrying the same payment over and over — you could trigger duplicate payments when systems recover.
  • Don’t cancel a Direct Debit/standing order in a panic (or you may accidentally guarantee a missed payment).
  • Don’t accept “new bank details” sent by text/email/social media “because systems are down” — treat that as a scam until verified via the payee’s official channels.
  • Don’t share passcodes, card PINs, one-time codes, or full security answers with anyone (including someone who calls you unexpectedly).
  • Don’t move money to a “safe account” because someone says there’s a problem — your bank will not ask you to do that.
  • Don’t take out high-cost credit in a panic (or agree to new repayment plans) until you’ve tried the bank’s offline options.

What to do now

  1. Pin down the deadline and the “must-have” details.
    Write down: exact due time/date, amount, payee name, and any reference you must include (invoice number, account reference, solicitor ref, etc.).
  2. Check whether this payment is already scheduled automatically.
    If it’s normally paid by Direct Debit or a standing order, the outage may not stop it — and cancelling it can create a bigger problem. If you’re unsure, ask the bank by phone or in-branch to confirm what’s scheduled.
  3. Call your bank using a trusted number and ask them to make the payment offline.
    Use the number on the back of your card or the bank’s official “contact us” page (not a number from a text or social media). Say:
    • “My app/online banking is down and I have a time-critical payment due by [time/date]. Can you make this payment for me now?”
    • Ask what method they will use today (for example Faster Payments, or if it genuinely must arrive same working day, whether a CHAPS payment is needed and possible).
    • If it’s late in the day, ask about bank cut-off times and what they can still execute in time.
  4. If phone banking can’t complete it, go to a branch with ID (if you can).
    Ask them to process the payment in-branch and to tell you what method was used. Ask for any confirmation/receipt/reference they can provide.
  5. Contact the payee immediately to buy time and prevent penalties.
    Tell them there’s a bank service outage and you’re actively trying to pay via phone/branch. Ask:
    • for a short hold on late fees/penalties while you complete payment, and
    • what their official alternative payment channels are (for example: card payment by phone, an official payment portal, or other options shown on their statement/official website).
  6. If you can pay from another account you control, do it — but only using verified details.
    For example, paying from a different UK bank account you own or a joint account. Do not use “new” account details provided unexpectedly.
  7. Create a paper trail now (it helps if fees need reversing later).
    Screenshot error messages and service-status messages, note timestamps, and keep a call log (date/time, who you spoke to, what they said).

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether to switch banks or change how you pay bills long-term.
  • You do not need to write a full complaint right now; first get the payment made (or a hold agreed) and save your notes.
  • You do not need to escalate externally today. Typically you complain to the bank first, and if it isn’t resolved you can usually take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service after the bank’s final response or after 8 weeks.

Important reassurance

This is a common, fixable situation: even when apps/websites fail, many banks can still process urgent payments through telephone banking or in a branch. If you contact the payee early and can show you tried to pay on time, many will pause penalties while the outage is resolved.

Scope note

These are first steps only — focused on avoiding duplicate payments, preventing scams, and getting the urgent payment made (or paused) safely. Later follow-up may involve complaints and recovering fees.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, financial, or banking advice. Payment methods and cut-off times vary by bank and by payment type. If missing the payment could trigger serious consequences (for example eviction action, repossession steps, court deadlines, or loss of a house purchase), consider getting specialist help promptly while you continue using the bank’s offline payment routes.

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