What to do if…
your online banking shows a zero balance and you suspect a system outage

What to do now

1. Pause before acting. Your aim is to find out whether the zero balance is a display problem, a wider service outage, or a real account issue.
2. Record what you can see. Take screenshots of the zero balance, error messages, declined-payment messages, and any outage banner. Write down the time, date, device, app or browser, and whether you used Wi-Fi or mobile data.
3. Check an official bank source. Look in the banking app for a service message, type the bank’s website address yourself and look for a service-status page, or call the number on the back of your card. Use social media only to read posts from the bank’s official account; do not reply with account details or use direct messages for account help.
4. Compare with another trusted channel. Try telephone banking, an ATM balance enquiry, a branch, or a recent statement you already have. Treat this as a comparison check, not final proof, because a wider outage may affect more than one channel.
5. Contact the bank through a trusted route. Use the card number, the app, a statement, or the bank’s official website typed in yourself. Ask the bank to confirm:
   • your actual account balance;
   • whether the displayed balance and available balance are affected by a known outage;
   • whether card payments, Direct Debits, standing orders, or incoming payments are affected;
   • what they can do if fees, declined payments, or missed payments are caused by the outage.
6. Protect essentials due today. Pause non-essential spending until the bank confirms the real balance. If rent, mortgage, utility, childcare, tax, or loan payments may fail, contact the payee and say your bank access or payment service is affected; ask them to note the account and avoid late fees while you get confirmation.
7. If a Direct Debit was taken on the wrong date or for the wrong amount, ask your bank about the Direct Debit Guarantee. Say clearly that you believe there has been a Direct Debit error and you want to ask for a refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee.
8. If you see unfamiliar transactions, switch to possible-fraud steps. Tell the bank you suspect unauthorised activity, follow its instructions to secure the account, and only act on instructions received through verified bank channels.
9. If you are charged or lose money because of the outage, start a simple complaint trail. Keep screenshots, message copies, declined-payment notices, receipts, and names or times of calls. Ask the bank to refund or waive charges caused by the outage and to correct any adverse information it reported where it can. If the bank does not put it right, make a formal complaint to the bank and keep any final response letter or email. After the bank sends its final response, or if it does not reply within the applicable complaint timeframe, you can check whether the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to help; the exact response deadline depends on the type of complaint, and later time limits can apply.