Monzo activates backup service as thousands report app outage

Monzo activates backup service as thousands report app outage

Monzo has activated a fully independent backup bank known as Monzo Stand-in after a technical glitch left thousands of customers unable to access the banking app or complete bank transfers on Wednesday, August 19.

The disruption began shortly before lunchtime, with Downdetector recording 2,701 reports at 12.51pm. The volume of complaints surged rapidly, reaching 3,052 reports at 12.55pm and continuing to climb. Reports peaked at 3,246 later in the afternoon.

Users attempting to log into the application encountered a warning message stating: We are experiencing issues. We’ll let you know when they are resolved. Other users were informed that the company was investigating a technical issue.

The outage caused significant disruption for customers. One user reported being stuck in Spain and unable to pay for transport, while another stated they could not access funds for petrol to get to work. On the social media platform X, one customer expressed concern over the three-hour outage because their rent was due that day. Other reports included a 16-year-old unable to receive money on her first day at a new job and a 13-year-old unable to order food at a card-only venue.

Despite the app failures, some functionality remained. Monzo informed users that balances and transactions might take longer to update in feeds and some app features would be unavailable, but that card payments should still work. One customer confirmed on X that they were able to use their Monzo card successfully while the app remained problematic. However, another user reported that their PIN had been blocked after they were unable to use the app.

In response to the failure, Monzo shifted operations to its backup system. A Monzo spokesman said:

"We’re currently experiencing a technical issue and are working to resolve this as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ve moved into our back-up system Monzo Stand-in and customers can still do most things on their Monzo app including sending bank transfers and making card payments and ATM withdrawals."

Monzo spokesman, via Standard

The company further clarified via X that the activation of Monzo Stand-in allows users to continue to withdraw cash, freeze cards, and send and receive bank transfers while a fix is rolled out to restore full service.

The instability persisted throughout the afternoon. While reports dropped to 1,526 at 3.11pm and 1,222 at 3.41pm, they edged back up to 1,488 by 3.57pm. By later in the afternoon, Downdetector showed approximately 1,891 reports, though the figure remained well below the earlier peak.

The disruption was not limited to Monzo. Downdetector recorded a spike in outage reports for Santander around midday on August 19. Reports for Santander reached 151 at 1.20pm, compared to a usual baseline of one.

Monzo has not yet confirmed the specific cause of the disruption or whether the issues have been fully resolved for all users. The company is currently rolling out a fix to return to full service.