Thousands of Australians were left frustrated and financially stranded as Westpac and St George Bank suffered major outages, disrupting access to online banking services for the second day in a row. The outages affected customers’ ability to use mobile apps and online platforms, leaving many unable to access their funds or complete essential transactions.
Second Consecutive Day of Disruptions
Complaints flooded Downdetector, with nearly 3000 reports about the outage by 2:15 pm on Tuesday alone. Customers vented their anger on social media, reporting that they were locked out of both the Westpac and St George banking apps, leading to chaos for individuals and businesses alike.
- Outage Timeline:
- Monday: Initial outage reported; services were later “restored.”
- Tuesday: Services disrupted again around afternoon; complaints spiked on Downdetector.
Despite assurances that the issue had been resolved after the first incident, Westpac and St George, a member of the Westpac Group, found themselves facing a second wave of disruptions, further fueling customer frustration.
Westpac’s Response:
“Our online and mobile banking services have now been restored. We apologise for the disruption this afternoon and thank you for your patience during this time.”
Businesses and Customers Bear the Brunt
The outage not only affected individual customers but also business owners, many of whom expressed concerns about being unable to pay employees or suppliers. For many Australians, the disruptions were more than just an inconvenience—they posed a direct threat to their financial operations.
Customers shared their frustrations online:
- “I can’t pay for groceries or petrol!” one user wrote on Twitter.
- “As a business owner, I need access to pay wages—this is unacceptable.”
For two days, Australians who rely heavily on digital banking services for essential transactions were left scrambling to find alternatives.
Complaints Surge as Banks Restore Services
Westpac acknowledged the disruption in a statement but did not provide an explanation for the repeated outage. By late Tuesday afternoon, the bank claimed to have restored its systems, but the damage to customer confidence may take longer to repair.
St George Bank, which operates under the Westpac Group, also experienced the same issues, with over 200 complaints logged on Downdetector. Like Westpac, St George apologised to customers through its social media channels, thanking them for their patience during the disruptions.
| Bank | Number of Complaints on Downdetector |
|---|---|
| Westpac | 7000 (Monday) + 3000 (Tuesday) |
| St George | 200 (Tuesday) |
These back-to-back outages highlight the increasing reliance on online banking systems, which, when they fail, leave customers without critical access to their money.
