National Bank of Canada Outage: Online Banking, ABMs, and Card Services Affected
Customers of the National Bank of Canada are currently experiencing widespread service disruptions due to a significant internal technical issue. The outage, which began early in the day, has impacted a wide range of the bank’s core services, leaving many customers unable to access their accounts or perform essential transactions.
The bank has confirmed that the disruption is due to an internal technical problem and has been clear in stating that it is not the result of a cyberattack. This distinction is crucial, as customer data and funds remain secure, though temporarily inaccessible through the usual channels.
Which Services Are Currently Down?
The technical problems have created a cascading effect across the bank’s platforms. If you are a National Bank customer, you may be unable to use the following services:
- Online and Mobile Banking: Access to the bank’s website and mobile app is either unavailable or extremely intermittent. This prevents customers from checking balances, paying bills, or making e-Transfers.
- ABM / ATM Network: Many of the bank’s automated banking machines are not operational, limiting cash withdrawals and deposits.
- Credit and Debit Card Transactions: Some point-of-sale transactions using National Bank credit and debit cards are reportedly failing.
- National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB): The online trading platform is also down, preventing investors from accessing their portfolios or making trades.
- Branch Services: While branches remain open, services may be slow or limited due to the reliance on the same internal systems.
- Customer Service Call Centers: Call centers are experiencing extremely high call volumes, leading to long wait times for customers seeking information.
What to Do During the Service Disruption
While the bank’s technical teams work to resolve the issue, this situation highlights the importance of having a plan for banking outages. Here are some actionable steps you can take:
- Monitor Official Channels: For the most accurate updates, check the National Bank of Canada’s official social media accounts. Avoid relying on rumors or third-party speculation.
- Have a Backup Payment Method: It’s always wise to have a secondary payment option, such as a credit card from a different financial institution or a small amount of cash on hand for emergencies.
- Postpone Non-Urgent Transactions: If your banking needs are not time-sensitive, it is best to wait until the system is fully restored to avoid errors or further complications.
- Keep a Record of Incurred Fees: If the outage causes you to miss a payment or incur a fee (such as an NSF fee), document it. The National Bank has publicly stated it will reimburse clients for any fees incurred as a direct result of this technical failure.
The bank has apologized for the major inconvenience caused by the outage and assures customers that resolving the issue is its top priority. No estimated time for full service restoration has been provided yet. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/national-bank-of-canada-online-systems-down-due-to-technical-issue/
