UK’s biggest credit card provider extends payments after huge Barclays outage

A CREDIT card provider has given customers an extra two days to make payments following last week's Barclays outage. Barclaycard confirmed the move to The Sun but said the issue reported over the weekend had been resolved. Thousands of people were left unable to log into their Barclays banking app or use internet banking services during the major outage. Customers were left fuming as many were unable to pay bills or check if their salary had been paid into their account.

The outage affected customers on Friday and Saturday, with the bank saying the issue had been resolved on Sunday. But some customers said payments were missing from their accounts or their balances were still incorrect even days later. The bank told The Sun at the time that although the issue had been fixed, account balances might take longer to update. Barclays has said all payments are now being processed as normal.

"Customers can use our app, bank online, call us, use their cards and withdraw cash," a spokesperson said. "We are working on bringing balances up to date for some of our customers and addressing any outstanding issues. "We are very sorry for any disruption and will ensure that no impacted customer is left out of pocket. Our call centres and branches are open and we will be proactively contacting customers who may be vulnerable.".

Barclays is giving customers more time to make their credit card payments as not paying on time can impact your credit score. If you pay late or less than the minimum amount, a negative mark is added to your credit file. This can mean you're less likely to be accepted if you apply for other products as other companies can see you've missed a payment. You also might not qualify for the cheapest deals. As well as this, you'll usually need to pay a late fee and might lose any special deals, such as a low interest rate or may have to pay interest on the remaining balance.

During last week's disruption, service outage tracker DownDetector reported that over 5,038 individuals experienced issues with Barclays' online services. More than half of the reported problems - over 50% - were linked to difficulties with mobile banking. Some 42% of users reported trouble accessing internet banking, while others highlighted issues with checking their balances and processing payments.

IF you can't access your money and you need to urgently, here's what to do:. Unlike phone companies, banks do not have to pay compensation to customers if there has been a drop in service. However you'll be likely to get your money back if you have incurred extra costs as a result of service issues. For example, if a bill payment does not go through because of the outage and you are charged a fee for missing it, you should be able to claim the money back.

Make sure you keep a record if you receive a late payment fee and your credit rating is affected by the service outage. You should gather evidence of the issue so you can make a formal complaint to your bank directly. If you speak to anyone to try and resolve the issue then write down their name and when you spoke to them, what you talked about and what they advised you to do. You can find more information about how to complain on the Barclays website.

Not using a credit card effectively can wreak havoc on your finances and your credit score. If you don't keep up with repayments or default on your debt, you are likely to get a black mark on your credit record, which could affect your ability to get a credit card, loan or mortgage in the future. It's important not to let yourself get sucked into overspending. You should always clear the full balance as soon as possible.

If you have a poor credit score, don't bank on being approved for a card or getting the 0% deal you'd hoped for. Card providers only have to give the advertised rate to 51% of applicants, so you could end up paying more interest than you bargained for. If you've got a poor credit record, you're less likely to get the best rates. And if you are looking for a new credit card, don't apply for lots at once.