Commonwealth Bank outage disrupts online banking after delayed maintenance
Planned maintenance overran its schedule on Saturday, leaving millions unable to access NetBank, the CommBank app and related services; some limits and restrictions were later lifted as systems were restored.
Millions of Commonwealth Bank customers were unable to access online banking on Saturday after planned maintenance overran its schedule, disrupting NetBank, the CommBank app and phone banking.
The bank said the maintenance, which was expected to run from about midnight to around 9 a.m. AEST, extended beyond the planned window and left some services limited or unavailable during the outage. Payments and transfers through the CommBank app, NetBank and phone banking could not be completed, and some features carried temporary restrictions. Lower purchase limits on debit cards may have applied for transactions performed during the window. Travel Money cards could be used to pay and withdraw money, but could not be topped up from a Commonwealth Bank account. International money transfers were unavailable, though users could still pay with credit cards.
Business and Merchant customers were also affected. Merchant EFTPOS terminals and online payments were available, but lower limits could apply to CommBank debit cards when using those platforms. Scheduled payments and merchant settlement payments may be processed after the maintenance window. The bank noted that all affected services began to restore as the window closed and that customers would be notified when services returned to normal.
In a statement, CBA said customers were informed about the maintenance in the banking app several days beforehand. By about 10:25 a.m. Saturday, the bank said all CommBank banking services were available again and apologized for the disruption, urging customers to check their accounts and report any inconsistencies.
Customers vented on social media as the outage unfolded, with some reporting missed appointments, failed transfers and difficulties arranging payments during the critical Saturday hours. The disruption underscored the fragility of weekend financial operations and the reliance of everyday transactions on timely maintenance, even for a major lender like Commonwealth Bank.
The incident ends with the bank confirming a full restoration of services and reiterating its commitment to minimizing future interruptions while maintaining essential banking capabilities for millions of customers across Australia.