- What happened during the recent disruption to Bank of Ireland Services
We had a significant technology outage affecting our services on 15 August 2023 which meant that our mobile app and digital banking services were not available to customers for most of the day (2pm onwards). This was a Bank of Ireland issue and our customers were impacted badly by this failure. We fell well below the standards our customers expect of us and we apologise for this.
- What did Bank of Ireland do in response?
Our priority was to make sure that all of our customers could continue to use their cards to withdraw cash and to buy what they needed in shops and online. The challenge in doing this during the service outage was that customers couldn’t check their balance. As a result, some customers may now find themselves overdrawn.
- What is an Overdraft?
An overdraft is a credit facility that you can agree with Bank of Ireland so that when your account balance reaches zero you can access a specific amount of additional money. You must apply for an overdraft and it must be for a specific amount. When your account balance reaches zero, you can use your overdraft. Any credits made to your account when you are overdrawn (for example, if you lodge money or get paid into your account) will reduce the specific amount of your overdraft.
- What are you doing to help customers who went overdrawn?
We are now supporting customers who went overdrawn so they don’t have a longer-term issue with debt. For example, any customer who went into an unauthorised overdraft on their business current account as a result of our service disruption can get a temporary, interest-free overdraft for 90 days to help them return their account to its original position. It is important that if you are in this position that you make contact with us.
- What if I transferred money during the outage to another bank or financial institution and I am overdrawn as a result?
If you transferred money from your Bank of Ireland account during the outage and are in a position to transfer it back to your Bank of Ireland account, please do so. This will ensure that your account is no longer overdrawn. You will need your BIC and IBAN to do this. You can find your BIC and IBAN on the mobile app, on 365 online, Business Online and at the top of your bank statement.
- What support is Bank of Ireland offering customers affected by the service disruption?
We encourage any business customer affected by the outage to contact the bank on 0818 202 368 if calling within the ROI and for outside ROI its +353 14882000 (open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday) so that we can work together to find an appropriate solution. We are ready to help.
If you are still overdrawn as a result of the technology outage, it’s important that you get in touch with us.
- Will I be charged any fees or penalties as a result of this Service Interruption?
We are committed to working with customers impacted by this incident to try and ensure they do not incur any fees or charges as a result of this incident.
- What if I went overdrawn during the Service Disruption?
If you went overdrawn without having an authorised overdraft on your business current account as a result of the disruption to our services, you can get a temporary, interest-free overdraft for 90 days to help you return your account to its original position.
You will not have to pay interest or fees on this overdraft for the 90-day period.
In order to apply for this temporary overdraft you will need to phone us on 0818 202 368 if calling within the ROI and for outside ROI its +353 14882000 (Mon – Fri between 9am – 5pm).