Revolut outage leaves users unable to make payments, fintech says money safe

Digital bank hit by service disruption as engineering team works on fix

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Updated20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources9 outlets

Revolut suffered a major service disruption on Tuesday morning (20 October), leaving some customers unable to access the banking app or make payments with their physical cards. The digital bank confirmed it was experiencing an outage affecting multiple features and said its engineering team was working to restore full service.

The outage was first reported around 8am, with Downdetector recording more than 1,500 user reports of problems. Users on X described their cards being declined and being unable to log into the app. Revolut Support posted on X: "We are currently experiencing a service disruption affecting multiple features, which may result in some services being inaccessible. Our engineering team is actively working to restore full service as quickly as possible."

A Revolut spokesperson said all customers' money and data are safe and apologised for the inconvenience. Revolut has over 80 million personal customers worldwide, including about 13 million in the UK and 3.4 million in Ireland, plus 800,000 business customers.

The incident follows two data breaches in September. On 14 September, an unauthorised third party using a legitimate government email domain obtained copies of passports, driving licences and other personal data from some customers. Revolut said around 700 customers were affected globally, about 12 in Ireland. Later, on 24 September, a security incident at DriveWealth, a US broker used by Revolut for stock trades, exposed historical personal data including names, contact details and biographical information.

Neobanks such as Revolut have not been immune to outages despite their digital-first design. In August, UK rival Monzo suffered a similar service disruption. A UK Treasury Committee report last year found that nine of Britain's biggest banks and building societies had been down for a combined 803 hours over two years, with Barclays recording the most incidents at 33.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Revolut's outage affects millions of users who rely on the app for everyday banking, highlighting the vulnerability of digital-only financial services.
The disruption comes just weeks after two data breaches, raising concerns about the resilience and security of the fintech.
Customers and regulators will be watching how quickly service is restored and whether compensation is offered.

Background

Revolut is one of the world's largest digital banks, serving over 80 million personal customers. It has grown rapidly but has faced regulatory scrutiny and operational challenges. The company experienced data breaches in September 2026 affecting a small number of customers, and a separate breach via a third-party broker. The UK Treasury Committee has previously highlighted the frequency of outages across the banking sector, including both traditional and digital lenders.

Key Perspectives

Revolut: The company has acknowledged the disruption, assured customers their money is safe, and said its engineers are working on a fix. It has not yet disclosed the cause. Customers: Users have reported being unable to access their accounts or make payments, causing frustration and inconvenience, especially during business hours. Critics and regulators: The outage, combined with recent data breaches, may intensify scrutiny of neobanks' operational resilience. The UK Treasury Committee and the Central Bank of Ireland could examine whether Revolut has adequate safeguards.

What to Watch

Confirmation of the root cause and whether Revolut provides a timeline for full restoration.
Any compensation or goodwill gesture for affected customers.
Regulatory statements from bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority or Central Bank of Ireland on the incident and prior breaches.

Sources

Millions unable to use Revolut app or cards as company suffers ‘service disruption’ · World news | The Guardian
Revolut users hit by outage as thousands report issues with app · STV News
Revolut outage hits 'multiple services' as thousands of users report app issues · BBC Northern Ireland
Digital bank Revolut down in major worldwide outage · Euronews
Revolut hit with ‘service disruption’ as users unable to make payments · City AM
Major Revolut outage leaves expats and tourists across Spain, UK and Europe stranded at checkouts · Sur in English
Some Revolut users seeing service disruption · RTÉ News
Revolut and other banking apps go down as Google Cloud suffers UK outage · All Content from Business Insider
Millions unable to use Revolut app or cards as company suffers ‘service disruption’ · UK news | The Guardian

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe outage left some Revolut customers unable to access the app and make payments with physical cards.City AM: “Revolut has been hit with a major outage leaving some customers unable to access their app and make payments with a physical card.”
SupportedRevolut said its customers’ money and data were safe.City AM: “A spokesperson for Revolut said: “We are currently experiencing a service disruption affecting multiple services. We can confirm that all our customers’ money and data are safe.””
SupportedThe outage was on Tuesday morning, affected multiple features, and Revolut’s engineering team was working to restore full service.City AM: “The digital banking giant said on Tuesday morning it was experiencing “service disruption” across multiple features and was working to fix it.”
SupportedDowndetector showed more than 1,500 reports of Revolut problems around 8am.City AM: “The Downdetector, which is used to track major outages across consumer platforms, showed a spike for Revolut around 8am with more than 1,500 issues reported.”
Partly supportedMultiple users on X said their cards were declined and they could not log into the app.City AM: “One user said on X that their card had been declined whilst trying to make a payment and they were also unable to use their app.”
SupportedRevolut Support posted that it was experiencing a disruption affecting multiple features and that its engineering team was working to restore full service as quickly as possible.City AM: ““We are currently experiencing a service disruption affecting multiple features, which may result in some services being inaccessible,” Revolut supported posted on X. “Our engineering team is actively working to restore full service as quickly as possible.””
Partly supportedRevolut has over 80 million personal customers worldwide, about 13 million in the UK, and 800,000 business customers.City AM: “The fintech serves more than 80m personal customers across the world, and more than 800,000 business customers. In the UK, it is estimated to have around 13m customers.”
Partly supportedRevolut has 3.4 million customers in Ireland.RTÉ News: “Revolut has about 3.4 million customers in Ireland.”
SupportedOn 14 September, an unauthorised third party used a legitimate government email domain to make fraudulent information requests.RTÉ News: “In that instance, Revolut said an “unauthorised third party” used an email domain from a legitimate government agency to submit “fraudulent requests for information”.”
Partly supportedRevolut said around 700 customers worldwide, including about 12 in Ireland, were affected by the 14 September breach.RTÉ News: “The company did not say how many people were affected by that breach, or where they live - however, it was reported at the time that around 700 customers globally were impacted, with around 12 of those based in Ireland.”
Partly supportedThe 24 September DriveWealth incident exposed historical personal data, including names, contact details and biographical information.RTÉ News: “DriveWealth said that the historical personal data that may be impacted includes customer profile data, such as name, email address, phone number, postal address and employment information. Also potentially accessed was biographical data”
Partly supportedNine of the UK’s biggest banks and building societies were down for 803 hours over two years, and Barclays had the most incidents at 33.City AM: “A Treasury Committee report last year revealed nine of the UK’s biggest banks and building societies were down for over 803 hours – the equivalent of 33 days – over the last two years. Barclays topped the list for most outages at 33”