BNF says it has fixed payment problems, but customers disagree

BNF Bank customers have expressed frustration at apparent ongoing difficulties accessing account services as the bank insists there are no outstanding issues.

On Wednesday, Times of Malta reported how BNF customers had been left unable to access various banking services following a rocky attempt by the bank to upgrade its mobile app, internet banking and ATMs last weekend.

A spokesperson for the bank said at the time it was attempting to resolve the issues as quickly as possible, but as of Friday, customers said they were continuing to face difficulties accessing online account data and making payments.

Responding to the complaints this afternoon, the spokesperson insisted that while there had been one "card-related issue" which had since been rectified, "at no point" had customers lost access to funds, and the bank was not aware of any "reportable data issues" at the time of publication.

Customer Dijana Kirov told Times of Malta that after finally being able to log into the BNF banking app yesterday morning, “everything is mixed up,” with two email addresses not belonging to her showing in place of her contact details – an issue still in place Friday.

“It’s a real mess. I’m somewhat tech-savvy, but it’s been really difficult,” she said.

Kirov said that despite being told she would be sent a new bank card by the end of March – with BNF changing from Visa to Mastercard – as of Friday, she was still without a replacement, leaving her unable to make payments or activate her online accounts for bank transfers.

Kirov, like other customers Times of Malta spoke to, said she had also not been told her International Bank Account Number (IBAN), and bank account number would change prior to the bank upgrades.

'People need to pay their bills'

One customer, who asked not to be named, described the situation as “really annoying and very frustrating,” and said she had not been able to make payments or withdraw cash for the past few days while being left with patchy information about her accounts online.

“I can’t even top up my Revolut account now... people need to pay their bills,” she said, adding she was “worried” after still not receiving new payment cards from the bank.

Another customer said she had been faced with an incomplete transaction history after she managed to activate her account on Friday.

Meanwhile, Friday morning saw renewed comments on Facebook from disgruntled customers, with one user saying she was “freaking out” after €500 appeared to have disappeared from her account.

While some Facebook users said they had managed to solve their issues, others reported ongoing problems accessing their accounts and making payments, including difficulties activating new cards and incorrect information showing for joint accounts.

BNF: 'No reportable issues'

A spokesperson for BNF said: “As of today, we are aware of no reportable data issues,” adding security and protection of customer data was a “top priority”.

“At no point did customers lose access to their funds, particularly during the days before go-live", she said, adding the bank had seen “similar... tens of thousands of transactions carried out normally”.

“We are aware that a number of our customers have experienced challenges with the new Internet Banking platform, eBNF, ATM withdrawals and payments. There was one card-related issue which has since been rectified", she said. 

The spokesperson said the bank was addressing an issue affecting customers who had previously not provided the bank with an email address, but did not provide more details.

She said customers could continue using their old IBAN numbers, “however we encourage them to share their new IBAN with employers and suppliers.”

The spokesperson said the bank was “committed to maintaining the highest standards of service and security” and regretted any inconvenience caused.