Commonwealth Bank gives customers $50 compensation for outage

The nation’s biggest bank has reimbursed $7.4 million to customers who did not get paid because last week’s nationwide outage.

• CBA customers’ rage as payments missing
• ‘We’re sorry’: CBA blames mass outage on IT bungle

The nation’s biggest bank has reimbursed millions of dollars to tens of thousands of customers who were caught up in the recent payments debacle.

Commonwealth Bank has credited $50 to about 150,000 customers overnight with a description “sorry from the CBA” and issued them with an apology after they were left unable to receive payments including their salaries last Thursday.

The compensation to customers will cost the bank $7.5 million.

On Wednesday morning the bank confirmed in an online update, “ Commonwealth Bank has made a payment into the accounts of customers who were unable to access their funds over the weekend, due to the delay in payments.”

A bank statement showing a $50 deposit from the Commonwealth Bank for last week's outage. Picture: Supplied

The arrival of the small amount of cash comes almost a week after an IT failure led to the banks’ systems going into meltdown and they were unable to process customer payments.

CBA said the cash credit would only go to customers who were did not receive their payments before last weekend.

But many customers who did not receive the $50 compensation have been left outraged, posting angry comments on CBA’s Facebook page today.

Customer Yay Lisle wrote, “I feel every customer should get that $50 sorry money as it was a massive stuff up from Commonwealth.”

While customer Kelly Threlfall wrote, “I love how you have selected who gets reimbursed for your outage last week. I couldn’t access MY own money for 16 hours but hey...don’t worry about me.”

Another customer Frances Galea wrote, “I’ve been a customer for 47 years...way back to the time when you gave out money boxes and had bank books.... yet.... I wasn’t deserving of your $50.00 apology. Not sure why you chose to apologise to some of your customers and not others. Maybe you could explain this?”

CBA said all outstanding payments “should be in customer accounts. If customers have any issues or questions regarding their payments they should contact our call centre or visit us in branch so we can assist.

“We are now refunding fees and charges associated to the network issue on Thursday for our customers who were impacted by this issue.”

Customers do not need to contact the bank to receive the $50 payment, the bank will automatically debit the money into their account.

“We apologise to everyone who has been affected by the delay in payments and we are very sorry for the inconvenience it has caused,” it said on the bank’s website.

HOW THE OUTAGE UNFOLDED

The nation’s biggest bank — which has 15.9 million customers — went into meltdown last Thursday after a network outage hit its internet banking, mobile app, BPAY and branch and call centre services.

Some customers were left stranded at the checkout, unable to pay for essential goods such as groceries and petrol.

Furious customers have been inundating the bank with complaints after being left without their salaries being paid into their accounts.

Michelle Smith wrote on CBA’s Facebook on Tuesday, “WHERE ARE OUR WAGES?”

Izzbah Rose also complained, “5am Tuesday, should have received pay last Thursday, I’m now 2 days away from next payday. I need to go shopping, buy medicine and pet food and have bills coming today and tomorrow.”

She continued, “You push us to have cashless society and pay for it in fees but you can’t hold up your end of it? You have literally stolen my weeks pay!”

Many irate customers are still waiting to receive their payments but will be compensated for fees and charges they were hit with as a result of the glitch.

While another customer Ellen Manning wrote, “I give up. From now on I’ll go and work for free and just donate everything to you. You can put the money towards getting your IT department sorted.”

CBA confirmed on their website, “We have made significant progress in processing the outstanding payments.”

“We now believe funds should be in customer accounts.

“We are now refunding fees and charges associated to the network issue on Thursday for our customers who were impacted by this issue.”

A CBA spokeswoman said a majority of customers received their payments on Friday or over the weekend.

Any customers who have issues or questions regarding their payments have been urged to contact CBA’s call centre on 13 22 21 or visit them in branch.

@sophieelsworth