One supplier can affect several banks at once

The outage is not always at your bank

On Saturday 2 May 2026, customers of ING and Triodos had difficulty paying by card. According to ING, the cause was an external party that processes card transactions. Cash machines and Google Pay were also affected at Triodos. Both banks confirmed that the problem lay with a third party.

This is an important point for consumers and entrepreneurs. The brand name on your payment card is visible. The suppliers that process transactions, provide connections or support digital services usually remain out of sight.

When such a party has problems, several banks can be affected at once. It can feel as if two separate banks are failing, while behind the scenes one shared link is faltering.

More banks is not always more spread

In May 2024, according to the Dutch Payments Association, an outage affected 30 to 40 per cent of in-store card payments. Customers of ABN AMRO and Rabobank, among others, reported problems. According to Geldmaat, cash machines did continue to work.

Events like this show that diversification is not only about the number of accounts. A second account with another bank can be useful, but its value depends on the underlying routes. If the same processing, the same card network or the same technical layer is affected, part of the vulnerability remains.

For a private individual, this is difficult to understand in full. For an entrepreneur or family with larger obligations, it is a reason to look differently. Not only: which bank holds the money. Also: through which routes can I pay or withdraw cash if one link fails.

Digital infrastructure matters too

On 20 October 2025, Amazon Web Services had an outage in its US-EAST-1 region. As a result, customers of UK banks including Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland had problems paying and logging in for several hours.

This example makes clear that payments and bank access are part of a wider digital infrastructure. An outage may affect transaction processing, cash machines, mobile payment methods, online login or a cloud service. For the user, the result is often the same: temporarily being unable to pay or log in.

Here, nuance matters. During an outage, your money has not disappeared. Balances and transactions remain in place. The problem is access. You may temporarily be unable to reach your money, or unable to use it for a payment.

Access is different from ownership

That distinction between having money and being able to use money deserves attention. In normal circumstances, the two almost coincide. You open an app, pay with a card or withdraw cash. During an outage, the steps in between become visible.

For many everyday situations, waiting is enough. An outage is often temporary and is resolved by the parties involved. But not every payment can wait. Think of travel costs, accommodation, fuel, business obligations or payments for people who depend on you.

That is why it is wise to decide in advance which payments are critical for you. Not everything needs an emergency route. It is useful, however, to know which expenses you still want to be able to make during an outage, and which means are available for that.

Independent routes are the core

True diversification is about independent routes. That may mean having another payment solution alongside your usual bank, but only if it does not rely on exactly the same links. It may also mean knowing which cash machines, cards or online environments are usable in different situations.

There are always limits. A card from a separate provider only works if the card network and the payment terminal work. Online access requires a connection and power. A mobile payment solution does not help if the phone is flat or the network is down.

Preparation is therefore not a guarantee. It is a way to be less dependent on one single chain. If you know and test your routes in advance, you have less need to improvise during an outage.

Sovaryn looks with clients at independent provisions for reachability, power and access to their own digital resources. Sovaryn Reserve combines, among other things, your own power, satellite internet, a hardware wallet and a personal action plan. This does not prevent outages, but it can reduce dependence on one chain.