Nationwide customers hit by payments glitch – are you affected?

However, in a further glitch, some standing orders have been delayed and may fail to leave Nationwide customers' accounts today, MoneySavingExpert.com understands.

Banks and building societies have until 5pm each day to process standing orders, so Nationwide still has several hours to fix the problem and avoid standing orders from its accounts arriving late.

Inbound payments to Nationwide accounts, such as wages and benefits, haven't been affected by the problems.

Nationwide wouldn't say how many customers have been affected by the issues, but said it is a "limited number" and stressed not everyone would experience problems. The building society has six million current account customers.

The problem with outbound payments has sparked panic among customers as it's occurred on the first day of the month, when many people schedule direct debit payments for mortgages, utilities and other bills.

These direct debit payments should be made as normal, even if they're not showing up on your account – but those relying on standing orders to pay a different account may face problems if the money doesn't leave their account today.

What are the issues?

Here's a breakdown of the issues affecting different types of payment:

• Outgoing direct debits:Nationwide says these should leave your account as normal and arrive at their destination, but this may not appear when you view your account.

• Outgoing standing orders: These may not leave your account today, MSE understands – though Nationwide still has several hours to fix the problem.

• Inbound payments: They won't be affected at all – they should arrive and show up in your account.

What do customers say?

Dozens of concerned customers have tweeted Nationwide this morning:

I've been affected – what can I do?

If you're in any doubt whether your standing order has arrived at its destination, check with the person you're paying to see if they've received it. We don't yet know whether Nationwide will manage to process all of its standing orders today.

Nationwide says it will ensure customers aren't "left out of pocket" as a result of today's problems. So keep records, such as bank statements, receipts, screenshots and photos, of any additional fees you may have been charged because of the issues, and contact Nationwide to get a refund. Fees you could have been charged include:

• Costs for racking up lengthy phone calls to discuss the problem with Nationwide.

• Fees from companies or third parties if they've not received a payment from you on time.

If standing orders are paid late, we will follow up with Nationwide to find out how it intends to refund and compensate affected customers.

What about my credit score?

We don't yet know whether the issue will affect anyone's credit score, or how Nationwide would resolve this if it does happen.

But if you notice incorrect information on your credit file as a result of these problems, you can contact the company or organisation responsible for placing it there and ask for it to be removed, explaining it's as a result of Nationwide's glitches today.

What does Nationwide say?

A spokesperson for Nationwide says: "We are aware of an issue with a limited number of direct debits or standing orders. All inbound payments to members are unaffected.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Customer service is a high priority for us and we are working hard to resolve this as soon as possible."