The error was due to a technical problem following a planned overhaul of the clearing system for interbank payments in Norway over the weekend.
– This delay is highly regrettable. All payments are safe, and each customer will have the funds available in their account as soon as possible. Everyone involved worked hard to ensure the delay is as short as possible, and we are pleased to confirm that the error has now been corrected, says Eivind Gjemdal, CEO of BITS, the banks’ infrastructure company.
The payment system consists mainly of a clearing system that handles all payments that are made and that need to go out of one account and into another. This clearing is sent to Norges Bank several times each business day for settlement in the banks’ accounts at Norges Bank. It is only when the various banks have settled their positions with each other that the individual customer has the money available in their account. It was in the final processing of the banks’ clearing that the error occurred.
– It is important to emphasize that this is not an error caused by a cyberattack. Such systems need to be upgraded from time to time, and it was during such an upgrade that a technical error stopped the settlement, Gjemdal points out.