Greggs Bakery Chain Faces Technical Payment Issues Across UK Stores

British bakery chain Greggs encountered technical payment issues on Wednesday leading to temporary closures in some UK stores.

Customers faced difficulties with card payments, prompting some outlets to operate on a cash-only basis. This incident follows recent payment outages at major retailers like Sainsbury's and Tesco on Saturday, along with McDonald's experiencing similar issues the previous Friday.

Greggs acknowledged a technical glitch affecting tills in select outlets and assured customers that the majority of impacted shops can now process both card and cash payments. The company expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and stated that they anticipate a full resolution shortly.

Social media posts highlighted customer frustration at encountering closed Greggs stores or being unable to complete transactions due to the payment problems. Some customers shared their experiences on platforms like Twitter, where they observed others having to leave without their orders due to the cash-only restrictions.

With over 2,450 stores nationwide, Greggs has a widespread presence in cities such as London, Manchester, Cardiff, and Glasgow. While it remains unclear how many stores were affected by the payment issue, some branches have reported operational normalcy. The company confirmed that they have resolved the technical malfunction impacting tills in several shops.

Store employees in Manchester and Exeter shared insights on the situation, mentioning errors in the tills and technical support efforts to address the issues. Signs titled ‘Oh Crumbs!’ were displayed at some branches, indicating the disruption in service. This incident adds to a spate of technical glitches experienced by prominent UK food brands recently.

Sainsbury’s faced challenges with online grocery deliveries on Saturday, affecting contactless payments in their stores. Tesco also encountered technical difficulties resulting in the cancellation of a limited number of orders. Prior to these incidents, McDonald’s global restaurants were unable to process orders due to a tech issue.

Amidst these challenges, social media users humorously compared the seriousness of IT issues across different brands, highlighting the impact on consumer experiences. Despite the setbacks, Greggs assured customers that the technical problem with payments has been resolved, allowing most shops to resume normal operations efficiently.