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A reported Waitrose nationwide till error left some shoppers unable to make contactless payments on Friday, 19 July 2024, as a global technology failure disrupted retailers, transport networks, healthcare providers and other organisations.
Reports of card machines failing and customers being asked to use alternative payment methods quickly spread online. This created the impression that Waitrose had suffered a complete nationwide till shutdown.
Waitrose’s account was more limited. The supermarket said it had continued processing chip-and-PIN payments throughout the day but had been “briefly limited on contactless payments”. Cash payments and orders through Waitrose.com also remained available, while contactless services were reported to be operating largely as normal later that day. Readers can review the original Waitrose payment-service update for the retailer’s attributed response.
The Waitrose payment problem formed part of the much larger CrowdStrike outage. It was not a standalone failure developed within Waitrose, and official assessments did not identify the underlying incident as a cyberattack.
What Was the Waitrose Nationwide Till Error?
The Waitrose till error occurred on 19 July 2024 during a global IT outage caused by a defective CrowdStrike security-content update affecting certain Microsoft Windows computers.
Some Waitrose stores experienced contactless payment problems. However, Waitrose said chip and PIN, cash and online ordering continued to operate. The available evidence therefore supports a temporary payment disruption rather than a confirmed shutdown of every Waitrose till in the UK.
What Happened to Waitrose Tills?
Customers began encountering payment difficulties on the morning of 19 July as computer systems failed across several industries.
Reports indicated that contactless card payments were unavailable in some Waitrose stores. Customers at certain locations may have seen notices explaining that a particular terminal or payment method was temporarily out of service.
Waitrose subsequently clarified that it had continued taking card payments through chip and PIN. It also said cash payments and orders through its website remained available. Contactless payments were largely restored later that day, according to the retailer’s reported service update.
The distinction between a till failure and a payment-method failure is important. A contactless reader can become unavailable while the same terminal continues to process a card inserted into the machine. Similarly, one self-service checkout may be affected while a staffed till or another terminal remains operational.
Was There Really a Nationwide Waitrose Till Outage?
The underlying technology incident was global, with disruption reported across the UK and many other countries. However, the available evidence does not confirm that every Waitrose branch lost all till functionality.
| Description | What it means |
|---|---|
| Global IT outage | Organisations in several countries experienced technology failures |
| Nationwide UK disruption | Multiple UK industries and locations were affected |
| Waitrose payment disruption | Contactless transactions were temporarily limited in some Waitrose stores |
| Complete Waitrose till shutdown | Every checkout and payment method stopped working across the chain |
The first three descriptions are consistent with available reporting. The fourth is not supported by sufficient evidence.
Early social-media posts often combined Windows computer crashes, card-terminal failures, cash-only notices and disruption at other retailers. A genuine problem at one branch could therefore be interpreted incorrectly as evidence of an identical failure throughout the country.
A photograph, store notice or customer account may demonstrate what happened at a particular place and time. It cannot independently establish the status of every Waitrose checkout in the UK.
What Caused the Nationwide It Outage?
The outage was caused by a faulty sensor-configuration update distributed by CrowdStrike for its Falcon security software on Windows computers.
According to CrowdStrike’s technical explanation of the incident, the company issued the update at 04:09 UTC on 19 July 2024. The configuration update triggered a logic error that caused affected Windows systems to crash and display a blue-screen error.
CrowdStrike remediated the update at 05:27 UTC, one hour and 18 minutes after its release. Windows devices running an affected Falcon sensor version and connected during that period could have received the problematic configuration.
CrowdStrike’s preliminary post-incident review stated that Mac and Linux computers were not affected. It also explained that the failure involved a Rapid Response Content update containing an undetected error.
The company later published a more detailed root-cause analysis of the CrowdStrike outage, setting out technical findings and changes intended to strengthen testing, validation and deployment controls.
Was Microsoft Responsible for the Waitrose Till Error?
The affected devices were running Microsoft Windows, but the defective update was issued by CrowdStrike, an independent cybersecurity company.
Microsoft described the disruption as not being a Microsoft incident. It nevertheless deployed engineers, shared recovery guidance and worked with CrowdStrike and other technology providers because the failure affected organisations throughout the Windows ecosystem.
In its official assessment of the CrowdStrike outage, Microsoft estimated that approximately 8.5 million Windows devices were affected. This represented less than one per cent of Windows machines worldwide, but many affected devices were used by businesses and organisations delivering important services.
The incident demonstrated how disruption affecting a comparatively small proportion of devices could still have extensive economic and social consequences when those systems were concentrated within interconnected industries.
Was the Outage a Cyberattack?
The original outage was not identified as a cyberattack.
CrowdStrike said the failure was caused by a defective content update and was not related to a cyberattack. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre assessment similarly concluded that the outages were not the result of a security incident or malicious cyber activity.
However, the NCSC warned that criminals were using the outage as a theme for phishing attempts. These scams were a secondary threat and were not responsible for the original Waitrose payment problems.
Businesses and consumers should therefore distinguish between:
- The original software failure
- Legitimate recovery messages from recognised suppliers
- Fraudulent emails impersonating technology companies
- Unrelated cybersecurity incidents occurring at the same time
Waitrose Till Error Timeline
| Date and time | Confirmed development | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 19 July 2024, 04:09 UTC | CrowdStrike distributed the problematic Windows configuration update | Susceptible Windows computers began crashing |
| 19 July 2024, 05:27 UTC | CrowdStrike remediated the update | Systems connecting after that point were no longer exposed to the same defective configuration |
| 19 July 2024, morning | UK organisations reported technology and payment disruption | Shoppers encountered card or contactless problems at some retailers |
| 19 July 2024, later that day | Waitrose said contactless payments were largely operating normally again | The retailer’s confirmed disruption was temporary |
| 20 July 2024 | Microsoft estimated that 8.5 million Windows devices were affected | The estimate demonstrated the international scale of the incident |
| 24 July 2024 | CrowdStrike published its preliminary review | The company provided further technical detail about the affected systems |
| 6 August 2024 | CrowdStrike announced the availability of its root-cause analysis | Additional findings and mitigation measures became available |
The chronology shows that the Waitrose payment problem was one retail consequence of a broader technology incident. It was not an independent nationwide failure originating from the supermarket’s own checkout system.
How Did the Waitrose Payment Problems Affect Shoppers?
The customer experience depended on the branch, checkout terminal and payment method being used.
Contactless Payments
Contactless transactions were the payment method Waitrose specifically identified as temporarily limited.
A failed tap does not necessarily mean the customer’s card has been declined or the entire till is offline. The terminal may still be able to process a card inserted into the reader using chip and PIN.
Chip-and-PIN Payments
Waitrose said chip-and-PIN transactions continued to operate during the disruption.
Customers whose contactless payments failed could therefore be asked to insert their card and enter a PIN. This remained subject to the condition of the individual terminal and any separate fault affecting a particular location.
Cash Payments
Cash also remained available, according to Waitrose’s reported statement.
The incident renewed discussion about the importance of maintaining alternative payment methods. During a later House of Commons discussion about the CrowdStrike outage, the government said some small businesses had resorted to cash-only operations after card-payment services and cash machines were disrupted.
Online Orders
Waitrose said it continued taking orders through Waitrose.com. This further supports the conclusion that the retailer did not experience a complete shutdown of all customer-facing services.
Self-service and Staffed Checkouts
Different checkout routes may depend on different devices, payment readers and network connections.
A self-service card reader can fail while another checkout remains usable. Customers should ask a member of staff whether the problem affects:
- Contactless payments only
- One card terminal
- All self-service checkouts
- Every card transaction
- The entire branch
What Should Shoppers Do When Waitrose Card Machines Are Not Working?
A payment failure can be inconvenient, especially after a shopper has completed a large grocery shop. Several practical steps can help.
1. Ask Which Payment Option Has Failed
The customer should establish whether the problem concerns contactless payments or all card transactions.
When only contactless functionality is affected, chip and PIN may remain available.
2. Try Chip and PIN
The customer can insert the card into the terminal and enter the PIN instead of tapping the reader.
This is a possible alternative rather than a guaranteed solution. A more extensive terminal or network problem could affect both methods.
3. Use Another Payment Method
Another bank card or a modest amount of cash may provide a useful backup during a temporary outage.
Customers should continue protecting their cards, devices and PINs and should never disclose confidential banking information to someone claiming to be resolving a store outage.
4. Check Whether the Transaction Was Processed
A terminal may display an error even though the bank has recorded the transaction as pending.
The customer should check their banking application and retain the receipt. Where two completed charges appear for the same purchase, the matter should be raised through the retailer’s and card provider’s official customer-support channels.
5. Confirm the Local Situation
A social-media post about one store may be outdated by the time another customer sees it.
Shoppers can use the official Waitrose store finder to locate the relevant branch and find available contact information.
Real-life Example: Contactless Fails but the Till Still Works
Consider a shopper who taps a debit card against a Waitrose payment terminal. The contactless transaction fails, and the terminal requests another payment method.
A member of staff advises the shopper to insert the same card and enter the PIN. The chip-and-PIN payment is approved, and the purchase is completed.
In this illustrative example, contactless functionality has failed, but the till and wider card-payment service remain operational.
This distinction matters because the phrase “tills are down” can describe several different problems, ranging from one failed card reader to a complete branch-wide checkout outage.
Select the option that best describes the problem to see practical next
steps. This tool does not show the live operational status of Waitrose
stores.
Choose the closest description:
Security reminder: Never disclose a PIN, banking
password or complete card number to someone claiming to be resolving
a retail payment outage.
What type of payment problem are you seeing?
Which Other UK Services Were Affected?
Waitrose was one of many organisations associated with the disruption on 19 July 2024.
The UK government told Parliament that the outage affected transport services, with flights grounded or delayed and railway departure boards disrupted. Media organisations also experienced operational problems.
Parts of the local healthcare system lost access to appointment information and test results, particularly within GP services. Some smaller businesses without dedicated IT support were also heavily affected by problems involving card-only payment systems and cash machines.
Microsoft said the outage illustrated the interconnected relationship between cloud providers, software platforms, cybersecurity companies and their customers. A failure within one part of that ecosystem could consequently affect businesses that had not caused the original problem.
Readers interested in similar developments can explore The Business View’s wider technology news and business technology coverage.
What Did Businesses Learn From the CrowdStrike Outage?
The incident provided several lessons for retailers and other organisations dependent on digital infrastructure.
Third-party Technology Can Create Concentrated Risk
Businesses commonly rely on external suppliers for cybersecurity, cloud hosting, payment processing and operational software.
These services can provide efficiency, expertise and scalability. However, they may also create dependencies capable of affecting many organisations at the same time.
The Business View’s guide to the evolution of hosting for UK business websites explains how reliability, security and scalability have become central considerations when companies select digital infrastructure.
Continuity Plans Must Cover Payment Failures
Retailers need documented procedures for circumstances in which one or more payment methods become unavailable.
An effective continuity plan may cover:
- Alternative payment routes
- Manual escalation procedures
- Instructions for store employees
- Customer announcements
- Transaction reconciliation
- Supplier contact details
- Recovery priorities
- Testing and review schedules
Customer Communication Must Be Precise
Retailers should state whether a problem affects contactless payments, every card transaction, online orders or the entire checkout network.
A vague announcement saying that “the tills are down” can create unnecessary confusion when some checkouts or payment methods remain available.
Software Deployment Requires Safeguards
CrowdStrike’s incident reviews described problems involving validation of the Rapid Response Content update. The company subsequently set out measures intended to improve testing and deployment controls.
The lesson is not that organisations should stop installing security updates. The NCSC continued to describe security updates as an essential practice and advised affected organisations to follow the relevant supplier guidance.
Resilience is a Business Issue, Not Only a Technical Issue
An IT outage can affect revenue, customer confidence, employee workloads, stock movement and brand reputation.
The Business View’s analysis of how UK businesses are adapting to market shifts discusses the growing importance of risk assessment, scenario planning and adaptable operations in uncertain conditions.
The same principles apply outside retail. The publication’s guide to the importance of reliable IT support for charities explains how technical failures and cybersecurity weaknesses can interrupt services, expose sensitive information and damage organisational trust.
Select the option that best describes the problem to see practical next
steps. This tool does not show the live operational status of Waitrose
stores.
Choose the closest description:
Security reminder: Never disclose a PIN, banking
password or complete card number to someone claiming to be resolving
a retail payment outage.
What type of payment problem are you seeing?
Common Misconceptions About the Waitrose Outage
“Every Waitrose Till Stopped Working”
The evidence does not establish a complete shutdown across every branch. Waitrose’s confirmed statement concerned temporary contactless-payment limitations in some stores.
“Waitrose Stopped Accepting Every Card”
Waitrose said it continued accepting chip-and-PIN payments throughout the day. Contactless was the payment method specifically identified as briefly limited.
“Microsoft Released the Faulty Update”
CrowdStrike distributed the defective update. Windows devices were affected, but Microsoft said the disruption was not a Microsoft incident.
“the Outage Was a Cyberattack”
CrowdStrike and the NCSC said the incident was not caused by a cyberattack or malicious cyber activity.
“a Cash-only Notice Proves Every Store Was Offline”
A notice documents conditions at one location and time. It does not establish the status of every branch or payment method across the UK.
“the Same Outage is Still Affecting Waitrose”
The incident covered in this article occurred on 19 July 2024. Waitrose reported that contactless payments were largely operating normally again later that day. A present payment problem may have an unrelated cause.
Is the Waitrose Nationwide Till Error Still Ongoing?
The original July 2024 incident is historical and should not be presented as an active outage.
Waitrose reported on the day of the disruption that its services were functioning largely as normal again. Recovery took longer for some other organisations because affected Windows computers required additional remediation.
This does not rule out separate local or national payment problems occurring at another time. A customer experiencing an issue now should verify the situation with the relevant store rather than assuming it has the same cause as the CrowdStrike incident.
Key Takeaways
- The Waitrose payment disruption occurred on 19 July 2024.
- It formed part of a global IT outage caused by a faulty CrowdStrike content update.
- Some Waitrose stores experienced contactless payment problems.
- Waitrose said chip and PIN, cash and online orders remained available.
- There is no reliable evidence that every Waitrose till nationwide stopped working.
- Microsoft Windows computers were affected, but Microsoft did not release the defective update.
- CrowdStrike and the NCSC said the original incident was not a cyberattack.
- Waitrose reported that contactless payments were largely operating normally again later that day.
- The event highlighted the need for alternative payment methods, clear customer communication and tested business-continuity plans.
Conclusion
The Waitrose nationwide till error became part of a day of widespread disruption for businesses and public services around the world.
Some shoppers experienced genuine payment difficulties, and reports of card machines failing understandably caused confusion. However, Waitrose’s confirmed account did not describe a complete nationwide collapse of every checkout.
The supermarket said it remained able to process chip-and-PIN payments, accept cash and take online orders. Its confirmed limitation concerned contactless transactions, which were largely restored later that day.
The underlying failure originated from a CrowdStrike content update affecting certain Windows systems. It was not a Microsoft update or a cyberattack.
For shoppers, the incident demonstrated the value of confirming which payment method has failed before abandoning a purchase. For retailers, it showed why operational resilience should include tested payment alternatives, clear store communication and recovery plans for third-party technology failures.
Editorial note: The wider technology outage caused substantial disruption across the UK and internationally. However, the available evidence does not establish that every Waitrose till nationwide stopped working. Waitrose’s confirmed problem involved a temporary limitation affecting contactless payments in some stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Caused the Waitrose Nationwide Till Error?
The payment disruption was linked to a defective CrowdStrike security-content update affecting certain Windows computers on 19 July 2024. CrowdStrike provides the technical sequence in its official incident explanation.
Did Every Waitrose Store Lose Its Tills?
There is insufficient evidence to confirm that every branch lost all till functionality. Waitrose reported contactless-payment limitations in some stores.
Could Waitrose Customers Still Pay by Card?
Waitrose said chip-and-PIN payments remained available throughout the day, although contactless transactions were briefly limited.
Did Waitrose Continue Accepting Cash?
Yes. Waitrose said cash remained an available payment method during the disruption.
Were Waitrose Online Orders Affected?
Waitrose said it continued taking orders through Waitrose.com.
Was Microsoft Responsible for the Outage?
No. CrowdStrike distributed the defective update for its Falcon software operating on Windows computers. Microsoft assisted with recovery because the incident affected its wider ecosystem.
Was the Outage a Cyberattack?
CrowdStrike and the NCSC said the original outage was not related to a cyberattack or malicious cyber activity.
How Long Was the Faulty Update Active?
CrowdStrike released the update at 04:09 UTC and remediated it at 05:27 UTC on 19 July 2024. Recovery took longer for some systems that had already crashed.
What Should a Shopper Do When Contactless Payment Fails?
The shopper can ask whether chip and PIN or cash is available, check whether the failed transaction appears in their bank account and retain the receipt.
Are Waitrose Tills Down Now?
This article concerns the July 2024 incident. Any current payment problem should be confirmed directly with the relevant branch because it may have a different cause.