M&S gives update following cyber attack after customers noticed changes to loyalty card

Marks & Spencer has updated customers after the recent cyber attack which led to online purchases being suspended.

One shopper recently noticed that there seemed to be no new offers on the M&S Sparks card (loyalty card). Taking to X, Lily, wrote: “Just wondering if the lack of Sparks offers is related to the incident? Or if you know when the next Home offer will be?”

A spokesperson for M&S replied: “We’ve paused sending out new Sparks offers until we can provide the best customer experience. Promotions should start to reappear once all current technical issues have been resolved. Thank you for your patience.”

M&S shoppers have been warned that the high-street retailer could take months to recover from the recent cyber attack.

Speaking to Sky News an insider claimed Marks & Spencer “didn't have a cyber attack plan” they went on to explain: “people have not been sleeping, people have spent their weekends working, people sleeping in the office - just reactive response," they said.

“It could even be a matter of months before things are back to normal. The idea is to have some services go back online bit by bit. Not do the whole shebang, but allow the people in the store and to allow people online to have services.”

Marks & Spencer experienced a cyberattack over Easter break. The online attack resulted in sensitive system files which included customer credentials being stolen. According to The Guardian the incident affected contactless payments and click-and-collect orders in stores across the UK. There was also another problem that affected only contactless payments.

M&S paused online and phone orders, impacting its website, M&S app, and the Sparks rewards programme. The high-street retailer shared a post on social media platform X that read: “We are truly sorry for this inconvenience, Our experienced team - supported by leading cyber experts - is working extremely hard to restart online and app shopping.

“We are incredibly grateful to our customers, colleagues and partners for their understanding and support.”

When will online orders be back up and running and are M&S customers data at risk?

Marks & Spencer has not yet announced when its online services will be restored. The brand is reportedly working with a cybersecurity team to help resolve the situation.

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According to reports M&S has stated that customer financial information was not affected by the cyberattack. However, customers have been advised to be cautious of potential scams. The much loved retailer has not reported any data breaches so it would seem that for now customers data is not at risk.

🛍️ Still shopping while M&S is offline? These trusted retailers are worth a look

Next – for wardrobe updates and everyday essentials

Shop Next here

John Lewis – from fashion to furniture, all with renowned customer service

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Very – flexible payments and a huge range of brands across home, tech and fashion

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Dunelm – for home organisation, soft furnishings and storage

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Boots – if you’re missing Sparks beauty deals, check out current offers here

See Boots offers

Natalie Dixon is NationalWorld’s Lifestyle reporter. If you liked this article and want to read more about fashion, beauty and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here.

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