UK


App it. The future of banking

This morning I was having breakfast with a colleague. I paid the bill, and he sent me his share of the bill using our Monzo app. Before we’d walked out of the café, the money was in my account. Simple!

Finastra goes on a job cutting spree

EXCLUSIVE: Finastra, which emerged earlier this year from the combination of two banking tech vendors, D+H Corporation and Misys, has made a number of job cuts across its operations.

Infographic: UK’s cloud computing job market

According to a study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), investment in cloud computing is expected to grow at over six times the rate of IT spending by 2020. Job meta-search engine Joblift has analyse the state of the UK’s cloud computing job market and found that, in line with the rise in investment, cloud computing vacancies have risen by over 7% on average monthly.

Startupbootcamp InsurTech seeks storming start-ups

London-based accelerator Startupbootcamp InsurTech is on the search for the next wave of insurance-inspired start-ups to “take the industry by storm”. Startupbootcamp InsurTech says the process of searching for and purchasing something on Amazon or booking peer-reviewed accommodations in a different country at the touch of a finger, condition people to “expect this fluidity and […]

UK to get New Payment Systems Operator by year’s end

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and Bank of England (BoE) have revealed that the UK will be getting the New Payment Systems Operator (NPSO) by the end of 2017. The duo says that the Payment System Operator Delivery Group (PSODG) has completed the necessary steps to deliver what was asked and so with the NPSO […]

UK banks simplify accounting for SMEs

We have a double delight as Sage and Lloyds, and Xero and Santander are making accounting simpler for UK SMEs. Sage, a cloud accounting, payroll and payments solutions software provider, says Lloyds Bank is the latest in a line of banks to go live with its Bank Feeds service. The service helps businesses by enabling […]

FCA ICO uh-oh

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is warning consumers about the risks of initial coin offerings (ICOs). ICOs have proved very popular in the worlds of blockchain and cryptocurrency, which many funding stories flowing on a regular basis. However, last month, BBVA reckoned the fever for ICOs in blockchain must be cooled as the industry is […]

Come over to my Marketplace says Starling Bank

UK-based challenger bank Starling has gone live with its Marketplace, a new ecosystem of financial products accessible through its app. As reported in June, Starling said it would launch Marketplace at some point. This idea was first discussed back in April, when its developer portal went live. Now the marketplace is alive and kicking and […]

Aegon Cofunds to oust IFDS and its tech

Pension, insurance and investment management firm Aegon has embarked on a large technology project with a number of specialist tech providers – to move the acquired Cofunds business from the International Financial Data Services (IFDS) platform.

Tech City UK calls for start-ups for financial inclusion challenge

Tech City UK is looking for start-ups for a competition to find the best products and services from the fintech sector that promote financial inclusion. As part of the UK Government’s Digital Strategy, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has asked it to hunt for the best across the country. The competition […]

Most of us are worried about AI rules

With every technological breakthrough there needs to be updates to the rules, and the UK general public think the government needs to pull the finger out when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology’s sister publication). That rules need to be changed in relation to everyday life is a given, but it would […]

Challenger bank Redwood takes tech to the cloud

EXCLUSIVE: Redwood Bank, a new SME-focused bank in the UK, has opted for a cloud-based banking platform. The front-to-back office solution is supplied by a local fintech firm, DPR Consulting, Banking Technology understands. It is hosted in a private cloud.

Ping is king for Open Banking’s UK framework

Open Banking, the implementation entity set up by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has chosen Ping Identity to provide the identity and access management (IAM) technology to underpin its UK framework. Ping’s IAM solution suite, the Ping Identity Platform, will provide the hub for Open Banking, where all UK banks and financial services […]

Get your Bacs up with Direct Debit feedback

UK payments system Bacs is asking for public feedback on how to improve the nation’s Direct Debit product. Bacs says usage is at an “all-time high” and lavishes praise on it. What a surprise. However, its 2016 consultation identified where it might be able to make improvements and “any changes will need to be carefully […]

UK challenger Redwood Bank launches

Redwood Bank, a new UK-based SME challenger, has launched four months after securing its banking licence. The bank is now offering secured SME mortgages for business owners, as well as for “experienced” commercial and residential property investors. It has also launched a business deposit account. As reported in April, Redwood entered its mobilisation phase and […]

10% of FTSE 350 firms lack cybersecurity plans, but are you surprised?

A recent report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport claims 10% of the UK’s 350 largest firms do not have a response plan in place for a cybersecurity incident, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). These clearly aren’t all fintech companies, but considering the rhetoric which is constantly flowing around, bigging up […]

Barclays enables voice payments with Siri

Barclays says it’s the first UK high street bank that lets mobile banking customers make a payment by asking Siri. The payment, which relies on TouchID for authentication, can be completed without opening the Barclays mobile banking app, reports Banking Technology‘s sister publication Paybefore. The Siri integration enables payments to existing payees or mobile contacts. […]

Fintech layoffs round-up: 18 August 2017

A distinctly cheerless round-up as we highlight some key moments regarding fintech layoffs. Features Simple and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). US-based digital banking service Simple has fired 33 staff members (about 10% of its workforce), including several executives, according to The Oregonian. Simple’s CMO, chief people officer, VP of operations, and VP of engineering […]

HSBC teams with Capita for new broker platform

HSBC is introducing a new improved software platform for brokers and also confirms Personal Touch Financial Services as its next intermediary partner. The new software, provided by Capita, replaces the current system and provides a single platform which “drives greater automation, making it easier for brokers to transact, upload documents, and track details of mortgage […]

Is this the end of fintech as we know it?

In the age of the internet, fintech dominates finance. In the UK, the sector is currently worth £7 billion, employing around 60,000 people with figures set to increase. The industry is definitely awe-inspiring, but as the lines between traditional banking services and fintech blur, fintech could disappear entirely.

Trustly teams up with Qliro

Business-to-business (B2B) payment solutions company Trustly has partnered with e-commerce payment provider Qliro.

Barclaycard pilots Alipay payments in eight retail stores across UK

EXCLUSIVE: Barclaycard is launching a pilot that enables merchants in the UK to accept in-store Alipay transactions. The pilot will commence on 14 August 2017 in eight retail stores across the UK, with Barclaycard providing the POS solution for payments via Alipay.

UK Government has another run up at encryption

UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd has taken another dim-witted swipe at end-to-end encryption claiming that terrorists are the only ones who care about it, reports Telecoms.com (Banking Technology‘s sister publication). It’s the latest chapter in one of the most short-sighted and ill-informed books available today, as Rudd has continued her moronic quest to make the […]

UK regulator keeps payday loan price cap in place

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published the outcome of its review into high-cost credit, which includes its assessment of the effectiveness of the payday loan price cap. With a generous amount of back-slapping, the review provides “clear evidence that FCA regulation of high-cost short-term credit (often known as ‘payday lending’) has delivered substantial […]

Interview: Ben Brabyn, Level39 – high rise

In the beating business heart of London, Banking Technology met Ben Brabyn, head of tech hub Level39, for an exclusive interview on Brexit, rivalry and how success isn’t a zero-sum game.