Regulatory Priorities for Payments: Clarity, Consolidation and Accountability
Author: James Borley, Director of Payment Services As previously heralded, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) Regulatory Priorities Report for Payments (“the Report”) forms part of the FCA’s broader shift away from fragmented portfolio (“Dear CEO”) letters toward a consolidated suite of […]
Safeguarding Audit Standard – Version 1
The publication of the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) interim guidance on safeguarding audit engagements marks a pivotal moment for the UK payments and e-money sector. At its core, the guidance issued by the FRC is intended to […]
Safeguarding Without Surprises: Roles, Reconciliations and Control Evidence
Author: Joel Bailey, Consultant Safeguarding is the core consumer protection mechanism for protecting Authorised Payment Institutions (APIs) and Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), collectively ‘payments firms’, to keep the “relevant funds” of their customers safe. In particular, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) does not […]
Sequencing the Future: The UK’s Payments Forward Plan
Author: James Borley, Director of Payment Services On 26 February 2026, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee published the UK’s first Payments Forward Plan; a three-year sequenced roadmap for payments policy aimed at […]
Ready, Willing and Organised: Proving Day-One Operational Readiness
Author: Joel Bailey, Consultant Why This Matters Obtaining authorisation from the FCA isn’t permission to start building, it’s permission to operate. For payment and e-money firms, gaps in day-one readiness can translate quickly into […]