FIN.

Category - Payment Services & Electronic Money

FSM Bill gets Royal Assent

As expected, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 got Royal Assent on 29 June.  Heralding it, Treasury described its key features as: bringing the ability to tailor financial services regulation to fit UK markets...

FSM Bill completes Parliamentary process

The FSM Bill returned to the Lords for consideration of the few amendments the Commons had made.  These were agreed, and so the Bill has completed its Parliamentary passage and now awaits Royal Assent. It is expected to...

JROC publishes API pricing principles

The Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee for Open Banking has published a set of principles that banks and registered third parties should follow when agreeing a premium API commercial model. Premium APIs will allow...

BoE updates on CHAPS APP plans

The Deputy Governor of BoE has written to the Treasury sub-committee on Financial Regulation to update on progress on protection from APP fraud within the CHAPS system. The letter confirms the BoE’s intention to...

Lords passes FSM Bill

The FSM Bill has had its third reading in the Lords, and has been passed and returned to the Commons as amended in the Lords.   The Commons now needs to consider the Lords’ amendments, and, if all is agreed, the...

FSMB Lords Report stage day 2

Day 2 of the Report stage for the FSM Bill took place on 8 June. In the first session, the Lords debated clauses including those on: reporting requirements under the competitiveness and growth objective, a Government...

API enters Special Administration

FCA has announced that Monneo Ltd, an authorised payments institution, has entered special administration under the Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021.

PSR to change regulatory fees structure

Following its December 2022 consultation on whether its fee structure remains appropriate, PSR has published a policy statement setting out changes for 2023/24 onwards. The existing structure has been in place since...

PSR speaks on payments priorities

Kate Fitzgerald has spoken on the next evolution planned for UK payment systems. She focussed on open banking, which currently has over 7 million active users in the UK, and the next steps outlined by the JROC. She...

PSR publishes Annual Plan

PSR’s Annual Plan for 2023/24 sets an ambitious work programme, building on existing initiatives. One priority will be shaping the delivery of the New Payments Architecture. The PSR says it needs to evolve its...

PSR confirms APP scam data publication plans

PSR has confirmed  that it will direct 14 large UK PSPs to collect and provide  APP scam data to it which will cover 95% of transactions. The data will show: the proportion of APP scam victims who do not get reimbursed...

FSM Bill 9th Grand Committee session

The 9th Lords Grand Committee session on the FSM Bill took place on 21 March. Topics debated were: the proposal to limit the powers of PRA to prevent a matching adjustment being applied to a portfolio of high risk or...

PSR calls for views on LINK Direction review

PSR is carrying out its first annual review of its Specific Direction 12, designed to ensure that LINK has a broad geographic spread of free to use cash machines and meets service-user needs. It issued the direction...

FCA updates on operating service metrics

FCA has updated its operating service metrics to include performance from the periods October to December 2022 and January/February 2023. FCA notes that the latest metrics show 12 green, 5 amber and 2 red –...

FCA priorities for payments firms

The FCA has published a portfolio letter setting out its priorities for payments firms. The FCA raised concerns that many payments firms do not have sufficiently robust controls, and it considers this an increased risk...

BoE updates webpage on ISO 20022

The BoE has updated its webpage delivering information on ISO 20022: the new messaging standard for CHAPS and RTGS. It outlines its migration and policy approach timelines, and stakeholder requirements. On 19 June 2023...

FSM Bill Committee day 8

On 13 March 2023, the House of Lords Grand Committee continued its line by line examination of the FSM Bill, which took place during the eighth day of committee stage. The amendments that were discussed covered clauses...

FCA publishes its Perimeter Report 2023

The FCA has published its latest annual Perimeter Report. It highlights some of the challenges faced within the current financial services regulatory perimeter and signposts desired future action the FCA would like to...

Regulators update Regulatory Initiatives Grid

The Financial Services Regulatory Initiatives Forum has published the sixth edition of the Regulatory Initiatives Grid. The edition was due last November, but has been held back to allow the regulators to consider how...

PSR speaks on tackling APP fraud

Chris Hemsley has spoken of PSR’s role in regulating all UK payment systems and the importance of collaboration in tackling fraud.  His speech focussed on APP fraud, noting the significant problem it poses and...

FCA publishes more Consumer Duty letters

FCA has published three more letters in its series of letters to firms on preparation for the Consumer Duty. The latest set relate to: debt advice firms; debt purchasers, debt collectors and debt administrators; and...

Court requires FOS to review decision

The High Court has taken the relatively rare step of ordering FOS to review a decision. The complainant, Mr Moniak, had been a customer of Barclays. Following an inheritance in 2010, a total of £500,000 was paid into...

PSR publishes 2022 review

PSR has looked back on its major work and developments during 2022. Chris Hemsley noted that post-pandemic, there was a lot of significant discussion with consumer groups, businesses and payment firms.  PSR’s 5...

PSR consults on reporting of APP scams

PSR has issued a consultation on guidance to help PSPs to provide the right data when reporting APP scams to the regulator.  The first collection is coming soon, with firms’ submissions due in May, with the first...

BoE speaks on digital pound

Sir Jon Cunliffe has spoken on the digital pound, as the BoE and Treasury launched their consultation. He noted that, while no firm decision can be taken on implementing the digital pound, the taskforce is now moving to...

FCA confirms Aidene Walsh as PSR chair

FCA has confirmed that Aidene Walsh, who has been interim Chair of the PSR since April 2022 will now take the appointment for a three year term.  As PSR chair, she will also sit on the FCA Board.

FSM Bill Grand Committee stage starts

The first day of the Lords Grand Committee hearing on the FSM Bill took place on 25 January.  There are now 6 dates scheduled in total, with sittings taking place now on 30 January, then 1, 6, 8 and 20 February.  195...

Treasury calls for evidence on PSRs

Treasury is required to review the PSRs 2017 and is launching its review alongside a Call for Evidence on the evolution of UK payments regulation. Key points to note are: the consultation in 2022 on payments regulation...

PSR consults on fees

The PSR is consulting on whether its regulatory fee structure, which has been in place since 2018/19 is still appropriate. It plans to retain the current regime, but change the way in which fees are allocated, with a...

Treasury publishes FS law Brexit strategy

Treasury has published a Policy Paper setting out how it intends to deal with retained EU law in the financial regulatory sector. The Policy Paper says that the FSMA model, with the operationally dependent regulators...

PSR updates on APP scam data

The PSR has published an update on its plan to publish data on how banks and building societies are responding to APP scams. PSR will require the 14 largest PSPs in the UK to provide 6 monthly data on APP scam...

FSM Bill – Lords dates announced

The FSM Bill as amended after its passage through the Commons has now had its first (routine) reading in the Lords.  The Lords’ second reading has been set for 10 January 2023.

PSR updates on CoP progress

The PSR has written to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee to update her on the progress of CoP Phase 2 implementation. As a reminder, the aim of Phase 2 is to extend CoP to include PSPs who do not use the widely...

SCA amendments to apply from 25 July 2023

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2360, which amends the regulatory technical standards (RTS) for strong customer authentication under PSD2, has been published in the OJEU. As a reminder, the amendments to the...

PSR fines for interchange fee breach

The PSR has fined Barclays £8.4m for failing to provide retailers with full information about the costs of its card services. The Interchange Fee Regulation requires banks to provide retailers with transaction...

LSB and PSR sign MoU

The LSB and PSR have signed and published a memorandum of understanding. setting out how the bodies will co-operate and communicate. The accompanying press release note who LSB champions the CRM Code and wants to work...

Final day of FSMB debate published

In the morning and afternoon of the final day of the Public Bills Committee debate on the FSM Bill, the remaining tabled new clauses were discussed: that the Chair of the PSR should be a member of the FCA board:  this...

Further FSMB revisions released

Parliament has published the latest raft of proposed amendments to the FSM Bill. These include: a change to the very first sub-clause, replacing the revocation of the EU and EU-derived legislation in the schedule so...

FSMB Committee stage timetable published

Following the announcement that the Committee stage in the Commons will begin on 19 October, a timetable for the sessions has now been published. Key witnesses scheduled to appear on that day include BoE, PRA, FCA and...

FSMB Committee stage scheduled for 19 October

An update to the Parliament website shows the Committee stage for the Financial Services and Markets Bill will start on 19 October.  After the line by line debate is complete, the Bill will be republished for report...

BoE consults on AI discussion paper

The BoE is consulting on its discussion paper about how artificial intelligence (AI) may affect financial regulation. The discussion paper looks at how the current regulatory framework applies to AI; it considers how...

PSR sets out APP scam protection proposals

PSR is consulting on how to increase consumer support for APP scams.  Following the initiatives it has taken to date, the new measures will: require reimbursement in all but exceptional cases; improve and make...

FCA speaks on role of regulation in growth

Sarah Pritchard, Executive Director at FCA, has spoken on the regulator’s role in encouraging growth.  Key points in her wide-ranging speech included: FCA’s commitment to showing speed and agility, providing...

FOS publishes H1 complaints data

FOS has published its regular half-yearly update on complaints data relating to individual businesses. 212 businesses feature, with an average uphold rate of 37% (the same as the previous period). FOS has also reported...

FOS publishes latest complaints data

FOS has published its latest quarterly data on complaints in relation to financial products. The data covers the period of April to June 2022, and can be accessed in full as a spreadsheet. Over the period, the average...

FCA responds to Premier FX complaints

FCA has upheld or partially upheld 5 out of the 31 complaints it received from people who lost money when money remitter Premier FX collapsed. The issues relate to events which happened some time ago, and in relation to...

UK Finance publishes UK payment market report

UK Finance has published a report on trends in UK payment markets in 2021 and forecasts up to 2031. Unsurprisingly, the report looks at the effects of the pandemic on payments that fell and then recovered, and at the...

EU reaches agreement on crypto measures

The EU has reached agreement on critical elements of crypto-asset regulation. The European Parliament and the European Council have reached a provisional deal new legislation aiming to ensure that crypto transfers can...

FCA hosts CryptoSprint events

The FCA hosted its first policy-focused CryptoSprint events in May and June 2022. The objective of the events was to seek industry views around the current market and the design of an appropriate regulatory regime...

PSR updates on card-acquiring market review

Following its initial consultation, the PSR has now published its provisional decision in relation to remedies for the card-acquiring market review. The PSR has launched a second consultation on proposals for three...

FCA speaks on regulating finance in the UK

Charles Randell, FCA and PSR Chair, has delivered a speech on regulating finance for the whole of the UK. Highlights include: Importance of partnerships and policy coherence – the FCA recognises the continued importance...

EU reaches deal on DORA

The EU Commission, EU Council and EU Parliament have reached agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The new rules aim to harmonise and strengthen digital...

Queen’s Speech 2022 – FS elements

The Queen’s Speech 2022 outlined the government’s legislative priorities for the next parliamentary session. The measures announced include two bills of particular interest to financial services...

MEPs vote on draft crypto legislation

MEPs from ECON and the Committee on Civil Liberties have voted to adopt their position on draft crypto legislation which forms part of the EU’s wider package of measures aimed at strengthening AML/CFT rules in the...

CMA publishes Annual Plan for 2022/23

The CMA has published its Annual Plan which explains how it will protect consumers, promote competition and help support the economy in the year ahead. It aims to encourage innovation, productivity, and sustainable...

New rules on cryptocurrencies in the EU

MEPs have agreed on draft rules on supervision, consumer protection and environmental sustainability of crypto-assets, including cryptocurrencies such as bitcoins. For those issuing and trading crypto-assets, the new...