The Completion of the Open Banking Roadmap is Just the Beginning
By Luke Massie, CEO of VibePay
The recent announcement by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirming the completion of the Open Banking Roadmap is a pivotal moment for the UK’s financial landscape. It’s a significant achievement that not only demonstrates the power of collaboration across the banking ecosystem but also highlights the potential for Open Banking to drive innovation for businesses and consumers alike.
As CEO of VibePay, I see this as a huge opportunity—not just for our business but for the entire financial services sector. The completion of the roadmap marks the beginning of a new chapter in how we think about payments, financial management, and data access.
For those who may not be familiar, the CMA’s roadmap outlined the steps necessary to fully implement Open Banking in the UK. The nine banking providers mandated by the CMA have now met all the requirements, which include providing the full suite of Open Banking payment and account information services. The recent contributions from Danske Bank, Bank of Ireland, and Allied Irish Bank—who have now implemented Variable Recurring Payments (VRPs) for sweeping—were the final pieces of the puzzle.
Dan Turnbull, Senior Director at the CMA, rightly called this an “important milestone.” It solidifies the future of Open Banking and sets the stage for the next phase of expansion. But for those of us deeply embedded in the fintech world, it’s more than just a box ticked—it’s the opening of a door to a world of new possibilities.
At VibePay, we’re passionate about what this means for both consumers and businesses. The potential of Open Banking to unlock greater financial inclusion and create more efficient, secure, and transparent financial services is something we’ve long advocated for. Seeing that potential now come to life with the completion of the roadmap is incredibly exciting.
One of the most promising innovations resulting from Open Banking is the rise of Variable Recurring Payments (VRPs). As of July 2024, VRPs accounted for 2.45 million transactions—a 23.9% increase. This is significant because VRPs offer more flexibility than traditional direct debits, allowing businesses to take payments based on real-time conditions, all while giving consumers better control over their finances.
For businesses, VRPs and Open Banking provide unprecedented opportunities to automate payments, improve cash flow management, and offer more dynamic, customer-centric services. For consumers, it’s about giving them more control over their financial data and transactions, while ensuring security and transparency.
At VibePay, we’ve already seen how Open Banking can transform the payments experience, and we’re only just scratching the surface. Our platform is built to empower businesses to integrate with these systems easily, allowing them to create seamless payment flows that adapt to the needs of today’s digital-first world.
But the bigger picture goes beyond payments. Open Banking is pushing us toward a Smart Data economy—something that Marion King, Chair of Open Banking Limited, touched on when she said, “we are now able to move closer to a Smart Data economy in which we unlock the full potential of Open Banking for consumers and businesses alike.” This is the future, and at VibePay, we are ready to help shape it.
Looking ahead, we’re particularly excited about the potential for commercial VRPs. As Henk Van Hulle, CEO of Open Banking Limited, said, VRPs have the capacity to “revolutionise the way businesses manage payments.” This is exactly the kind of innovation that gets us fired up at VibePay. We see VRPs as a game-changer for businesses of all sizes, providing them with more dynamic tools to manage and optimise their payment flows.
The completion of the roadmap is a testament to the progress the financial industry has made. But it’s also a call to action for what’s next. At VibePay, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of these innovations, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Open Banking to create solutions that empower both consumers and businesses.
The future of Open Banking is one of opportunity, and it’s up to all of us to make sure we seize it. At VibePay, we’re ready to do just that.
🚀 The journey has only just begun, and we’re thrilled to be part of shaping the future of payments.