Last May, we launched Plaid in the UK with the goal of making money easier for everyone, no matter where they bank or live. With Open Banking, Plaid has helped more people in the UK take control of their financial lives through our work with apps like Cleo and Sage. Today, we’re excited to take our mission further and launch Payment Initiation in the UK, a convenient way to fund new accounts and get more people using fintech faster.

Payment Initiation enables your users to make real-time payments without manually entering their account number and sort code, or leaving your app. These in-app payments allow your users to fund their accounts in a seamless and secure manner, and at a low cost. Payment Initiation is an easy way for users to fund their account, make online payments, and pay invoices all from your app or website, whether you’re building a neobank or a digital wallet.

Making money easier for everyone is what drives us here at Plaid. We hear from customers every day about how fintech is transforming people’s financial lives, making it easier to pay bills, easier to save for retirement, and easier to manage a budget. That ease shouldn’t be limited by where you bank, or where you live.

Over the past few months, we’ve introduced products that allow people to use fintech apps regardless of where they keep their money, whether it’s in a traditional bank or community credit union, or a neobank.

Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re taking the same approach to building a fully inclusive financial system in Europe, starting with the UK.

The UK fintech community is thriving. It’s one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy and has produced more than 1,600 fintech companies, a number that is expected to double by 2030.