Authorised Payment Institution (API) (United Kingdom)

At a glance

What it lets you do

• Execution of payment transactions
• Money remittance
• Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions
• Payment initiation services
• Account information services

• Execution of payment transactions. Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account.
• Money remittance. Receiving funds from a payer solely to transfer them to a payee or another provider, without opening payment accounts.
• Issuing payment instruments and acquiring payment transactions. Issuing cards or other payment instruments to payers, and acquiring card and other payment transactions for merchants.
• Payment initiation services. Initiating a payment order at the user's request from an account held with another provider, as in open banking.
• Account information services. Providing consolidated online information on one or more payment accounts the user holds with other providers.

Where it is valid

Cost

How long it takes

Statutory: 3 months from receipt of a complete application, or 12 months from receipt of an incomplete application under Regulation 9 of PSRs 2017². Observed: Median elapsed determination time of 207 calendar days (Lower Quartile: 124 days, Upper Quartile: 269 days) across 44 cases (PS1-4 Payment Services & E-Money Authorisations) determined in Q4 2025/26⁵. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

Buying a company that already holds it

Prior approval required. Acquirers must obtain FCA approval prior to acquiring or increasing control in an FCA or PRA authorized firm; acquiring control without approval constitutes a criminal offence under FSMA 2000 Section 191F. For Directive firms (including banks, MiFID investment firms, UCITS Mancos, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions), control thresholds are 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50% of shares or voting rights, or becoming a parent undertaking. For non-Directive firms (such as non-MiFID investment firms, general insurance intermediaries, and full-scope AIFMs), a single 20% or more threshold applies. For cryptoasset firms under MLRs Schedule 6B (amended 30 June 2026), a 25% beneficial owner threshold applies, alongside FSMA bands if no beneficial owner exists. The statutory assessment period is 60 business days from complete notification acknowledgment (FSMA Section 189), pausable once for up to 30 business days if further information is requested.⁶

Ready-made companies holding this licence: see verified positions.

Laws behind it

• The Payment Services Regulations 2017: S.I. 2017/752