DEFINITION
Open Banking
Open banking is a system that allows banks and other financial institutions to securely share customer data with third parties such as fintechs to offer tailored financial services. Open banking is typically performed through the use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and necessitates explicit permission from the user.
Open banking is essential for services such as budgeting tools, tailored investment planning advice, and streamlined payment options. In Europe, open banking is regulated by the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2).
Synonyms
Banking data sharing, API-driven banking
Acronyms
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Share
Synonyms
Open financial ecosystem, banking data sharing, API-driven banking
Acronyms
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Examples
A fintech makes a deal with your bank to provide a budgeting application and you consent for your bank to share your data. The fintech utilizes an API to fetch your data across all your connected credit cards and centralizes them within the app. It then uses that data to make suggestions on how you can cut your daily spending by 10%.
FAQ
What are the benefits of open banking?
Open banking allows the end-user to get more tailored, innovative services. Namely, your bank has access to your data but might not have a development team to create and maintain innovative apps. Likewise, fintech can create brilliant apps but without access to your data, they can’t be tailored to your life and habits. Therefore, open banking bridges the gap between the two.
How is open banking regulated?
Since customer data is very valuable, open banking is heavily regulated. Generally, businesses that utilize open banking must have strong security measures in place and ask for consent prior to sharing any customer data. However, the specifics differ depending on the jurisdiction, with the EU, the UK, and Australia for example all having different regulating bodies.
Is open banking safe?
While exceptions will always be present, open banking is generally completely safe. This is because just like other financial services, open banking is heavily regulated and is required to implement advanced security measures.
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worldwide trust Atfinity to drive their digital transformation.
Book your demo today and see why leading financial institutions worldwide trust Atfinity to drive their digital transformation.