UK FCA Consults on Changes to Strong Consumer Authentication, Dedicated Interfaces, and Guidance on Payment Services
On January 28, 2021, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Consultation Paper CP21/3, “Changes to the SCA-RTS and to the guidance in ‘Payment Services and Electronic Money – Our Approach’ and the Perimeter Guidance Manual” (Consultation Paper). This follows the FCA’s announcement in its 2020-21 business plan that payment services were one of its main supervisory priorities1 and its temporary guidance of July 9, 2020, on prudential risk management and safeguarding in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (Temporary COVID Guidance).
The FCA is proposing amendments to:
- the UK onshored versions of EU technical standards on strong customer authentication (SCA) and common and secure methods of communication (UK SCA-RTS);
- its Approach Document on Payment Services and Electronic Money (Approach Document); and
- its Perimeter Guidance Manual (PERG).
Partnering With Tech and Fintech Firms: Key EU/UK Regulatory Considerations for the Payments Sector
There has been a rapid increase in collaboration between fintechs and other technology firms and more traditional payment service providers (PSPs) such as banks, merchant acquirers, and money transmitters. While fintechs and technology firms are often seen as direct competitors of traditional PSPs, in a market driven by innovation, both sides of the market increasingly consider collaboration a mutually beneficial way to play to each participating firm’s strengths. For more traditional PSPs, the technologies that a fintech or technology firm develops can help enhance and streamline, and in some cases modernize, the services provided to customers. For a fintech or technology firm, partnering with a PSP can provide an efficient and effective way to expand into the payment services market, particularly for customers who are more inclined to use traditional PSPs.
Regulators are monitoring these developments with growing interest and with an eye to potential risks to customers and markets as well as their ability to supervise regulated firms and their operations. This post highlights a number of EU/UK regulatory issues that fintechs, technology companies, and PSPs should consider when collaborating with one another.
Cryptoassets and Smart Contracts – UK Offers Legal Clarity
On November 18, 2019, the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce, which is part of The English Law Society’s LawTech Delivery Panel, published its Legal Statement on the status of cryptoassets and smart contracts (the Legal Statement).
New EU Strong Customer Authentication Standards: Implications for Payment Service Providers
Under the revised Payment Services Directive (2015/2366) (PSD2), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Commission were required to develop and adopt regulatory technical standards on strong customer authentication and common and secure open standards of communication. These regulatory technical standards were passed into EU law as Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/389 (the RTS), which entered into effect on September 14, 2019.
The RTS has direct effect on payment service providers (PSPs), including card issuers and acquirers, in all EU member states. However, certain EU member states, including the UK, have implemented transitional measures for a phased implementation of the rules in the context of card-based payments for e-commerce transactions.
This post discusses the requirements under the RTS for card issuers and acquirers to authenticate payment service users (PSUs), which is referred to as “strong customer authentication” (SCA).
“Cryptoassets are here to stay”: EU Authorities to Provide Guidance on Cryptocurrencies and ICOs
On September 4, the Innovation Group of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs met to discuss a proposal presented by the rapporteur Ashley Fox,1 member of the European Parliament, to include a framework for initial coin offerings (ICOs) within the proposed European Union (EU) financial services regulatory regime for crowdfunding2 (see European Commission (Commission) proposal COM(2018) 113 final).3
As part of the public discussion, the Commission, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) were present to provide their thoughts. (more…)
FinTech and Regulatory Sandboxes in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore
As the FinTech industry continues to expand, regulators around the globe are starting to react. The past 18 months have seen the emergence of a new trend in financial services regulation, the “sandbox.”
Since the launch of the UK’s regulatory sandbox in May 2016, regulators across the globe have adopted similar frameworks. There are now regulatory sandboxes in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Singapore, Switzerland and Thailand, to name a few, and the European Union recently set out proposals for a possible EU-wide regulatory sandbox. (more…)