What is borderless banking?

Simply put, borderless banking refers to any bank account, which allows users to spend, send and receive money across different countries and currencies, without incurring heavy fees. The concept has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more people now working in cross-border job roles and with many businesses requiring capital in a different currency than that of their country of origin.

For customers, borderless banking is making cross-border financial transactions more efficient and cost-effective. Through its rise, businesses and individuals can gain easier access to international streams of capital, which is crucial in this current moment of economic uncertainty. In fact, 74% of companies say cross-border payments have helped their business to survive.

Where do IBANs come in?

International Bank Account Numbers (IBAN) play a crucial role in facilitating borderless banking. The globally recognised system enables cross-border transactions to happen safely, by providing each international bank account with its own unique 36-digit alphanumerical code. On account of this code, financial institutions can quickly identify where funds are coming from, as well as where they’re going to.

More recently, providers such as us have been able to deliver Virtual IBANs (vIBAN). Working alongside a network of well-established European and International banks, we’re able to offer businesses a single platform interface that consolidates the management of all IBAN accounts. In turn, our multi-currency service makes conducting global financial transactions incredibly straightforward.

How has Brexit affected borderless banking?

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of borderless banking and services related to it, but other developments, such as Brexit are beginning to stand in its way. Most notably, the drawn-out withdrawal process has seeded a growing reluctance amongst risk averse, larger organisations to settle transactions using UK bank accounts or IBANs, due to unfounded concerns around regulatory complexity.

Despite leaving the EU, the UK remains a member of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), so it’s unclear why these concerns around British IBAN accounts exist. Regardless, this unfortunate development must be addressed quickly as it has the potential to adversely affect the livelihood of businesses and individuals at a time of critical need.

What does the future hold for borderless banking?

There’s clear demand for borderless banking and borderless payments, but the discrimination of certain IBAN accounts represents a major obstacle, which could stand in the way of their widescale adoption. Moving forward, there needs to be a push towards borderless IBANs, which will make international financial transactions more reliable. At the end of the day, this is what IBANs were originally created for, so it’s important the current problems are rectified quickly.  

To ensure this can happen, the industry needs protection and clarity from regulators. Likewise, it’s now time for membership organisations to stand up on behalf of the sector and lobby for the financial inclusion of businesses.

If the confusion regarding UK IBAN accounts can be sorted in a timely manner, businesses across the nation, as well as those further afield can look forward to a future of more streamlined and effective financial services. With this support, the diverse sector can deliver further access to innovative financial services and products, which improve outcomes for businesses and consumers alike.

As a sector, Fintech has the potential to provide vital assistance to the wider economy, particularly in an era of increased cross-border business. At Monneo, we’re committed to being part of that change and as a part of organisations like ‘Accept my IBAN’, are working towards reporting and ending IBAN discrimination.