Starling Launches New Bank-as-a-Platform Service

Starling says the new banking-as-a-platform service and API infrastructure bundle will enable retailers, brands and fintechs to develop and scale a suite of customised products, such as savings or current accounts and debit cards, with just a few lines of code.

These businesses can pick and choose individual components and features, as they use Starling’s banking licence – which means they do not need to be regulated themselves or spend time on lengthy development projects.

The bank has already signed its first partnership with savings marketplace Raisin, and through Starling’s API, Raisin will be able to open accounts for each customer, collect their deposits and place them at their network of partner banks that participate in its marketplace.

Anne Boden, chief executive of Starling Bank, says: “Platform strategies have taken off in many other industries, with Airbnb, Uber and Apple becoming major players in the markets for accommodation, transport and music and yet owning no properties, vehicles or content themselves.

“As a new generation digital bank, Starling is now bringing the model to UK banking, enabling other businesses to build banking services on top of its own-label banking infrastructure.”

This is a similar approach to what solarisBank and FIDOR provide, both allowing companies to build their own banking products with an API accessible banking platform.

The lines continue to blur between whether Starling is a challenger bank or a technology company with a banking license.