For years, paying online has usually meant reaching for a debit or credit card. That is changing. Bank-to-bank payments are becoming a normal part of everyday life in the UK, and the latest figures show just how quickly the shift is happening.
According to UK Finance, Faster Payments and other remote banking payments reached 6.2 billion transactions in 2025 — a 10% increase in one year. That made remote banking the UK's second-most-used payment method, behind debit cards.
That does not mean every one of those payments was an Open Banking checkout purchase. It does show that paying directly from a bank account is now firmly mainstream.
Bank payments have entered the mainstream
The way people manage money has changed dramatically. UK Finance reports that 91% of UK adults used remote banking during 2025, while 75% used mobile banking. It forecasts that remote banking payments could reach 8.4 billion transactions by 2035.
The Payment Expert report highlights the same trend: customers are increasingly comfortable using their banking app to move money and confirm payments.
Cards are not disappearing. They remain the most widely used way to pay in the UK. But Pay by Bank is no longer an unfamiliar niche option sitting on the edge of checkout.
Faster Payments and Open Banking are connected, but not identical
The terms are often used together, although they describe different parts of the process.
- Open Banking provides the secure connection that lets a regulated payment provider start a payment with your permission.
- Faster Payments is one of the systems that can move the money between UK bank accounts.
In simple terms, Open Banking can provide the secure checkout journey, while Faster Payments can carry the funds. Pay.UK says the Faster Payment System processed 5.55 billion transactions worth £4.84 trillion in 2025.
How does an Open Banking payment work?
A typical Pay by Bank checkout is straightforward:
- You select Open Banking or Pay by Bank at checkout.
- You choose your bank from the secure payment screen.
- You are taken to your bank's app or online banking service.
- You review the payment details and approve them using your bank's usual security, such as Face ID, fingerprint recognition or a passcode.
- You return to the retailer's website and receive confirmation.
You do not give the retailer your online banking password or card details. The payment must be actively authorised through your own bank.
Are Open Banking payments safe?
Open Banking providers in the UK must be appropriately regulated, and the payment approval happens within your bank's own secure environment. The retailer does not receive your login credentials and cannot access your bank account simply because you made a payment.
The official Open Banking organisation explains more about the security protections behind Open Banking, including regulated providers, customer consent and strong authentication.
As with any online payment, customers should still check that they are on the correct website, review the amount before approving it and never share banking passwords or one-time security codes.
Why are more businesses offering Pay by Bank?
For customers, the main benefit is convenience. There is no card number to type, and the payment can be approved using a familiar banking app.
For businesses, bank-to-bank payments can provide fast confirmation and reduce reliance on a single checkout method. They can also be particularly useful for specialist retailers whose customers value a clear, secure and traceable payment process.
This is not about presenting one payment method as universally better than another. It is about giving customers a practical way to pay that increasingly matches how they already manage their money.
How Alpha Peptides® uses Open Banking
Alpha Peptides® offers a guided Open Banking checkout powered by Fena Labs Ltd. Fena is an account information and payment initiation service provider authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 934835. You can verify this on the FCA Register.
At checkout, you choose your bank and approve the payment securely through your normal banking app or online banking service. Alpha Peptides® does not see or store your banking login details.
For a step-by-step explanation of our checkout, visit our Open Banking payment guide. You can also find answers about orders, payments and refunds in our frequently asked questions.
Is Pay by Bank the same as making a manual bank transfer?
No. A manual transfer usually requires you to copy account details and enter the payment reference yourself. A guided Open Banking checkout prepares the payment information for you and sends you to your bank to review and authorise it. This reduces the chance of typing the wrong details.
Do I need a particular banking app?
You need an account with a supported bank and access to its mobile app or online banking service. The available bank list appears during checkout, so you can check before continuing.
Can Alpha Peptides® see my bank balance or transactions?
No. Making a payment does not give Alpha Peptides® access to your bank balance, transaction history or login credentials. You authorise a specific payment for a specific amount.
How quickly is the payment confirmed?
Confirmation is usually quick, although the precise timing can depend on your bank and the payment service. Once the checkout confirms payment, your order can move into normal processing.
What happens if I need a refund?
Open Banking does not remove your consumer rights. Any agreed refund is handled in line with our published policies and returned using the appropriate payment process. Please read our refund terms or contact us if you have a question about a particular order.
The direction of travel is clear
The headline figures matter because they reflect a wider change in customer behaviour. Millions of people already use mobile and online banking routinely, while bank-to-bank payments now account for billions of UK transactions each year.
Pay by Bank may still look different from entering card details, but it is built around something most customers already trust and use: their own bank's secure approval process. As awareness grows, Open Banking payments are likely to feel less like an alternative and more like a standard part of UK online checkout.
