UK watchdog raises concerns amid growth in digital wallets

On Wednesday, the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) published a joint report assessing the impact of digital wallets, finding significant benefits to consumers, while highlighting competition concerns related to providers.

“The use of digital wallets has rapidly grown in recent years, with the proportion of card transactions using a digital wallet increasing significantly from 8% in 2019 to 29% in 2023,” said the FCA, the U.K.’s top finance sector regulator.

“Given the growth, the FCA and PSR engaged extensively with businesses and representative groups to assess the impact of digital wallets, finding significant benefits to consumers through greater convenience, enhanced security measures, and, for some, greater financial inclusion.”

The CMA is currently investigating the two largest digital wallet providers, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), in respect of their mobile ecosystems.

In terms of future plans, the FCA and PSR said they would be engaging with the Treasury—the government’s Economic and Finance Ministry—in reviewing the Payment Services and Electronic Money Regulations, with the aim of ensuring that the regulatory framework remains robust and adaptable to future developments in the payments industry.

“We will continue to embrace digital improvements that benefit consumers,” said the FCA. “This includes progressing work on open banking and contactless payments to boost competition and enhance the UK’s growth and competitiveness.”

These efforts align with the National Payments Vision, a policy paper published in November 2024 that set out the government’s ambitions for the U.K.’s payments sector, specifically to “deliver world-leading payments and support the growth mission.”

The FCA and PSR echoed this sentiment, saying their re-assessment of the payment system aimed to foster “a modern, resilient, and innovative payments landscape that supports the evolving needs of consumers and businesses.”

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