PayPoint has officially acquired AperiData, a real-time credit reference agency and Open Banking platform, following an initial £1 million minority investment made in 2024. This acquisition, announced on June 24, 2026, integrates AperiData fully into PayPoint's operations, significantly expanding its Digital Payments and Open Banking business unit. The move is designed to enhance PayPoint's existing multichannel payments infrastructure, which includes direct debit, digital collections, and API-led disbursement tools, by adding AperiData's advanced transaction-level data analysis capabilities.
AperiData specializes in generating creditworthiness signals from bank transaction feeds obtained through Open Banking consent, aiming to supplement or eventually replace traditional credit bureau scores. This technology is particularly valuable for time-sensitive decisions in origination and collections, aligning well with PayPoint's existing client base, which includes financial services, social housing, and utilities. Simon Coles, PayPoint's managing director for digital payments and open banking, emphasized that this acquisition will enhance the company's ability to manage payment collections and arrears across these sectors.
The partnership between PayPoint and AperiData has been in place since 2023, with both companies previously collaborating on the Financial Information System Customer Support Tool, which won the Business Partnership of the Year at the 2024 Credit and Collections Industry Awards. This tool helps organizations assess customers facing financial difficulties using real-time account data, aligning with the FCA's Consumer Duty framework that emphasizes fair treatment and appropriate support for vulnerable customers.
The acquisition comes at a time when the Open Banking credit-decisioning landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, with both traditional credit reference agencies and new challengers vying for market share. By internalizing data analytics capabilities, PayPoint strengthens its position in the arrears-management segment, which is under regulatory scrutiny. The FCA's Consumer Duty framework, effective since July 2024, mandates firms to proactively identify and support customers in financial distress, creating a growing demand for real-time financial assessment solutions like those offered by AperiData. Moving forward, it will be critical to observe how PayPoint integrates AperiData's assets into its broader product offerings and whether it seeks formal credit reference agency registration.
AperiData specializes in generating creditworthiness signals from bank transaction feeds obtained through Open Banking consent, aiming to supplement or eventually replace traditional credit bureau scores. This technology is particularly valuable for time-sensitive decisions in origination and collections, aligning well with PayPoint's existing client base, which includes financial services, social housing, and utilities. Simon Coles, PayPoint's managing director for digital payments and open banking, emphasized that this acquisition will enhance the company's ability to manage payment collections and arrears across these sectors.
The partnership between PayPoint and AperiData has been in place since 2023, with both companies previously collaborating on the Financial Information System Customer Support Tool, which won the Business Partnership of the Year at the 2024 Credit and Collections Industry Awards. This tool helps organizations assess customers facing financial difficulties using real-time account data, aligning with the FCA's Consumer Duty framework that emphasizes fair treatment and appropriate support for vulnerable customers.
The acquisition comes at a time when the Open Banking credit-decisioning landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, with both traditional credit reference agencies and new challengers vying for market share. By internalizing data analytics capabilities, PayPoint strengthens its position in the arrears-management segment, which is under regulatory scrutiny. The FCA's Consumer Duty framework, effective since July 2024, mandates firms to proactively identify and support customers in financial distress, creating a growing demand for real-time financial assessment solutions like those offered by AperiData. Moving forward, it will be critical to observe how PayPoint integrates AperiData's assets into its broader product offerings and whether it seeks formal credit reference agency registration.
Source: The Fintech Times
