Revolut has launched their open API for customers and they have increased their Revolut for Business service; Banking Technology reports that the company said “account owners can generate sandbox and production keys, and set whitelisted IPs as an “extra layer of security”; accounts allow users to send, hold and exchange up to 25 different currencies. Source.
Revolut continues to add functionality to their accounts as they apply for their banking license; while Revolut customers have access to card payments, in Europe many utilities require that you pay phone and electricity bills with direct debits. Source
Digital banks have been presenting themselves as a more transparent fairer option than the traditional players; what these newcomers are finding is to scale and reach profitability they will need to figure out a way to lend that doesn’t strike the same tone as customers get from their typical bank; Tandem, Monzo, Starling Bank, Revolut and N26 have all started to roll out lending options in a variety of ways by using a tailored data driven approach; figuring out where the balance lies is the key piece if these banks are truly going to disrupt the banking system. Source.
Revolut and Global Processing Services (GPS) have partnered to allow the UK based digital bank to launch their multi-currency FX app for the Asia Pacific region; Revolut will start with New Zealand, Singapore and Japan; while Revolut has moved much of their processing in house they are supported by GPS for this product. Source.
TransferWise is privately launching a borderless account and debit card; the move is beginning to draw comparisons to other fintech companies like Revolut; the account will be rolled out in a small launch then a full launch thereafter; the account will give you access to local bank details for the UK, US, Australia and Europe, as well as allowing you to hold and convert 28 currencies; the move is not seen as replacing the current account but is instead a partner account; the account would allow people working in different countries to convert to their local currency without the hassle of additional fees or having to join a local bank. Source.
UK based digital bank Revolut launched disposable card numbers form within the app; the disposable nature of the number can help to reduce card fraud, one of the main areas of financial fraud; the move is part of a wider trend in banking to make the online shopping experience more secure and tailored to millennial customers; Revolut also allows users to freeze/unfreeze cards and disable functions like contactless and swipe payments. Source.
Tearsheet digs into how Revolut generates cash; the startup announced it broke even in December with 1.5 million customers and monthly transaction volume of $1.5 billion; this represents a 700% increase in 12 months; Dan Westgarth, head of Revolut USA stated, “Our revenue model globally is payments-centric. We receive renumeration every time our card is used; that’s what keeps our business afloat, and we’re wrapping around on top of that third-party services, and we have a business and corporate product.” Source
In an interview with the Financial Times Revolut’s CEO Nikolay Storonsky talks about the firm’s successes and how he has built the company; they have raised more than $80mn in capital and are currently valued at more than $415mn; the company has gained a reputation for working long hours and having high demands from Mr. Storonsky; the hard charging CEO believes his style has helped the company grow to where it is today, more than 600,000 users and considered one of the hottest fintech companies sin market today; they interview also covers his time as a trader, his upbringing and who he learns from in business today. Source.
Banking alternative Revolut is launching international medical and dental insurance for £1 a day; the company is using your phone’s location to automatically turn insurance on and off; there is a limit to the service if you are one to travel for months at a time but you can pay up front for the service annually; the company partners with Thomas Cook Money for their insurance product. Source.
Open Banking is set to launch in Europe next month. As banks and fintech firms rush to ensure compliance we...