- Partnership Objective: National Australia Bank (NAB) collaborates with UK-based fintech firm Banked to enhance the adoption of account-to-account (A2A) payment solutions among Australian merchants.
- Technology Utilized: The partnership leverages Pay by Bank technology, facilitated by PayTo services from Sydney-based tech provider Australian Payments Plus, enabling consumers to conduct online transactions directly from their bank accounts.
- Merchant Benefits: Pay by Bank allows merchants to send PayTo agreements to customers for initiating payments and refunds, addressing various checkout scenarios such as online payments, scheduled recurring payments, and split payment amounts.
- Implementation Timeline: The initial group of NAB business clients is scheduled to implement A2A payments in the first half of 2024.
- Advantages of A2A Payments: Shane Conway, NAB’s executive general manager of transaction banking and enterprise solutions, highlights the economic benefits for merchants, including reduced operating costs, differentiation in loyalty schemes, and fraud mitigation.
- Bank’s Innovation Initiatives: The partnership with Banked aligns with NAB’s broader innovation initiatives, which include the launch of NAB Liquidity+, an AI-powered corporate cash management, analytics, and forecasting platform developed with Trovata.
- Leadership Transition: NAB has been under the leadership of group CEO Andrew Irvine following the retirement of Ross McEwan in April, indicating continuity in its strategic direction.