Pay by Bank is a secure way for customers to pay a business directly from their bank account. Instead of entering card details, the payment is approved through the customer’s own banking app.
It’s quick, secure, and usually completed in just a few taps.
How does paying by bank work?
It's simple. Once you click on the payment link or you scan a QR code:
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Select Pay by Bank as the payment method
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Choose your bank from the list
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You’ll be taken to your bank app or online banking
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Log in and approve the payment
Once approved, the payment is sent directly from the customer’s bank account to the business.
Is Pay by Bank safe?
Yes. Pay by Bank uses secure open banking technology, which is regulated in the UK.
Payments are authorised inside the customer’s own banking app using security checks such as:
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Face ID or fingerprint
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Banking passcodes
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Bank-level authentication
Because customers approve the payment in their bank app, no card details or bank details need to be shared with the business.
How is my data protected?
When a payment is made through Atoa, the authorisation happens directly within the customer’s bank.
Atoa does not store sensitive banking information, such as:
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Bank login credentials
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Full bank account details
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Personal banking security data
This means your financial information stays protected within your bank’s secure systems.
How much does Pay by Bank cost businesses?
Pay by Bank is typically lower cost than traditional card payments.
Atoa’s standard Pay by Bank rate is 0.7% per transaction, which works out to around 70p in fees for every £100 paid.
This can help businesses reduce payment processing costs, especially for higher-value transactions.
Atoa also supports card payments (Visa and Mastercard) with competitive pricing, giving businesses flexible payment options.
Can customers still pay by card?
Yes. Businesses using Atoa can accept both Pay by Bank and card payments.
Pay by Bank offers a fast and low-cost way to get paid directly from a customer’s bank, while card payments provide an additional option when needed.
How quickly are Pay by Bank payments received?
Pay by Bank payments are usually confirmed instantly once the customer approves the payment in their banking app.
In most cases, the funds are sent directly from the customer’s bank to the business and are available quickly, depending on the business’s payout setup.
Where can customers use Pay by Bank?
Customers can pay using Pay by Bank in several ways, including:
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Payment links sent by SMS or email
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QR codes displayed in-store
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Online checkout pages
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POS terminals
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Invoice payments with a “Pay now” button, such as invoices sent through Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage
This gives businesses flexibility to accept payments in person, online, or directly from invoices.
Which banks support Pay by Bank?
Most major UK banks support Pay by Bank through the open banking network.
This includes banks such as:
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Barclays
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HSBC
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Lloyds Bank
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NatWest
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Santander
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Monzo
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Starling Bank
Customers simply select their bank and approve the payment securely in their banking app.