Latest news with #Yaspa
Finextra
21 hours ago
- Business
- Finextra
Yaspa names Chris Lowe CFO
Award-winning open banking fintech Yaspa has named Chris Lowe as its new Chief Financial Officer. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. Lowe brings more than a decade of experience to the position, with a proven record of helping growth-stage companies scale at speed via a blend of core finance leadership and strategic roles. Yaspa is an award-winning fintech providing instant payments and identity services, using open banking and AI to help iGaming platforms build trust through smarter payments. Headquartered in London, Yaspa works with partners in the UK and Ireland and across Europe. Lowe, a qualified chartered accountant, has been working as fractional CFO for Yaspa since October 2024 through his position as Chief Strategy Officer at Irish finance consultancy Fitzgerald Power. He is now joining Yaspa full-time to help accelerate the company's growth trajectory, with imminent plans to expand into new geographic regions and industry sectors. Lowe's expertise in financial modelling and fund raising has helped previous clients grow from start up, to scale up and beyond; his appointment comes as Yaspa enters a critical stage in its evolution. Lowe said: 'It's a hugely exciting time to join Yaspa on its growth journey. I'm energised by companies at this stage, where things are moving fast and the market opportunity is clear with strong tailwinds. I thrive on bringing clarity to complexity through the numbers, helping to chart a confident course through dynamic conditions, and I'm looking forward to building closer relationships with the talented growing team.' Yaspa CEO James Neville said: 'Chris has already made a significant impact during his time as fractional CFO, helping us sharpen our financial strategy as we prepare for our next phase of growth. 'His experience scaling fast-moving businesses and navigating complex financial environments makes him the ideal person to lead Yaspa's finance function full-time. We're delighted to have him on board as we expand into new markets and continue building a category-defining business.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Interview: James Neville CEO of Yaspa
With over 10 years of experience as a founder, as well as holding previous roles as CTO at Worldpay and Just Eat, James Neville, CEO of Yaspa, is perfectly qualified to discuss all things related to open banking and payments. He is also one of the payments sector's leading experts in identity verification. It is rather stating the obvious to note that open banking has the potential to revolutionise payments. It offers faster, more secure, and cost-effective transactions. But Yaspa's research highlights a key challenge: naming conventions matter. Pay-by-Bank, Pay by bank account, Account-to-account payments, A2A, Open banking. Instant payments are all terms used to refer to the same, simple method of a payment made from one bank account to another. That is a payment initiated through open banking providers, meaning consumers avoid the chore of typing in, checking and verifying the transfer details. 'Pay by Bank' is gaining traction, but its meaning remains ambiguous to many consumers. This is one key takeaway from the Yaspa Index 2025, launched to act as a benchmark for industry awareness and to provide valuable insights for businesses looking to optimise their payment offerings. 55% of UK adults report familiarity with the term 'Pay by Bank', but 45% remain unaware of the phrase despite its growing presence in online checkouts; Security (72%) and ease of use (66%) are the top priorities for consumers choosing a payment method; QR code payments are on the rise, yet only 27% of respondents used them for transactions in the past year, and Consumer education remains critical to driving open banking adoption, particularly in high-growth sectors such as gaming and retail. Neville tells EPI that there is still an element of consumer education that needs to happen and that it is very demographic dependent. That is a polite way of saying that towards the older range of the demographic spectrum that there is work to do, 'A lot of people are using the new tools without knowing the actual banking terms for the tools they're using. We don't expect consumers to really understand the mechanics of it. Pay by bank, knowing that you're using your banking app or the bank services to make a payment and the need to differentiate from cards - that is important.' If open banking is ever to realise its full potential, issues such as data transparency, improvements in payment execution and enhanced fraud prevention are essential. Yaspa is committed to driving these changes, working with industry partners to help shape a more seamless and secure future for open banking payments. Neville is also championing the standardisation of language related to open banking across the industry to help boost consumer understanding and adoption. The challenge then is to ensure that consumers understand the benefits to them of using instant bank payments. For example, speed, security, control and fewer input errors. And then, once consumers have used it in one place, recognising it's available as an option in another place, even if it's from a different provider. Looking ahead, Neville is optimistic that open banking can deliver a frictionless experience for businesses and consumers alike. With the right enhancements, it could soon rival - and even surpass - traditional card payments in convenience, security, and efficiency. 'We're pretty unique in the space in that we connect identity and money. So we do lots of clever things, like providing bank identity on the transaction itself, and we provide financial health of that individual at the point of payment.' Yaspa already operates across 19 European markets and is now plotting expansion in the Americas. Neville has good reason to look ahead with optimism. "Interview: James Neville CEO of Yaspa" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Interview: James Neville CEO of Yaspa
With over 10 years of experience as a founder, as well as holding previous roles as CTO at Worldpay and Just Eat, James Neville, CEO of Yaspa, is perfectly qualified to discuss all things related to open banking and payments. He is also one of the payments sector's leading experts in identity verification. It is rather stating the obvious to note that open banking has the potential to revolutionise payments. It offers faster, more secure, and cost-effective transactions. But Yaspa's research highlights a key challenge: naming conventions matter. Pay-by-Bank, Pay by bank account, Account-to-account payments, A2A, Open banking. Instant payments are all terms used to refer to the same, simple method of a payment made from one bank account to another. That is a payment initiated through open banking providers, meaning consumers avoid the chore of typing in, checking and verifying the transfer details. 'Pay by Bank' is gaining traction, but its meaning remains ambiguous to many consumers. This is one key takeaway from the Yaspa Index 2025, launched to act as a benchmark for industry awareness and to provide valuable insights for businesses looking to optimise their payment offerings. 55% of UK adults report familiarity with the term 'Pay by Bank', but 45% remain unaware of the phrase despite its growing presence in online checkouts; Security (72%) and ease of use (66%) are the top priorities for consumers choosing a payment method; QR code payments are on the rise, yet only 27% of respondents used them for transactions in the past year, and Consumer education remains critical to driving open banking adoption, particularly in high-growth sectors such as gaming and retail. Neville tells EPI that there is still an element of consumer education that needs to happen and that it is very demographic dependent. That is a polite way of saying that towards the older range of the demographic spectrum that there is work to do, 'A lot of people are using the new tools without knowing the actual banking terms for the tools they're using. We don't expect consumers to really understand the mechanics of it. Pay by bank, knowing that you're using your banking app or the bank services to make a payment and the need to differentiate from cards - that is important.' If open banking is ever to realise its full potential, issues such as data transparency, improvements in payment execution and enhanced fraud prevention are essential. Yaspa is committed to driving these changes, working with industry partners to help shape a more seamless and secure future for open banking payments. Neville is also championing the standardisation of language related to open banking across the industry to help boost consumer understanding and adoption. The challenge then is to ensure that consumers understand the benefits to them of using instant bank payments. For example, speed, security, control and fewer input errors. And then, once consumers have used it in one place, recognising it's available as an option in another place, even if it's from a different provider. Looking ahead, Neville is optimistic that open banking can deliver a frictionless experience for businesses and consumers alike. With the right enhancements, it could soon rival - and even surpass - traditional card payments in convenience, security, and efficiency. 'We're pretty unique in the space in that we connect identity and money. So we do lots of clever things, like providing bank identity on the transaction itself, and we provide financial health of that individual at the point of payment.' Yaspa already operates across 19 European markets and is now plotting expansion in the Americas. Neville has good reason to look ahead with optimism. "Interview: James Neville CEO of Yaspa" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Finextra
19-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Yaspa joins The Payments Association
London fintech Yaspa, an award-winning provider of real-time payment, and account verification and intelligence solutions, has announced its membership of The Payments Association. 0 Yaspa uses open banking technology to provide instant bank payments that are faster and more cost-effective than cards. Its unique Intelligent Payments solution combines Pay by Bank transactions, AI-powered verification, and real-time risk assessment into a seamless, secure experience. Now, the London-based company has joined The Payments Association, a community of leaders and innovators committed to shaping the future of payments, with more than 230 corporate members, including industry giants such as Worldpay, Mastercard, Visa and American Express. Yaspa's involvement will strengthen its engagement with policymakers and senior industry figures, reinforcing its commitment to advancing robust fraud prevention measures. The membership marks another milestone in Yaspa's growth journey, reflecting its ambition to influence the future of payments not only through product innovation, but also through active industry collaboration and policy engagement. Through active participation in specialist working groups, Yaspa will help shape key industry initiatives, broaden its network, and support progress across critical areas such as open banking, user verification, AI in payments, and responsible gambling. Yaspa CMO Kate Marsden said: 'We're delighted to join a community that shares our belief in the power of open banking to deliver a streamlined payment experience for the user, and actionable insights for businesses. 'The Payment Association's commitment to driving innovation and collaboration across the ecosystem makes it a natural fit for Yaspa as we continue to champion smarter, safer digital transactions.' Freddie Marewa, Member Engagement Manager at The Payments Association, said: 'We're excited to have Yaspa on board at The Payments Association. We can't wait to team up and help them make the most of their membership - our community will really benefit from the expertise they bring. 'We're confident it will be a mutually valuable partnership with great opportunities for collaboration.'
