UK Regulator Consults on Technical Standards for Strong Customer Authentication in Payments as Preparation for a No-Deal Brexit

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on the proposed Technical Standards on strong customer authentication and common and secure open standards of communication (referred to as the U.K. SCA RTS). The U.K. SCA RTS would apply in the U.K. from September 14, 2019 in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The FCA's proposals will apply to payment service providers, including banks, building societies, e-money issuers, payment institutions, registered Account Information Services (AIS) and Payment Initiation Services (PIS) service providers. Responses to the consultation should be submitted by February 19, 2019. The FCA intends to publish the final Technical Standards in April 2019.

The EU SCA Regulatory Technical Standards (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/389), which supplement the EU Payment Services Directive, came into force on March 14, 2018. The EU SCA RTS impose obligations on PSPs to increase the security of customers' payments made by card and other means and set out requirements on account servicing payment service providers (ASPSPs) relating to the third party providers of Account Information Services and Payment Initiation Services. The EU SCA RTS will apply directly across the EU from September 14, 2019.

The FCA is proposing to make the U.K. SCA RTS substantially similar to the EU SCA RTS so as not to disrupt and confuse the substantial preparations that industry has already made to implement the EU requirements. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the U.K. SCA RTS will supplement the U.K. Payment Services Regulations 2017, as amended by the Electronic Money, Payment Services and Payment Systems (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. Without the U.K. SCA RTS, the revised-for-Brexit PSRs would be ineffective as they require compliance with U.K.SCA RTS.

View the consultation paper (CP18/44).

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