Banking as a Service Gains Unstoppable Momentum, Finastra Research Shows

Published: March 28, 2022

 Finastra today published a market assessment report: ‘Banking as a Service: Outlook 2022 | Paving the way for Embedded Finance’. The research canvassed the opinions of 1,600 senior industry executives, exploring the opportunities presented by Banking as a Service (BaaS) – to provide retail or wholesale banking products and services to customers in context, as a service, using an existing licensed institution’s secure, regulated infrastructure with modern API-driven platforms.

The Finastra research reveals the true extent of the appetite for BaaS, with almost 85% of respondents already implementing or planning to implement BaaS over the next 12-18 months. Key findings include:

Angus Ross, Chief Revenue Officer, Banking as a Service at Finastra said, “There’s no doubt that BaaS is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the entire financial services ecosystem. Financial institutions can reach a greater number of customers at significantly lower cost, while distributor brands can open up new lines of revenue and build deeper relationships with their customers. It’s clear from our research that consumers (retail or corporate) are changing where they source financial services and shifting to non-bank channels. This trend will only accelerate as integrating regulated products into the customer journey becomes as simple as creating a social media account.”

Brian McKenney, Chief Innovation Officer, HSBC said, “The application of BaaS represents an attractive opportunity to create new value for businesses around the world. Embedding financial solutions will bring contextualised, integrated banking services into the products and platforms that businesses use every day. How providers partner and support this unique international need of businesses will, over time, be the real differentiator.”

David Palmer, Head of Digital Asset Broker Product, Vodafone said, “Embedded Finance and BaaS present a significant opportunity in the fast growing ‘Economy of Things’. It is estimated there will be as many as 60 billion IoT devices in operation by 2025; we expect these devices to be interacting, transacting and many will need to be financed. Incorporating embedded finance and BaaS solutions with IoT and the Economy of Things presents exciting new business and monetisation opportunities.”

Finastra’s research also assessed the monetisation strategies of distributors, enablers and providers in BaaS, and explored the importance of partnerships. All respondents were in favor of a transition to a platform and marketplace model, where a greater range of niche solutions at competitive prices can be sourced by end customers.

Theodora Lau, Founder, Unconventional Ventures commented, “I am encouraged by the growing embedded finance ecosystem, especially as it relates to extending services to communities and businesses that have been traditionally underserved with limited offerings. Small businesses and entrepreneurs form the backbone of our economies. With thoughtful innovation, we have the opportunity to create a more level playing field and a more equitable future for all. Technology innovation ultimately needs to be about people.”

Jim Marous, Co-publisher of The Financial Brand said, “Opportunities associated with BaaS are exploding in the banking ecosystem as organisations not only search for new ways to improve customer engagement and enhance experiences, but also find new sources of revenues from inside and outside the financial services marketplace."

Finastra’s research shows that financial services providers need four key capabilities to work with distributors and enablers and to monetise BaaS. From a technology perspective, these include:

From a product perspective, providers need dynamic and compelling offerings to entice customers.  

Learn more about the BaaS opportunities available for distributors, enablers and providers – and the growth potential of different market segments – in the full market assessment report here.