Version 3.1.6 of the Open Banking Standard includes new features to help participants further improve Open Banking services. 25 June 2020: The Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) is pleased to announce the publication of the Open Banking Standard, version 3.1.6 – which supports the transition of open banking-enabled services when users switch bank accounts using the Current Account Switching Service (CASS) These refinements, as well as additional features to enable participants to improve open banking, are delivered through updates to the Read/Write API Specification & Customer Experience Guidelines (CEGs). This is a minor update to version 3.1.5 which was released in March 2020. Based on feedback from participants within the ecosystem, this version provides clarifications to previous versions and introduces the following enhanced functionality, with guidelines to enable new features to be introduced in the ecosystem: Technical Design Authority decisions: See API specification version control for full details. Based on recommendation from CASS, guidance is provided to ASPSPs and TPPs that TPP permissions will not be switched when a current account is switched from one ASPSP to another as part of CASS. for the related API specifications include definition of messaging between ASPSPs and TPPs to support the provision of information relating to the switch. Further guidance to TPPs on a) “Setup” around the codification of key parameters in the customer data agreement between the TPP and the customer and b) “Consent” around key codification parameters that should be included in AIS consent (PSD2). This content was previously approved at IESG on 17 October 2019. Minor reported errata fixes to CEG & TPP guidelines. The following artefacts have been updated: API Specifications Customer Experience Guidelines We have also updated the FAQs section for standards and conformance. – – – ENDS – – – For further information, please contact: press@openbanking.org.uk About Us Open Banking is a new, secure way for customers to take control of their financial data and share it with organisations other than their banks. Open Banking has the power to revolutionise the way we move, manage and make more of our money. For businesses, it is about making the management of cash flow and receiving payments cheaper and easier. Open Banking will make things simpler, faster and more convenient. Open Banking follows the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the supply of personal current accounts (PCAs) and of banking services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Open Banking was created to enable innovation, transparency and competition in UK financial services. It is tasked with delivering the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), data structures and security architectures that will enable developers to harness technology, making it easy and safe for individuals and SMEs to share the financial information held by their banks with third parties. Open Banking will bring substantial benefits. It gives customers and SMEs greater market choice and greater control over their money and associated data, along with better and easier access to new financial services providers in a secure environment. Notes to Editors: Open Banking Ltd was set up by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) in September 2016 to fulfil one of the remedies mandated by the CMA following an investigation into UK retail banking. The CMA’s investigation into the retail banking market (whose findings were published in August 2016) concluded that older and larger banks do not compete hard enough for customers’ business and that Open Banking should deliver a new, secure option for customers to be able to compare the deal they are getting from their bank. Open Banking was created to enable innovation, transparency and competition to UK financial services. It is tasked with delivering the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), data structures and security architectures that will make it easy and safe for customers to share their financial records by January 2018. The data provided by Open Banking will enable developers to harness technology that allows individuals and businesses to share their financial records held by their banks with third parties. Open Banking is a private body; its governance, composition and budget was determined by the CMA. It is funded by the UK’s nine largest current account providers and overseen by the CMA, the Financial Conduct Authority and Her Majesty’s Treasury. The 9 mandated institutions (referred to as the CMA9) are: Barclays plc, Lloyds Banking Group plc, Santander, Danske, HSBC, RBS, Bank of Ireland, Nationwide and AIBG.