First Direct customers can now make payments while chatting on messaging apps, without needing to log into their online banking.
The internet and telephone bank said customers can now make secure payments seamlessly while using social media apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, using its new service fdpay.
This can be done by tapping a payment icon on the phone’s keyboard within a conversation and managing a payment “within seconds”, without having to open the banking app.
This could, for example, help people organising trips and events with other family members, friends and members of clubs make sure payments are made at the same time as they make their plans.
Until now, making payments required First Direct customers to launch their banking app or log in to online banking and enter the details to complete the payment.
Joe Gordon, head of First Direct, said: “People want to be able to manage their finances easily and securely, and fdpay is just another way for First Direct to provide customers with a service they will find useful.”
Fdpay was built in partnership with PayKey, which enables banks to offer customers access to financial services from within mobile apps.
On pressing the fd button, customers are securely authenticated and are able to make a payment.
Fdpay uses the UK banking industry’s Paym service – where people can send payments without needing to know someone’s bank details, just their mobile phone number. Immediate payments of up to £350 a day are possible.
The person receiving the fdpay payment does not need to be a First Direct customer but senders and recipients have to be registered to use Paym.
