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Griffin is a UK bank authorised by the PRA that offers embedded bank accounts, safeguarding and client money accounts, Faster Payments, Bacs credits and CHAPS, and automated KYC and KYB checks.
Griffin is ranked in 3 Buckingham Intelligence indices. Its highest score is 3.2 out of 5 (64 out of 100) in the Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index, where it ranks 5 of 11. It is strongest for UK fintechs and platforms wanting a bank with published plan tiers and fast onboarding, with 5 out of 5 for licence and deposit protection. Not published or not stated on the pages read: product range, compliance support and integration.
Also ranked in: Safeguarding Banks Index (3.2 out of 5, rank 8 of 14) and Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index (2.8 out of 5, rank 6 of 10).
Scores from the Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index, Safeguarding Banks Index and Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For fintechs launching accounts and cards | 63 | 5 of 11 |
| For software platforms embedding finance | 61 | 5 of 11 |
| For regulated payment and e-money firms | 69 | 5 of 11 |
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For E-money institutions | 67 | 8 of 14 |
| For payment institutions | 66 | 8 of 14 |
| For firms applying for a licence | 60 | 9 of 14 |
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For payment and e-money firms | 67 | 5 of 10 |
| For marketplaces and platforms | 56 | 6 of 10 |
| For businesses collecting from abroad | 46 | 7 of 10 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
UK fintechs and platforms wanting a bank with published plan tiers and fast onboarding.
Dedicated per-customer safeguarding accounts.
UK payment, e-money and investment firms needing safeguarding or client money accounts.
What Griffin publishes on its own pages, read on 21 and 26 October 2026.
Griffin is a UK bank authorised by the PRA that offers embedded bank accounts, safeguarding and client money accounts, Faster Payments, Bacs credits and CHAPS, and automated KYC and KYB checks. It publishes monthly minimum spend tiers and a 6 to 8 week go-live, though its onboarding fee is a "from" price. Cards and lending are not offered on the pages read.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Product range | Embedded bank accounts, business accounts, savings, client money, safeguarding, payments (Faster Payments, Bacs credits, CHAPS) and Verify. Cards and lending not published. |
| Pricing | Platform banking onboarding "from £15,000"; monthly minimum spend packages £4,000, £6,000 and £10,000, Enterprise custom. |
| Licence and deposit protection | Griffin Bank Ltd, "authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority", firm reference 970920; FSCS "up to £120,000". |
| Compliance support | Verify: "Automate KYC/KYB checks"; "Use our onboarding products to automate key compliance processes." |
| Integration | "Embed accounts, payments and onboarding via our API"; sandbox at app.griffin.com/register; "Go live in 6 to 8 weeks". |
| Scale | "80+ companies use Griffin"; "£8.9B+ payments processed since launching in 2024". |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: griffin.com/pricing, griffin.com/about, griffin.com/products/embedded-bank-accounts, griffin.com/products/payments, griffin.com/products/verify, griffin.com/deposit-protection.
A UK bank built for software platforms, fully authorised in March 2024. It publishes dedicated and pooled safeguarding accounts for FCA-regulated EMIs and PIs, client money accounts and API reconciliation, and publishes platform and business account prices. Its eligibility page accepts UK private limited companies and says it may not be able to work with firms based outside the UK. It does not publish the rate paid on safeguarded balances.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Legal status | "Griffin Bank Ltd ("Griffin") is a company registered in England and Wales (No. 10842931)." "Griffin is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority." FRN 970920. |
| Who it serves | "Our safeguarding services are for FCA-regulated electronic money institutions and payments institutions." Applicants must be "a registered company limited by shares (Ltd) based in the UK" and "have the correct regulatory permissions". Firms based outside the UK: "We may not be able to work with you", depending on the products sought. No minimums listed. |
| Products | Dedicated safeguarding accounts ("Individual bank accounts for each of your customers") or one pooled safeguarding account; client money accounts; operational accounts. Company facts list payments via Faster Payments, inbound CHAPS and instant book transfers, with Bacs and outbound CHAPS "Coming soon". Scheme membership not stated. |
| Pricing | Business bank accounts: monthly fees "From £100"; interest "From 1.75%" (1.76% AER, variable, tracks Bank of England base rate). Platform banking: one-off onboarding fee "from £15,000"; monthly minimum spend packages of £3,500, £5,000 or £10,000, or Enterprise "Custom". Safeguarding accounts "are able to earn interest, depending on your contract"; no safeguarding-specific rate. |
| Onboarding | Safeguarding page: "Onboard with us in days, not months." Pricing page, platform banking: go-live stated as 6 to 8 weeks. No document list. Regulatory permissions required. |
| Technology | API integration with "your existing ledger and accounting systems"; "Instantly reconcile customer funds with our ledger"; "instant payment notifications, simplified reconciliation, automated reporting". Real-time balances not stated. |
| Protection and scale | "Your customers' deposits are protected", with a deposit protection page linked. Pricing page: "Trusted by 50+ companies". |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: griffin.com/products/safeguarding, griffin.com/solutions/e-money-and-payments, griffin.com/pricing, griffin.com/eligibility, griffin.com/company-facts, griffin.com/support/faqs/questions/….
Griffin is a UK bank offering dedicated accounts with their own sort code and account number for each customer, and pooled safeguarding accounts, receiving on Faster Payments, Bacs and CHAPS. It publishes its PRA authorisation and FSCS terms, and onboarding in days. It serves sterling only and publishes only "from" prices.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Currencies | Sterling accounts; UK only. |
| Account ownership | Embedded accounts with "a real sort code and unique account number", owned by the customer; safeguarding "Individual bank accounts for each of your customers" or "One pooled safeguarding account". |
| Pricing | Business accounts "From £100" a month; platform banking onboarding "from £15,000"; monthly minimum spend packages from £4,000. |
| Local rails | Faster Payments, Bacs credits and CHAPS. |
| Regulatory standing | Griffin Bank Ltd authorised by the PRA, regulated by the FCA and PRA, firm reference 970920; FSCS "up to £120,000". |
| Integration | API; sandbox at app.griffin.com/register; "Onboard with us in days, not months." |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: griffin.com/products/safeguarding, griffin.com/products/embedded-bank-accounts, griffin.com/products/payments, griffin.com/pricing, griffin.com/deposit-protection.
Each score with the evidence behind it.
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Safeguarding Banks Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Virtual Accounts and IBANs Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan | 3.9 | 1 of 11 | European software platforms wanting accounts and cards fast, with no-code screens |
| Solaris | 3.9 | 2 of 11 | European fintechs wanting a licensed bank that carries the compliance work |
| Airwallex | 3.8 | 3 of 11 | Platforms serving business customers in many countries from one integration |
| Weavr | 3.2 | 4 of 11 | UK and EU business software adding accounts and cards at a fixed monthly price |
| ClearBank | 3.2 | 6 of 11 | UK payment and e-money firms wanting FSCS-protected accounts and direct UK payment access |
| Synctera | 2.8 | 7 of 11 | Fintechs in the US and Canada wanting onboarding and monitoring built in |
| Column | 2.6 | 8 of 11 | US fintechs wanting to build directly on a chartered bank rather than through a middle layer |
| Increase | 2.6 | 9 of 11 | US platforms wanting a fully priced payments and accounts API |
| Unit | 2.4 | 10 of 11 | US software platforms wanting ready-made banking screens |
| Treasury Prime | 1.9 | 11 of 11 | US banks running their own fintech programmes |
Full Banking-as-a-Service and Sponsor Banks Index ranking
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearBank | 4.2 | 1 of 14 | EMIs and PIs needing direct UK and EU scheme access |
| European Merchant Bank | 3.8 | 2 of 14 | EU EMIs wanting a published safeguarding tariff |
| Mano Bank | 3.8 | 3 of 14 | EU EMIs and PIs wanting fixed published safeguarding fees |
| Memo Bank | 3.6 | 4 of 14 | EU firms wanting interest on safeguarded euros |
| Magnetiq Bank | 3.5 | 5 of 14 | EEA EMIs and PIs still in the licensing queue |
| Banking Circle | 3.5 | 6 of 14 | Multi-currency safeguarding across the UK and EEA |
| Bank of London | 3.5 | 7 of 14 | Firms opening accounts during authorisation |
| LHV Bank | 3.0 | 9 of 14 | GBP and EUR safeguarding with agency banking |
| Starling Banking Services | 2.8 | 10 of 14 | UK payment firms wanting their own sort code |
| Solaris | 2.2 | 11 of 14 | A second safeguarding account for licensed EMIs and PIs |
| CaixaBank | 2.1 | 12 of 14 | Payment firms licensed or passported into Spain |
| BNY | 1.9 | 13 of 14 | Large EMIs investing safeguarded cash in money market funds |
| Sutor Bank | 1.9 | 14 of 14 | Digital e-money and payment firms using banking as a service |
Full Safeguarding Banks Index ranking
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airwallex | 4.3 | 1 of 10 | Platforms and businesses needing local receiving details in many currencies at published prices |
| Wise Business | 4.0 | 2 of 10 | Small and mid-sized businesses collecting from customers abroad |
| Nium | 3.8 | 3 of 10 | Payment firms and platforms issuing accounts in their customers' names under their own brand |
| ClearBank | 3.3 | 4 of 10 | UK payment and e-money firms needing safeguarding and virtual accounts at a bank |
| Swan | 2.8 | 5 of 10 | European platforms issuing euro accounts with local IBANs to their customers |
| Weavr | 2.6 | 7 of 10 | UK and EU business software giving each client account an IBAN at a fixed monthly price |
| Payoneer | 2.6 | 8 of 10 | Sellers and freelancers collecting from marketplaces and overseas clients |
| Column | 2.5 | 9 of 10 | US fintechs needing FBO accounts and account numbers at a chartered bank |
| Increase | 2.4 | 10 of 10 | US platforms creating many account numbers for reconciliation |
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
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