Yapily and Allica join forces to streamline SME banking

Yapily, a European open banking infrastructure platform, and Allica Bank, the UK’s fastest-growing fintech, have joined forces to deliver seamless and secure open banking top-ups to UK SME current accounts.

The collaboration means Allica Bank customers can now top up their Business Rewards Account in just a few clicks, without the need to jump between banking apps or manually input details. This new feature, powered by Yapily’s infrastructure, enables instant and secure fund transfers from external accounts directly into Allica current or savings accounts.

Launched in 2020, Allica Bank has become a standout name in SME banking, catering to established businesses with 5 to 250 employees. Its flagship Business Rewards Account, introduced in early 2023, blends modern digital banking with personalised service via dedicated relationship managers. With Yapily’s open banking capabilities, Allica now takes this one step further — allowing businesses to manage funds more efficiently and securely.

“Business owners are busy people,” said Nida Sattar, Allica Bank’s Product Director for Payments.

“Being able to easily and quickly top up your account, rather than faffing around with manual payments, is one great example of how we’re making banking easier. And using open banking in this way provides important security benefits for our customers, too.”

Through Yapily’s extensive integration with UK banks, customers can initiate payments within their Allica account interface, eliminating common pain points such as misdirected payments, delayed transfers, and clunky authentication steps. This means businesses can top-up funds on the go, whether to cover daily expenses or move cash into instant-access savings pots.

The new top-up feature also reflects a broader shift in SME banking, where speed, simplicity, and security are becoming essential. SMEs account for a third of UK employment and turnover, yet remain underserved by traditional banking services. Yapily and Allica aim to bridge that gap by using tech to remove friction and put control back into business owners’ hands.

Stefano Vaccino, CEO and founder of Yapily, highlighted the broader vision: “At Yapily, we believe in driving meaningful innovation that makes a difference for businesses and their customers.

“This partnership allows Allica Bank to bring the speed, simplicity, and security of open banking to their SME customers. By removing manual processes and reducing errors, we’re not just helping customers save time, but allowing them to focus on growing their businesses.”

This move is just the beginning for Allica’s open banking journey. Sattar noted that more innovations using Yapily’s capabilities are already being explored.