Open banking in the UK: how apps reach your bank

Open banking is the UK system that lets you share your bank data with an app you trust, without handing over your password. You approve the sharing in your bank's own app, the app gets a read-only view of the accounts you chose, and you can switch it off whenever you like. It is how Era connects your banks to Claude and ChatGPT.

What is open banking?

Open banking is a set of rules, backed by the UK's regulators, that require banks and building societies to share your account information with authorised apps when you ask them to. It began with the biggest current account providers and now covers most of the banks, cards and savings accounts people use every day.

Before open banking, the only way for an app to see your transactions was to ask for your online banking login, which is exactly what you should never give anyone. Open banking replaced that with a proper doorway, controlled by you.

How do apps reach my bank?

You pick your bank inside the app, and the app sends you to your bank's own app or website to sign in the way you always do. The bank shows what is being asked, you confirm, and the bank then lets the app read the accounts you approved. Your banking password never reaches the app.

Era works this way for every UK provider. You choose Monzo, Barclays, Nationwide or any other, approve in that bank's app, and return to Era to find your accounts waiting.

Is open banking safe?

Yes, and it is designed to be. Only firms authorised or registered with the Financial Conduct Authority can use it, your bank handles the sign-in, the app gets read access to what you chose and no more, and you can see and withdraw each permission. Your banking password stays with your bank throughout.

On top of that, Era encrypts your data with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, never sells it, and does not let any model provider train on it. If you want to go deeper, is it safe to give AI your financial data goes through each layer.

How do I connect my bank account to an app?

Open the app, choose to connect your bank, find your provider and follow it to your bank's app. Approve the access, return to the app and wait a moment while your accounts arrive. Your bank will occasionally ask you to confirm again, and the app shows when that is due.

With Era the steps are the same. Create an account at era.app, choose Connect your bank, approve in your bank's app, and your accounts appear. If your bank is not available, you can import a statement into a manual account instead.

What can I do once my bank is connected?

You get a live picture of your money in one place: balances, transactions, recurring payments, spending by category and your financial health. You can set budgets, follow your net worth across providers and, in Era, share a space with a partner or housemates by choosing which balances to show.

The best part is what comes next. Era links the same accounts to Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and other assistants, so you can ask questions in plain English and get answers from your own numbers. What to ask your AI about your money has plenty to start with.

Which UK banks work with open banking?

Nearly all of the ones you will have heard of, from the high street names to the app banks, the card issuers and the investment platforms. Era has a guide for each of these, with the features that are worth asking an assistant about, and the guides are listed below for you to pick yours.

• Monzo, Starling, Revolut and Chase UK
• Barclays, HSBC UK, Lloyds, Halifax, NatWest, Nationwide and Santander UK
• Amex UK, Wise, PayPal and Trading 212

Era connects accounts across the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, and 40+ countries in all.

How does open banking connect to Claude and ChatGPT?

Claude and ChatGPT do not talk to your bank directly. Era does the open banking part, then offers every assistant a single, consent-based connection to the accounts you linked. You approve each assistant on its own consent screen, and you can remove one without affecting your bank connection.

Does Claude support open banking in the UK? and can ChatGPT connect to my UK bank account? walk through each assistant. The regulator is also looking ahead to agents that act for you, which FCA agentic finance explained covers.

What happens when my bank asks me to confirm again?

Open banking permissions do not last for ever. Your bank asks you to confirm now and then, and Era shows a Reconnect button on the account when it is due. You approve in your bank's app, exactly as the first time, and syncing carries on with your rules, tags and goals untouched.