Starling Bank Partners with Adyen for In-App Tap-to-Pay for UK SMEs

Starling Bank chose Adyen to deliver card payment acceptance inside its business banking app, the companies announced on May 19, 2026. The first feature is tap to pay, which turns eligible smartphones into contactless payment terminals using NFC technology. SME customers can activate the feature and begin accepting payments within minutes, with funds settling to their Starling account the next day.

The entire lifecycle, from onboarding to settlement and refunds, runs within the Starling app, so merchants never interact with Adyen directly. Later in 2026, Starling plans to add card payment links to its free in-app invoicing tool, letting SMEs collect invoice payments by card or mobile wallet. Financial terms were not disclosed.