United Kingdom · Payments & e-money
Apron Payments LTD
Apron Payments Ltd is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, with its registered office in London. The FCA authorises it as an electronic money institution under firm reference number 1004915. It also acts as a PSD agent of Plaid Financial Ltd for account information services. Its founder and chief executive, Bogdan Uzbekov, controls the firm, and venture investors including Index Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and Zinal Growth have funded it. It offers UK small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers a platform for supplier and payroll payments, international payments, expense cards, payment links and invoice capture.
Licences and registrations
Held by Apron Payments Ltd (LEI 254900FKKVWTLLWOLM11). 1 entry on 1 of the 22 tracked registers, retrieved 25 September 2026.
| Register | Licence | Number | Jurisdiction | Status | Registered | Ends | Activities | Register entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA Financial Services Register - E-Money InstitutionsFCALinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives. | Authorised E-Money InstitutionE-Money / Stored Value Institution | 1004915 | United Kingdom | Active | 2024-08-02 | — |
|
Search the register ↗ |
- Licences belong to the legal entity, not to a BIC.
- Each licence applies in the country of the regulator that granted it.
- Registers are tracked in 37 countries. Licences granted elsewhere are not recorded here.
- The register entries and their trading names were not matched against sanctions lists. The sanctions facts on this page cover the BIC and its LEI only.
Swift network
Swift’s ISO 9362 BIC directory
- BIC
- APPYGB22XXX head office
- Connection to Swift
- Reverse billingThe institution is connected to Swift. Messages sent to it are billed to the institution, not to the sender. The “2” in the eighth character of APPYGB22 marks reverse billing.
- Swift GPI
- Not on the member list
- Payment schemes and systems
- No entry in the EPC registers, the ECB T2 and TIPS lists or the SIX Bank Master cites this BIC
- Branch codes
- None: head-office BIC only
- BIC first registered
- 2024-12-07
- Last updated
- 2024-12-07
Overview
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
Ownership
Venture-backed
Firm type
FX and business payments
Trades as Apron
- Ownership
- Bogdan Uzbekov holds more than 25% but not more than 50% of the shares and voting rights, and the FY2025 accounts name him as the ultimate controlling party. The firm has issued seed, Series A and Series B preference shares to venture investors.
- Major shareholder
- Bogdan Uzbekov
- Head office
- 201 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3AB London, United Kingdom
- Company register
- Companies House 13779960
- Incorporated
- 3 Dec 2021
- Founder
- Bogdan Uzbekov
- Former name
- HELLO CASH LTD
Online
- Websites & references
- getapron.com ↗
support.getapron.com ↗ help centre
blog.getapron.com ↗ blog - Official social accounts
- LinkedIn ↗ · Facebook ↗ · Instagram ↗
Sources · 16 pages consulted
- register.fca.org.uk/s/firm?id=0014G00003DSdP7QAL
- register.fca.org.uk/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=015b0000006CWmx
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13779960
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13779960/officers
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13779960/persons-with-significant-control
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13779960/filing-history
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13779960/filing-history/MzUzNjk5ODYzOGFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
- getapron.com/
- getapron.com/about
- getapron.com/terms-and-policies/apron-card
- getapron.com/terms-and-policies/apron-payments
- support.getapron.com/en/articles/8839661-how-does-apron-keep-money-secure
- support.getapron.com/en/articles/8007788-learn-about-apron-s-role-in-processing-your-funds
- accountancyage.com/press-release/apron-raises-30-million-series-b-to-help-more-small-business-owners-take-th
- indexventures.com/perspectives/apron-raises-15m-to-free-up-small-businesses-and-accountants-from-the-pain-o
- accountex.co.uk/insight/2026/03/24/apron-named-uks-fastest-growing-fintech-startup-by-sifted/
Authorisation
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Operates under
- Several models
- Licensed firm it operates under
- Plaid Financial Ltd, United Kingdom PSD agent (FRN 903089) of Plaid Financial Ltd for Account Information Services
The FCA authorises the firm as an electronic money institution under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and the Payment Services Regulations 2017, reference 1004915. For account information services, it acts as a PSD agent of Plaid Financial Ltd, which the FCA authorises as a payment institution.
| Authority | Licence or registration | Number | Held | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom | Authorised Electronic Money Institution | 1004915 | In its own name | Active | register.fca.org.uk ↗ |
| Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom | PSD agent of Plaid Financial Ltd (FRN 804718) for Account Information Services | 903089 | As agent | Active | — |
Licences and registrations the research found, at home and abroad, as the firm and its regulators publish them. The Licences and registrations card shows the entries on the registers the directory tracks.
Partners and safeguarding
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Safeguarding
- Segregated safeguarding accountsThe firm states that it holds customer funds for e-money in segregated safeguarding accounts at FCA-approved credit institutions, apart from its own funds, and that an independent auditor reviews its safeguarding every year.
- Card issuer
- Checkout Limited United Kingdom
- Payment schemes and card networks
- Mastercard Through a partner getapron.com ↗
Banks and regulated firms the firm says hold its customers’ money, issue its cards, sponsor its accounts or settle its payments, as it discloses them in its terms and notices.
Products and markets
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
The platform lets UK businesses pay suppliers and payroll in batches, send payments in GBP, USD, EUR and more than 35 other currencies, issue Mastercard expense cards, collect payments through links and capture invoices. According to the firm, customers can also pay by credit card and earn rewards.
It serves businesses in the United Kingdom under its FCA authorisation, and its FY2025 accounts state that all turnover arose in the United Kingdom.
- Revenue
- GBP 3.05m
- Sells to
- Small businesses · Other
- Serves customers in
- United Kingdom
- Latest funding round
- Series B · USD 30m Sep 2024Led by Zinal Growth
- Total raised
- GBP 38m to Dec 2025 · find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗
Leadership
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Chief executive
- Bogdan Uzbekov Founder and CEO; Director
- Executive
- Jan Hammer Director
- Executive
- Eric Ariel Sterman Director
- Executive
- Samuel Halse Director
- Executive
- Kathleen Derose Director
Recent events
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
-
Other
The firm registered a charge created on 10 August 2026 at Companies House.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Funding
The firm issued a GBP 6 million convertible loan note with a 4% coupon, maturing on 19 June 2027.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Leadership
The firm appointed Kathleen Derose as a director on 7 July 2025.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Leadership
The firm appointed Samuel Halse as a director on 6 April 2025.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Licence
The firm began operating under its own electronic money institution authorisation on 14 January 2025.
support.getapron.com ↗ -
Funding
The firm announced a USD 30 million Series B round led by Zinal Growth.
accountancyage.com ↗ -
Licence
The FCA authorised the firm as an electronic money institution on 2 August 2024.
register.fca.org.uk ↗
Compliance-relevant events of the last three years, newest first: fines and enforcement, investigations, security incidents, licence changes, funding rounds, acquisitions and leadership changes. Each links to its source.
Identifiers
Head-office record
- BIC
- APPYGB22XXX
- How the BIC breaks down
- APPYBank
- GBCountry · United Kingdom
- 22Location · reverse billing
- XXXBranch · head office
- Branch description
- Not recorded in the directory
- LEI
- 254900FKKVWTLLWOLM11
- LEI record
- View on GLEIF ↗
- Licence no. · FCA-EMI
- 1004915
- How the LEI was matched
- BIC: Mapped to this BIC in the Swift and GLEIF BIC-to-LEI relationship file.Register entry: Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives.
- Register-entry ID
- 1877f9a9045b
Profile
- Type
- Payments & e-moneyPayment institutions, e-money and stored-value issuers, and account-information providers. Licensed under payment-services law (e.g. PSD2 in the EU and UK, the Payment Services Act in Singapore). Taken from the licences on the tracked registers.
- Regulation
- Prudential licenceAuthorised with capital, safeguarding and conduct requirements, e.g. an authorised payment or e-money institution in the EU or UK, a major payment institution in Singapore, or a MiCA crypto-asset service provider.
- Register licences
- 1 entry on 1 register
- Activities
- Payment services
- E-money / stored value
- Licensed in
- United Kingdom
- Website (register)
- getapron.com ↗
- Country · region
- United Kingdom · Europe & Central Asia
- Trading venues (MIC)
- No MIC registered under this LEI list of 2026-09-17
- OFAC sanctions
- No listing cites this BIC
- EU sanctions
- No listing matched this BIC or its LEI
- Country sanctions
- No country programme
Types come from Swift’s BIC classification, the licences on the 22 tracked registers, and the ECB and FSB bank lists. Most banks outside the euro area appear as financial institutions, because their supervisors’ registers are not tracked yet.
Ownership and group
GLEIF relationship records
GLEIF’s relationship records name no parent for this LEI, and no group page is published for it.
Addresses
- Registered address
- ONE CANADA SQUARE FLOOR LEVEL 24 ONE CANADA SQUARE LONDON E145AB UNITED KINGDOM
- Operational address
- ONE CANADA SQUARE FLOOR LEVEL 24 ONE CANADA SQUARE LONDON LONDON E145AB UNITED KINGDOM
ISO 20022 identification
As an agent in a Swift cross-border payment message (CBPR+)
A CBPR+ message identifies this institution by its BIC, and may add its LEI or a clearing code. CBPR+ does not allow a name and postal address next to a BIC.
- Identified by
- BIC, with its LEI
- Roles in CBPR+
- Any agent, including the instructing and instructed agents
CBPR+
For cross-border payments on Swift: the BIC, with the LEI and clearing code where known
<FinInstnId>
<BICFI>APPYGB22XXX</BICFI>
<LEI>254900FKKVWTLLWOLM11</LEI>
</FinInstnId>Full record
Every ISO 20022 element the directory holds. Base ISO 20022 allows them together. CBPR+ does not allow a name and address next to a BIC
<FinInstnId>
<BICFI>APPYGB22XXX</BICFI>
<LEI>254900FKKVWTLLWOLM11</LEI>
<Nm>APRON PAYMENTS LTD</Nm>
<PstlAdr>
<TwnNm>LONDON</TwnNm>
<Ctry>GB</Ctry>
<AdrLine>ONE CANADA SQUARE FLOOR LEVEL 24 ONE CANADA SQUARE LONDON E145AB</AdrLine>
</PstlAdr>
</FinInstnId>The BIC, name and address are as published in Swift’s BIC directory. The LEI comes from the Swift and GLEIF BIC-to-LEI file. Check them against your own records before use.
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Sources & method
Every value comes from a public source, such as Swift’s ISO 9362 BIC directory, GLEIF or the OFAC and EU sanctions lists. Most sources are matched on a BIC or an LEI, not on a name.
Swift GPI membership is matched on names and is indicative. A missing sanctions match does not mean that no listing applies. Always screen against the official lists.
Register entries are not screened against sanctions lists. The sanctions facts on this page cover the BIC and its LEI only.
An institution is one entry in the directory: a BIC8 in Swift’s directory, or a firm on a tracked register that holds no BIC. Licences held by an institution with a BIC are shown on its page.
Read the methodology →Credits for this page
- FCA Financial Services Register - E-Money Institutions—Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) · register ↗ as at 25 September 2026
- Overview, authorisation, partners, products, leadership and events—researched per institution by an AI model with web search, from the firm's own website, terms and filings, regulators' registers and notices, company registers and news. Licences, partners, figures, people and events link to their source, and each card shows the research date. AI research can be wrong or out of date, so check key facts at the source.
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