Source: Ozone API
Ozone API, founded by the original architects of the UK Open Banking standard, has launched a dedicated commercial VRP product for non-CMA9 UK banks and payment service providers.
The offering delivers a complete, OBL 4.0-compliant variable recurring payments infrastructure, integrated with an institution’s existing technology stack via Ozone Connect, in eight to 10 weeks. No internal build is required; no dedicated standards monitoring team is needed.
The launch comes at a defining moment for UK payments. The UK Payments Initiative (UKPI) is operational in 2026. A 31-organisation consortium that includes NatWest Group, Nationwide, Monzo, Mastercard Open Banking Services, GoCardless, TrueLayer, Yapily, and Plaid, UKPI has described itself as launching “the first new UK payment scheme since 2008“. Visa A2A is simultaneously onboarding its first wave of financial institution partners. Both initiatives are delivering live commercial cVRP schemes to monetise Open Banking payments, and the institutions positioned to participate are those with OBL 4.0 already in production.
Current live use cases include subscription management as a direct replacement for card-on-file payments, utility bill payments, flexible loan repayments, and tax and local authority payments. E-commerce one-click checkout is on the roadmap for 2027, in line with the National Payments Vision.
Only the CMA9 are required to implement OBL 4.0. Every other UK bank and PSP faces a voluntary build decision. For most institutions, an internal OBL 4.0 implementation takes six to 12 months, followed by ongoing effort to track and apply standards updates as the specification evolves.
Ozone API co-founder & chief executive officer, Huw Davies
Ozone API’s cVRP product removes that overhead entirely. Via Ozone Connect, the deployment integrates with an institution’s existing technology stack and covers the full technical scope required: all VRP API endpoints; the FAPI 1.0 Advanced security profile; OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect; automated consent management with full audit logging; a multi-environment developer sandbox with rich synthetic data; and certificate and credential management.
Once live, standards updates are applied automatically as the UK Open Banking standard evolves. The product is available as cloud SaaS or on-premise and carries ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
Huw Davies, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ozone API, said: “The competitive window for cVRP is already open. UKPI is live, Visa A2A is onboarding, and the use cases are real today. The opportunity exists for banks to monetise Open Banking payments, but only if they move. Otherwise we risk a two tier market where only the CMA9 banks are participating in cVRP.
“We built the standard; we maintain the reference implementation; and we can take any UK bank from zero to production in eight to 10 weeks.”
Ozone API has more than 100 financial institutions live on its platform globally and serves as the reference implementation for UK Open Banking standards.
Ozone API is an Event Partner of Open Banking Expo UK & Europe 2026, which takes place on 13-14 October at the Business Design Centre in London. Click here to find out more.
Further reading: Ozone API powers iFAST Global Bank’s digital growth with Open Banking v4.0 standard