Overview
To assess your payment-linked advance application, SAPI needs to review your payment processing history. The quickest and most secure way to share this information is through Open Banking, which allows read-only access to your transaction data.
Why We Need Your Payment Data
SAPI evaluates your application primarily based on your business's payment processing performance, not traditional credit scores. By analyzing your card sales history, we can:
Verify your revenue and trading consistency
Assess your repayment capacity
Provide a fair, personalized offer
Make faster decisions (typically 24-48 hours)
What is Open Banking?
Open Banking is a secure, regulated way to share your financial data with authorized providers like SAPI.
Key facts:
- Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority for AML supervision
- Uses bank-grade encryption
- You control what data is shared and for how long
- Read-only access—we cannot make transactions or change anything
- You can revoke access anytime
Open Banking is used by millions of UK businesses and consumers for secure data sharing.
How to Connect Your Payment Account
Step 1: Receive the Secure Link
After submitting your initial application, you'll receive an email from SAPI with a secure Open Banking connection link.
Email subject: "Connect Your Payment Account to Complete Your Application"
Click the link to begin. This link is unique to your application and expires after 7 days.
Step 2: Select Your Payment Provider
You'll see a list of supported payment processors and acquirers. SAPI works with over 50 payment providers, including:
Most Popular:
- Stripe
- Square
- SumUp
- Worldpay
- Zettle by PayPal
- Barclaycard
- Elavon
- Dojo (PaymentSense)
- Just Eat
- Deliveroo
- Uber Eats
Plus many more including Adyen, Checkout.com, Global Payments, First Data, Worldline, GoCardless, TikTok Shop, Airbnb, Booking.com, Shopify, and industry-specific providers like Toast UK (hospitality), Phorest Pay (beauty), MindBody (fitness), and others.
Can't find your provider?
Contact [email protected]. We likely support your provider under a different name, or we can arrange manual statement upload if your processor uses Open Banking with a different connection method.
Step 3: Log Into Your Payment Account
After selecting your provider, you'll be redirected to their secure login page.
Important: You're logging into your actual payment processor's website, not a SAPI page. Check the URL to verify you're on your provider's legitimate domain (e.g., stripe.com, sumup.com).
Enter your username and password as you normally would.
Step 4: Authorize Data Sharing
Your payment provider will show you exactly what data SAPI is requesting:
Typical data requested:
- Transaction history (usually last 12-18 months)
- Payment volumes and trends
- Refund and chargeback information
- Account balance
Data we do NOT access:
- Customer names, emails, or personal information
- Individual cardholder details
- Your payment processor login credentials
- Ability to process or refund transactions
Review the permissions and click "Authorize" or "Allow Access."
Step 5: Confirmation
Once authorized, you'll be redirected back to SAPI's application portal with a confirmation message:
"Payment account successfully connected!"
You'll also receive a confirmation email. Your application now moves to the underwriting team for review.
Data Security and Privacy
SAPI takes your data security seriously.
How Your Data is Protected
Encryption
All data is encrypted in transit (using TLS 1.2+) and at rest.
FCA Registration (AML Supervision)
SAPI Group Limited (FCA Annex 1 Firm Reference Number: 1023135) and SAPI Origination Limited (FCA Annex 1 Firm Reference Number: 1023196) are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as Annex I firms under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 for AML supervision. However, we are not authorised or regulated by the FCA for consumer credit or other regulated activities.
Secure storage
Your data is stored on secure, UK-based servers with strict access controls.
Limited retention
We retain transaction data only as long as necessary for underwriting, servicing, and regulatory compliance.
No selling or sharing
SAPI never sells your data to third parties. We use it solely to assess and service your advance.
Your Data Rights
Under GDPR, you have the right to:
- Know what data we hold about you
- Request a copy of your data
- Request corrections to inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Revoke Open Banking consent anytime
To exercise your rights: Contact [email protected]
Revoking Access
You can revoke SAPI's Open Banking access at any time through your payment processor's settings.
Why You Might Revoke Access
Your application is complete and funded
You've decided not to proceed with SAPI
You've fully repaid your advance
How to Revoke
Via your payment processor:
1. Log into your payment account (e.g., Stripe, SumUp)
2. Navigate to Settings > Connected Apps or Integrations
3. Find SAPI in the list
4. Click "Revoke Access" or "Disconnect"
Via SAPI:
Contact [email protected] and request disconnection. We'll process your request within 2 business days.
Note: If you revoke access during an active advance, we may request manual statements to continue servicing your account.
Troubleshooting Connection Issues
"I can't find my payment processor in the list"
Contact [email protected]. We can:
- Confirm if we support your provider under a different name
- Arrange manual statement upload
- Connect via alternative data sharing methods
"The connection keeps failing"
Common causes:
- Incorrect login credentials—double-check username/password
- Two-factor authentication timeout—complete 2FA quickly
- Browser cache issues—try a different browser or incognito mode
- Payment provider maintenance—wait 1 hour and try again
Still stuck? Contact +44 20 3868 4990 for live assistance.
"I have multiple payment accounts"
Great! We can connect multiple providers to get a complete view of your business revenue. After connecting the first, you'll have an option to "Add Another Payment Provider."
"I don't use a supported payment processor"
If you process card payments through a non-listed provider or your bank's merchant services, contact us at [email protected]. We'll arrange alternative ways to review your payment history, such as:
Uploading bank statements showing card receipts
Uploading payment processor statements
Connecting your business bank account instead
Alternative: Manual Statement Upload
If you prefer not to use Open Banking or your provider isn't supported, you can manually upload payment processing statements.
What We Need
Last 3-6 months of statements from your payment processor
Showing transaction volumes, dates, and amounts
PDF or CSV format preferred
Processing time: Manual reviews take 3-5 business days, compared to 24-48 hours with Open Banking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Open Banking safe?
A: Yes. Open Banking is regulated, bank-grade secure, and used by millions. SAPI receives read-only access—we cannot make changes or transactions.
Q: Can SAPI see my customers' information?
A: No. We see only aggregated transaction data (amounts, dates). We do not receive customer names, emails, card details, or personal information.
Q: How long does SAPI keep my data?
A: We keep your data for a minimum 7 years in compliance with the applicable regulations.
Q: What if my sales data is sensitive or confidential?
A: We treat all data as strictly confidential. Only authorized underwriting staff access your information, and it's never shared externally.
Q: Do I need to connect my business bank account too?
A: For most applications, payment processor data is sufficient. We may request bank statements if your payment data doesn't provide a complete picture.
Need Help?
Technical support: [email protected]
Connection issues: +44 20 3868 4990
Privacy questions: [email protected]