Editorial notes
Notes from Licensed EMIs
11 June 2026
Is my e-money provider safe? How to confirm a licence and how funds are protected
How to confirm an e-money provider is licensed, what safeguarding actually protects, and why e-money balances are not the same as FSCS-protected bank deposits.
11 June 2026
How to look up an EMI by its FRN or national licence number
Using a Firm Reference Number (FRN) or a national licence number to find the exact e-money institution on the FCA or EBA register and avoid brand-name confusion.
11 June 2026
How to check if an e-money institution is licensed (UK and EU)
A step-by-step way to confirm whether an e-money institution currently holds a licence, using the official UK FCA and EU EBA registers as the source of truth.
11 June 2026
EMI passporting explained: where an e-money licence is valid in the EEA
How passporting lets an e-money institution authorised in one EEA country operate across others, why Brexit ended UK-EEA passporting, and how to check a firm's passporting rights.
11 June 2026
Authorised EMI, small EMI or payment institution: what the licence types mean
The practical differences between an authorised EMI, a small EMI and a payment institution - including issuing limits, safeguarding duties and what each permission lets a firm do.
13 May 2026
EMI Licence Reference Numbers: What They Mean and How to Verify
Learn what Firm Reference Numbers and equivalent licence identifiers mean, how to verify them against official registers, and how to spot counterfeits.
13 May 2026
How to Verify an EMI's Licence Status in Five Steps
Follow this five-step verification checklist to confirm an e-money institution holds a valid European licence before using its services.
13 May 2026
Red Flags When Checking an Electronic Money Institution
Five concrete warning signs that an e-money institution may not be legitimate: register mismatches, expired safeguarding statements, regulator notices, withdrawn passporting, and recent permission changes.
13 May 2026
Authorised vs Registered: What Payment Firm Status Really Means
Learn the legal difference between authorised EMIs, registered small EMIs, AISPs, and agents. Understand how to verify a payment firm's true regulatory status across Europe.
13 May 2026
Spotting a Defunct or Withdrawn EMI Licence
Learn how to verify whether an e-money institution holds active authorisation, restricted permissions, or a withdrawn licence. A verification-led guide for consumers and businesses.
11 May 2026
How an e-money licence withdrawal happens
The regulatory process, the public record, and what a consumer can verify at each stage.
11 May 2026
What small-EMI status means for safeguarding
The prudential and operational requirements that apply to small EMIs, and the consumer-facing implications.
11 May 2026
The verification cadence: how often we check
The frequency and method by which each underlying register is consulted, and how staleness is bounded.
11 May 2026
Six factual signals worth noting in an e-money firm's public record
Observable features of a register entry that warrant closer examination.
11 May 2026
Identifying a verified e-money institution
What the consumer can confirm directly, and what requires reference to the public register.