'Apple Payments Services' Company Likely Behind New Apple Wallet Features in UK, Potentially More to Follow

An Apple-acquired company now renamed "Apple Payments Services" is likely behind the new UK-exclusive Apple Wallet features in iOS 17.1, potentially hinting that Apple has plans to launch additional financial services in the country.

credit kudos apple
Last year, Apple acquired Credit Kudos, a UK open banking startup that sought to help lenders make better decisions. MacRumors has now learned that Apple filed to change the name of Credit Kudos to Apple Payments Services Limited in July. "Credit Kudos" is now simply a trading name of Apple Payments Services.

Credit Kudos offered insights and scores based on loan applications drawn from transaction and loan outcome banking data, sourced by the UK's open banking framework. The ability to see account balances directly in Apple Wallet is a new UK-exclusive feature in iOS 17.1, powered by the country's regulated open banking API. Since Credit Kudos' expertise focused on UK open banking, it seems highly likely that last year's acquisition is behind the new feature.

It is not clear what Apple has planned for Credit Kudos' technology in the future, but it is almost certain that it extends beyond balance visibility in Apple Wallet, especially considering Apple paid £131 million ($170 million) for the company in March 2022. The relatively recent decision to rename the company to Apple Payments Services similarly suggests that the company's work is ongoing. MacRumors understands that 31 employees left Credit Kudos following Apple's acquisition, but a team of over a dozen employees, as well as co-founder and CEO Freddy Kelly, remain at the company.

Credit Kudos's API offered lenders a way to get faster, automated decision-making about loans with reduced risk and higher rates of acceptance. It is therefore plausible that the company's technology could aid Apple with the launch of Apple Card in the UK. The UK is among Apple's most important markets, with the country possessing the largest number of Apple Stores outside the United States and China, and new features and services are often first to reach the UK after launching in the U.S.

Apple's main credit product, ‌Apple Card‌, is available exclusively in the United States. It is possible that Apple could modify Credit Kudos's technology to work with the U.S.'s growing open banking sector to strengthen ‌Apple Card‌'s credit checker, but Apple could also use it to credit check ‌Apple Card‌ applications in the UK directly since Credit Kudos is a licensed credit reference agency.

Credit markets and financial regulation vary massively in countries around the world, so it would not be straightforward for Apple to launch ‌Apple Card‌ internationally. Apple would likely need to seek specific solutions to make lending decisions in each country, so it seems plausible that Credit Kudos could be the chosen credit checking platform for the UK.

Following the success of ‌Apple Card‌ in the U.S., it could make sense for Apple to expand into overseas markets. While visiting Germany in 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed his interest in launching ‌Apple Card‌ internationally.

Apple often acquires smaller businesses to bolster its technologies and expertise without obviously or immediately rolling it into a product or service. On the other hand, many acquisitions do go on to be key parts of Apple's ecosystem. In recent years, Apple has acquired businesses such as Shazam, a music recognition service, and Drive.ai, an autonomous vehicles company. Acquired apps such as Dark Sky and Workflow were folded into or became new Apple apps. Specialized classical music streaming service Primephonic is one of the latest companies to be integrated into existing Apple products, becoming the Apple Music Classical app.

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Top Rated Comments

alchemistmuffin Avatar
20 months ago
Good chance this is the first step to ultimately launching Apple Card in the UK. I would say Spring of 2024 when Apple Card finally expands internationally.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Armada2 Avatar
20 months ago
Aaaaarghhhh yessss take my money!! I mean my debt!!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ctrlos Avatar
20 months ago
I‘m not a sure about the Apple Card but it might mean the launch of Apple Cash on the platform instead?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
20 months ago
Apple has been an acquisition lover. From iTunes to FinalCut, Logic, we’re all from acquisitions. But Apples ability to integrate these technologies and services is what sets them apart. They are very methodical about what they purchase too. It’s not about getting something before the competition, it’s about being a right fit for the culture.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThomasJL Avatar
20 months ago
I won't be too surprised if Apple gets into the money lending business. Tim Cook has an MBA degree, and many MBAs worship the banking industry and dream of working in it. Cook is a corporate scumbag, so it won't be surprising if he also becomes a bankster.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laptech Avatar
20 months ago

It can’t be that hard to get approval to operate a credit-checking-type service based on open banking APIs, because there’s a bunch of small companies already doing it. Still, acquiring a startup that already does it no doubt saved Apple some time and effort.
It can be very difficult because UK data laws do not allow the personal data of it's citizens to be taken out of the country. Credit/banking data is considered personal data and thus the FSA would be expecting guarantee's from Apple that credit/banking data used by this credit company is not handed over to Apple in the US or any other US company.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)