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Despite the growing availability of real-time payment (RTP) systems in the UK, British consumers are less inclined than their European counterparts to both use and trust these instant digital transactions.
According to a new survey by FICO, covering over 12,000 consumers across 14 countries, it indicates that while a majority of UK consumers (79%) have used real-time payments, this figure lags behind key European markets such as Sweden (94%) and Germany (83%).
The data reveals a troubling trust deficit when it comes to the security of RTPs — a critical barrier to further adoption in the UK.
FICO’s findings show that only 35% of UK consumers consider RTPs more secure than credit card transactions, significantly below the global average of 51%.
UK Trust Remains Low
Even when compared with other European countries, UK trust levels remain low.
In the Netherlands, 25% of consumers trust RTPs more than cards, while in Germany and Sweden the figures are 28% and 29% respectively.
Spain fared better, with 40% of consumers perceiving real-time payments as the safer option.
The subdued confidence in RTP security may be linked to rising awareness of fraud risks.
UK Finance reported that losses from authorised push payment (APP) scams exceeded £450 million in 2024 — a figure that likely contributes to consumer caution.
Notably, nearly a quarter (23%) of UK respondents said they were unsure whether RTP systems included sufficient security checks.
Rebuilding Trust
James Roche, Principal Fraud Consultant at FICO in EMEA, emphasised the urgent need for financial institutions to rebuild public trust.
“This highlights the need for UK banks to focus on building confidence in the security of the payment method,” Roche said.
“It’s imperative for banks to communicate risks and warnings to their customers while providing a strong scam defence.”
He also stressed the importance of using customer-centric communication strategies and deploying scam protection technologies to safeguard users.
“Banks that use scam protection technology will put themselves and their customers in the best position to protect their finances.
As RTP usage continues to grow, consumers will expect their banks to equip them with the tools, education, and automated fail-safes to help prevent scam losses,” Roche added.
The UK’s slower adoption of RTPs underscores the broader challenge of balancing innovation with fraud resilience.
As real-time payments become a defining feature of modern commerce, rebuilding consumer confidence will be crucial to ensuring widespread, secure adoption across the financial ecosystem.
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