FreeAgent launches integration with NatWest Online Banking
Cloud based accountancy software provider FreeAgent has today launched a series of improvements that will allow its customers to oversee, plan and protect their business with more than ease than ever before.
From today, FreeAgent is visible within NatWest’s online digital banking platform, allowing businesses who bank with NatWest to view their finances and accounting together.
The Edinburgh based fintech has also launched a new partnership with UK insurer Hiscox, which will allow businesses to obtain an insurance quote directly from within the platform. The partnership uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify business owners that are potentially ‘under insured’, generating quotes to fit their individual requirements, and making it as easy as possible to purchase the solution that best suits them.
Both improvements form part of both NatWest and FreeAgent’s wider strategy to revolutionise small business admin by embracing fintech innovations like AI and Open Banking.
Last year FreeAgent became the first UK accountancy software provider to offer direct bank feeds from any UK bank via Open Banking; today’s announcements are the first in a series of deeper integrations that will provide a more intuitive experience for businesses, with the ultimate aim to allow SMEs to have complete oversight of their finances within one platform.
FreeAgent have also recently introduced an ‘Insights’ feature which provide business owners with actionable notifications, highlighting opportunities and issues and ultimately allowing SMEs to make better decisions about their finances.
Andrew Harrison, head of business banking, NatWest said: “Our close partnership with FreeAgent allows us to offer our business customers a market leading accountancy platform, free of charge. We’re delighted today to make one of the most significant improvements to date by integrating FreeAgent within NatWest Online Banking. Combined with a truly smart insurance offering, we believe that we offer the most compelling and innovative business package for SMEs in the UK.”
Ed Molyneux, CEO and co-founder of FreeAgent, said: “We want FreeAgent users to feel confident about their finances and be as well-prepared as possible. Through our ongoing work with NatWest and our new partnership with Hiscox, we’re really pleased to be introducing game-changing new features to support small business owners and help them deal with whatever lies ahead.
“By harnessing the power of Open Banking and smart data insights, customers not only enjoy a clearer overview of their accounts but can make more informed choices about how to run their businesses. In addition, by providing smart quotes from Hiscox to our customers based on their individual requirements and then facilitating the whole insurance purchase journey from right inside our software, we can help them protect their businesses more easily.”
