Strategic Intelligence Report

The State of
Open Finance 2026

Realizing the commercial promise of connected, permissioned financial data in an era of accelerated competition.

Synthesized for Executive Review based on FT Longitude & Mastercard Data

Consumers demand unprecedented convenience and personalization, driving a massive willingness to switch financial providers

01. Market Dynamics

The bar for financial experiences is rising. In a landscape challenged by inflation, consumers are actively seeking out institutions that leverage connected data to provide intuitive, transparent, and personalized financial tools.

76%

Seek Digital Features

Would switch providers to access digital features that make managing finances easier and faster.

44% have already done so
77%

Demand Transparency

Would switch to gain more transparency and control over the use of their personal data.

43% have already done so
70%

Expect Personalization

Would switch to obtain more personalized insights to make smarter financial decisions.

42% have already done so

Open finance collaboration is no longer optional—it is table stakes. 18% of consumers would even pay a fee to instantly open a savings or investment account.

Source: FT Longitude Global Survey of 8,000 consumers across 11 markets 2

Open finance initiatives deliver significant commercial upside, directly driving revenue growth and strengthening core KPIs

02. Commercial Impact

The Revenue Reality

75%

of executives attribute revenue growth to using customer-consented data to develop improved products.

3.3%

average revenue growth in the past year directly attributed to open finance initiatives.

$312M

average additional revenue generated across surveyed organizations.

Impact on KPIs: Proactive Adapters vs. The Pack

Percentage of executives reporting positive impact on key metrics

Most active with open finance
Everyone else
84%
65%
Revenue Growth
67%
59%
Customer Retention
66%
47%
Total Deposits
59%
45%
Cross-sell Conversion
57%
31%
Customer Loans
Source: B2B survey of 300 senior finance industry executives 3

Failure to secure data consent and modernize services leaves millions on the table and actively accelerates customer churn

03. The Cost of Inaction

Revenue Left on the Table

Organizations estimate significant missed revenue annually due to customers not granting necessary permissions to data sources.

4.6%

Average lost additional annual revenue globally

Missed Revenue by Region:

Brazil
6.13%
US
4.70%
UK
4.68%
EU
4.10%

The Accelerating Churn Reality

Without personalization powered by connected data, customers simply walk away. Executives recognize this is driven primarily by lack of consent.

68%

Say poor app usability/friction is directly caused by lack of proper data permissions.

67%

Have witnessed customer churn due to an inability to offer desired convenience/personalization.

Forward Looking Risk

62% of executives acknowledge that failing to invest in convenient, personalized interaction systems in the next 12 months will result in significant further loss of market share.

Source: "The state of open finance 2026", Sections 02 & 03 4

To unlock consent, providers must bridge the trust gap and clearly articulate the most desired value exchange: time savings

04. Building Trust

Four Data-Sharing Personas

While 89% are willing to share data, consent is conditional for the vast majority.

Value Seekers ("What's in it for me?") 43%

Comfortable sharing only when they understand the usage and the return value.

Trusting Sharers ("It's part of the era") 27%

Comfortable sharing data whenever needed for digital services.

Confused Compliers ("I have no choice") 18%

Share to access services, but rarely understand why data is needed.

Avoidants ("No thanks") 11%

Avoid sharing even if it means missing out. High skepticism of providers.

The Value Exchange Equation

When the value of data sharing is clear, consumers feel confident. Speed is the ultimate currency.

Top benefits driving consent:

60%
Time Savings

Ability to pay faster, less need to double-check account information, frictionless applications.

53%
Easier Pay-by-Bank Experience

Seamless account-to-account transfers and automated payment setups.

46%
Real-Time Data Insights

Tools to manage finances, spending overviews, and budgeting assistance.

Source: B2C survey. Overcoming "Avoidant" trust issues requires transparency-by-design. 5

Winning in open finance requires simultaneous investment in transparent consumer experiences and modernized technical infrastructure

05. 2026 Strategy Roadmap

Technical Imperatives

  • 47%

    Improve API Reliability & Standards

    APIs are the network connectors. Without high availability, scalability, and security, open finance fails regardless of UI.

  • 45%

    Modernize Legacy Systems

    Core tech stacks must be upgraded to handle real-time data flows and integrate AI systems seamlessly.

  • 40%

    Build AI-Ready Data Foundations

    Unified governance across 1st and 3rd party data is required for automated lineage and tracking.

Consumer Imperatives

  • 43%

    Simplify Consent Explanations

    "Transparency by design": Communicate exactly what data is used, the payoff (time savings), and confirm user control.

  • 36%

    Embed Security-by-Design

    Integrate security controls at the outset of development to protect customer trust during data targeting.

  • 31%

    Partner for Scale

    Reduce vendor lock-in; work with trusted partners to offer collaborative, scalable, and watertight use cases.

Source: B2B Insights: Biggest lessons learned from open finance projects in past 12 months 6
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