--- title: "Connecting UK banks" description: "Connect United Kingdom bank accounts through Salt Edge and the UK Open Banking consent flow, including the 90-day consent cycle." section: "Connecting banks" canonical: "https://banksync.io/docs/connecting-banks/uk-banks" --- UK banks connect to BankSync through Salt Edge, an FCA-authorised Account Information Service Provider (AISP), using the UK Open Banking framework. You search for your bank, review a short disclosure of what will be shared, and approve read-only access on your bank's own pages. This guide covers the UK-specific parts of the flow on top of the general [Connect a bank](/docs/connecting-banks/connect-a-bank) steps. [![Connecting a UK or European bank: searching for a supported institution, reviewing the Salt Edge open-banking disclosure, approving on the bank page, and returning to a connected bank card.](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/connect-open-banking-eu-uk.poster.e3a211520a190ea7.png)](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/connect-open-banking-eu-uk.6339d85a97715103.mp4) [Watch: Connecting a UK or European bank: searching for a supported institution, reviewing the Salt Edge open-banking disclosure, approving on the bank page, and returning to a connected bank card.](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/connect-open-banking-eu-uk.6339d85a97715103.mp4) > **Before you start:** You need a BankSync account and your online banking login for the UK institution you want to connect (plus whatever verification your bank uses, such as an app approval or SMS code). The sign-in happens on your bank's own pages, so make sure you can log in to your bank directly first. > **Open Banking keeps you in control:** Access is read-only, scoped to the accounts you approve, and revocable at any time. You sign in on your bank's own consent screen; your credentials never pass through BankSync, and BankSync cannot move money. ## Search for your UK bank Type your bank's name and BankSync searches every supported provider and region at once, then routes UK institutions through Salt Edge automatically. **Find your institution** 1. **Open the Banks page** — Select Banks from the navigation, then click the dashed "Connect a new bank" tile. The "Connect Bank" dialog opens with a search box. 2. **Type your bank name** — Enter at least 2 characters (for example "Barclays", "Monzo", or "HSBC"). Matching institutions appear as cards as you type. 3. **(Optional) narrow the results** — Click the filter button next to the search box and set Country to "United Kingdom" to show only UK institutions. 4. **Check the result card carefully** — Personal and business banking are often separate institutions (for example "HSBC" and "HSBC Business"). Pick the entity that actually holds your accounts. 5. **Select your institution** — Click the matching card. BankSync shows a short disclosure of what data will be accessed and for how long, then opens your bank's secure consent page. ## Approve access at your bank After the disclosure, your bank's own Open Banking consent flow opens in a secure window. The exact screens are controlled by your bank. **Authorise data sharing** 1. **Review what is being requested** — The consent covers account details, balances, and transactions for the accounts you choose. It is read-only. 2. **Sign in to your bank** — Use your normal online banking login and complete your bank's verification step (often an approval in the bank's mobile app). 3. **Select which accounts to share** — Choose only the accounts you want BankSync to access. 4. **Confirm and return** — Approve the consent. The window closes and returns you to BankSync, which fetches your accounts. ### What data UK banks share | Data type | Shared | Notes | | --------------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | Account details | Yes | Account name, type, and identifiers for the accounts you select. | | Balances | Yes | Current and available balance. | | Transactions | Yes | Posted transactions within the history window the bank exposes. | | Account types | Current, savings, and credit accounts | Where the bank exposes them through Open Banking. | ## The 90-day consent cycle UK Open Banking consents typically need reconfirming on a rolling cycle, most commonly every 90 days, with the exact window set by your bank. BankSync shows the expiry date on the bank's detail view and displays a renewal prompt during the final week, so syncs never silently stop. > **Renewing takes about a minute:** 'Renewal is a quick re-authentication with your bank: open the bank in BankSync, click "Renew now" (or "Reconnect"), and approve on your bank\\'s page. Your synced history and feeds are untouched.' ## Confirm it worked You have connected your UK bank successfully when: - The institution appears as a card on the Banks page. - The accounts you approved are linked to that bank. - The bank shows an active state, not a "Requires re-authentication" label. With the bank connected, create a feed to sync its transactions and balances. See [Create your first feed](/docs/bank-feeds/creating-first-feed). ## Troubleshooting > **Common UK-bank issues:** Consent expired or syncs stopped: UK consents lapse on the bank's reconfirmation cycle; renew from the bank's card in BankSync. Wrong entity connected: personal and business banking are separate institutions; connect the one holding your accounts. Bank not found: check the spelling, or search by the bank's parent brand. Connection failed: confirm you can sign in to your bank directly, then retry from the Banks page. ## Next steps - **Connect a bank** — The general connection flow for every country and provider.' 'Read guide - **Manage PSD2 consents** — Track expiry dates and renew or revoke access.' 'Read guide - **Reconnect a bank** — Renew a lapsed consent or re-authenticate.' 'Read guide ## Related guides - [Managing your open banking consents](/docs/connecting-banks/managing-psd2-consents): expiry tracking, renewal, and revocation for UK and European connections. - [Connecting European banks](/docs/connecting-banks/european-banks): the PSD2 flow for banks across the EEA. - [Reconnecting a bank](/docs/connecting-banks/reconnecting-a-bank): the full renewal flow. - [Creating your first feed](/docs/bank-feeds/creating-first-feed): sync the connected bank's transactions and balances.