Safeguarding and Client Assets
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Safeguarding and client asset protection across jurisdictions.

Client funds segregated, reconciled daily and audited to the standard each regulator sets, with the arrangements, the accounts and the evidence in place from the first day of authorisation.

Firms we have licensed.

Selected engagements from more than 250 licences obtained since 2013, for payment, e-money and cryptoasset firms.

Since 2013Advising global payment firms
60+Countries licensed in
250+Licences obtained globally
Clients
ClearBankVolkswagenMacmillan Cancer SupportRoyal College of MusicStaysureOval MoneyEMQCentus
nexpayPayment Institution

Obtained Nexpay’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.

dzingElectronic Money Institution

Obtained Dzing Finance’s FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution licence.

Payment Institution

Obtained Orbital’s FCA Authorised Payment Institution licence.

What we do.

Every payment and e-money licence carries one promise: customer funds are protected. Each regulator sets its own method, whether segregation in a designated account, an insurance policy or guarantee, or a trust arrangement, and each expects daily reconciliation, clear records and an independent audit. We design the arrangement, open the accounts, write the procedures and run the reconciliation on Safeheld, our own platform.

In the United Kingdom the rules moved to a client-assets model with a dedicated sourcebook; in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and Singapore the requirement is set by the licence. The programme is built once and mapped to every market you serve.

Arrangement design

The safeguarding method chosen for your flows, the accounts required, the acknowledgement letters and the governance over them.

Safeguarding accounts

Designated accounts opened alongside the application, with the correct naming, letters and controls.

Daily reconciliation

Internal and external reconciliation every business day on Safeheld, with discrepancies escalated and resolved on record.

Policies and records

The safeguarding policy, the resolution pack and the records a regulator or administrator would need.

Audit

Preparation for, and management of, the annual safeguarding audit, with findings closed before the next cycle.

Supervision

Monthly returns and attestations where required, and the board reporting that evidences oversight.

How we get you there.

  1. DesignFlows mapped, funds classified, method selected and accounts specified.
  2. OpenAccounts opened, acknowledgement letters obtained, policy approved.
  3. RunDaily reconciliation on Safeheld, exceptions managed, board reporting monthly.
  4. AuditAnnual audit prepared and managed; findings closed.

What you receive.

DeliverableWhat it containsWho relies on it
Safeguarding arrangementMethod, accounts, letters, governance and the resolution packRegulator, auditors, administrators
Reconciliation recordsDaily internal and external reconciliations with exception logs on SafeheldRegulator, auditors
Safeguarding policyPolicy and procedures covering receipt, segregation, reconciliation and discrepanciesStaff, auditors
Audit fileEvidence pack for the annual audit and the management responseAuditors, board
Board reportMonthly oversight report with balances, exceptions and attestationsBoard, regulator

How we work.

  • Senior-ledThe same senior team handles your application from the first call to approval, including every question the regulator raises.
  • Same dayA reply within three business hours and a written proposal the same day: the licence, the requirements, the cost and the timing.
  • ConfidentialYour plans, your application and any listing stay private. Clients are named only with their agreement.
  • Live workspaceDocuments, regulator questions, messages and progress in a shared client workspace, visible to your team at every stage.

Why firms choose BCC.

  • OperatorsWe have run regulated payment businesses, held regulator-approved roles and licensed payment firms in more than 60 countries since 2013.
  • One teamOne in-house team runs the whole programme, from the application to the day you go live.
  • ArrangedBank and safeguarding accounts, card issuing and payment processing, arranged directly through our relationships with banks, card schemes, issuers and processors.

Questions firms ask.

Which safeguarding methods are available?

Segregation in a designated account with an authorised institution, an insurance policy or comparable guarantee, and in some jurisdictions a trust or escrow structure. The right method depends on the flows, the jurisdiction and the institutions available to the firm.

How quickly must funds be safeguarded?

Most regimes require relevant funds to be segregated by the end of the business day following receipt; some require it on receipt. The arrangement is designed to the strictest standard that applies to the firm.

Do you open the safeguarding accounts?

Yes. Through the firm’s banking relationships we open designated accounts with institutions that recognise the requirement, with the acknowledgement letters regulators expect.

What is Safeheld?

Safeheld is the firm’s safeguarding and reconciliation platform. It reconciles daily, records exceptions, produces the regulatory returns and keeps the audit trail in one place.

Is an annual safeguarding audit mandatory?

In the United Kingdom and several other markets, yes. Elsewhere the regulator may require an auditor’s report on request. We prepare the firm for either.

Speak to an expert.

Tell us what you need and where you operate.