Trading 212 and TrueLayer Launch Instant Automated Deposits Ahead of Anthropic IPO

Trading 212 has integrated TrueLayer’s Bank on File technology to automate recurring deposits for UK retail investors. By bypassing legacy payment rails like cards and Direct Debit, the platform allows users to fund their portfolios instantly and continuously. This shift addresses a critical friction point in wealth management, where payment delays often leave investor capital sitting idle.

What was announced

Trading 212, currently the UK's largest investment platform, has finalised the rollout of its automated deposits feature. Utilising TrueLayer’s Bank on File system, the integration allows customers to set up a mandate within their banking app in under a minute. Once established, subsequent deposits are processed instantly without the need for card details or repeated logins. This allows investor funds to be put to work immediately in the market rather than waiting for traditional settlement cycles.

The feature was designed to support ‘Pies’, Trading 212’s flagship AutoInvest tool. Previously, the platform relied on cards, which are prone to expiry and failure, or Direct Debits, which can take several days to clear. Since the June launch, the performance data indicates a significant shift in user behaviour. The success rate for payments stands at 97%, with failures attributed primarily to insufficient funds rather than technical errors. All six of the UK’s largest banks are now live with the service.

The adoption of Bank on File has seen its share of recurring deposits grow more than fivefold in less than four months, prior to any customer marketing. Furthermore, the average transaction size via this method is over 50% larger than the average card payment. Trading 212 now plans to build Bank on File into key moments of its user experience, making it the default way customers fund their investing.

"True automated deposits have been among our top requested features since day one. We pioneered automated investing with Trading 212’s Pies, but the underlying payment rails were never designed for it. With TrueLayer’s Bank on File, the missing piece of the puzzle is finally in place: our investors set their schedule once, and their wealth-building plan executes continuously and seamlessly."

Angel Milachov, Head of Growth, Trading 212

The companies involved

Trading 212 is a London-based fintech that has established itself as the UK’s most prominent investment platform. The company focuses on democratising the stock market through commission-free trading and automated wealth-building tools like its AutoInvest 'Pies'. It operates in a highly competitive retail brokerage market, competing with both legacy providers and newer digital entrants by focusing on user experience and low-cost access to global markets.

TrueLayer is a leading open banking platform that provides the infrastructure for financial applications to connect with bank accounts. Headquartered in London, the company enables businesses to verify identities, access financial data, and initiate instant payments. TrueLayer has become a central player in the European fintech ecosystem, moving beyond simple data aggregation to provide sophisticated payment rails that challenge traditional card networks. The company’s "Bank on File" product is specifically designed to handle recurring, variable payments, positioning it as a direct competitor to the Direct Debit system and traditional card-on-file solutions.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the expansion of both companies as they scale their infrastructure. Recently, Trading 212 has focused on operational efficiency, including a partnership with Trading 212 Taps Cardamon's AI Platform to Accelerate Global Compliance Workflows. Meanwhile, TrueLayer has been active in securing capital and expanding its European footprint. The firm recently TrueLayer Secures $27M Investment from CDP Venture Capital to Scale European Pay by Bank Network. TrueLayer’s utility in the retail sector was also highlighted through its TrueLayer and SumUp Launch Instant Pay by Bank Top-Ups Across Europe. Earlier this year, TrueLayer Data Reveals 27% Surge in UK Retail Investment Funding Ahead of SpaceX IPO, signaling the growing appetite for the automated tools now being deployed.

What this means

This integration signals a significant shift in how retail investment platforms manage liquidity and customer retention. By moving away from cards and Direct Debits, Trading 212 is effectively removing the "settlement gap" that has long plagued automated investing. For the wider industry, this puts immense pressure on legacy brokers who still rely on T+3 settlement cycles for deposits. The fact that Bank on File payments are 50% larger than card payments suggests that reducing friction directly correlates with higher capital commitment. The open banking sector is moving from a "nice-to-have" data tool to a mission-critical payment rail that could eventually marginalise traditional card schemes in the wealth management space.