PayPoint and Thirteen Win OBExpo Award after cutting rent processing costs by 86%

Welwyn Garden City, 15 October 2026: PayPoint and Thirteen, the largest housing association in the Northeast of England, have won “Best Open Banking Sector Transformation” at the Open Banking Expo Awards 2026. The win comes as the partnership introduced a Pay by Bank service that has cut payment processing costs by 86% compared with card payments.

The award recognises a new way for Thirteen residents to pay their rent through their own banking app, without entering card details. PayPoint’s service is built into Thirteen’s existing payment app and online portal, providing another convenient choice alongside card, Direct Debit and cash payments.

Between August 2025 and June 2026, residents made 5,706 successful Pay by Bank payments, worth £1.88 million in rent. The proportion of digital payments made through the service also more than doubled, rising from 6% to 14% over the period.

For Thirteen, payments are confirmed immediately and reflected in its systems in real time, making it easier to track rent received, reconcile accounts and reduce administration. Residents, meanwhile, can make payments securely through their own banking app, without needing to enter card details.

The partnership demonstrates how Open Banking could help other housing providers reduce the cost of collecting rent, while continuing to offer residents a choice of payment methods.