Consultation document
| Title | Safeguarding Assurance for Payment and E-Money Institutions – Appendix 13 to the CASS Assurance Standard: Invitation to comment |
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The FRC is consulting on a new appendix to the CASS Assurance Standard: ‘Safeguarding Assurance for Payment and E-Money Institutions’ to support the implementation of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) safeguarding regime.
In its Policy Statement PS25/12: ‘Changes to the safeguarding regime for payments and e-money firms’ published in August 2025, the FCA introduced a new safeguarding audit requirement for certain payment services and e-money institutions. In response, the FRC has developed a new Appendix to the CASS Assurance Standard to provide a framework for practitioners undertaking those safeguarding assurance engagements. This Appendix will replace the FRC’s Interim Guidance on Payment and E-money Safeguarding Assurance Engagements issued in March 2026.
The proposed Appendix supplements the CASS Assurance Standard by providing requirements and application material tailored to the specific features of safeguarding assurance engagements. It has been developed following discussions with a dedicated working group comprising representatives from regulators, practitioners, payment services and e-money firms, and other stakeholders.
The proposed Appendix does not create the requirement for safeguarding audits, expand the scope of institutions that are subject to those audits, or introduce a new regulatory obligation. These are matters which have already been consulted on by the FCA.
The FRC is now seeking stakeholder views on the new Appendix by Thursday 26 November 2026.
Related documents
| Name | Safeguarding Assurance for Payment and E-Money Institutions – Appendix 13 Exposure Draft |
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| Publication date | 30 September 2026 |
Source: FRC
