I moved to the UK from Malta 2 months ago. I’ve been seeing ‘Pay by Bank’ and ‘Instant bank transfer’ online in a few places – I still use my Maltese bank account so I haven’t tried that yet, is it trustworthy?
August 11, 2025
I would appreciate if some can give me their insight and feedback to have a good online experience.
3 comments
If you want a higher level of payment security, use a credit card.
The Maltese bank account may incur additional charges for bank transfers that don’t apply to UK ones so watch out for those. They’ll be in your bank account terms and conditions so will not be detailed at the point of purchase.
It is trustworthy because the UK has a highly regulated banking system BUT by engaging in a bank transfer you are giving up various consumer protections.
The consumer expert Martin Lewis has been warning about this:
It’s safe, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to pay UK companies via your Maltese bank. OpenBanking is available in Malta, but your bank may not be signed up, and even if they are, international payments might not be supported.
3 comments
If you want a higher level of payment security, use a credit card.
The Maltese bank account may incur additional charges for bank transfers that don’t apply to UK ones so watch out for those. They’ll be in your bank account terms and conditions so will not be detailed at the point of purchase.
It is trustworthy because the UK has a highly regulated banking system BUT by engaging in a bank transfer you are giving up various consumer protections.
The consumer expert Martin Lewis has been warning about this:
[https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/martin-lewis-pay-by-bank-app-warning-b2692093.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/martin-lewis-pay-by-bank-app-warning-b2692093.html)
It’s safe, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to pay UK companies via your Maltese bank. OpenBanking is available in Malta, but your bank may not be signed up, and even if they are, international payments might not be supported.