Quick answer: GeraCash is a multi-currency money platform usable by UK residents. We operate under an FCA-authorised e-money-institution model (either directly authorised or via a regulated UK partner depending on service), with 100% client-funds safeguarding (so client money is protected even if the firm fails), Faster Payments sending and receiving on a UK sort-code/account, and honest mid-market FX with a 0.4% conversion fee (lower than most UK high-street banks' 2–4%).

The UK regulatory stack

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) — e-money institutions in the UK operate under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011; payment services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Either we hold direct FCA authorisation or we are an agent/distributor of an authorised institution — always transparent on the footer of every page.
Safeguarding of funds — unlike a bank, an e-money institution does not lend out client balances. Balances are held in safeguarded accounts at approved banks (segregated from the firm's own funds).
FSCS — an honest caveat — FSCS's £85,000 deposit protection applies to UK banks, not to e-money institutions. Client funds are instead protected by statutory safeguarding. If you want FSCS specifically, a UK current account at Starling, Monzo or a high-street bank is the right product.
Faster Payments / CHAPS / Bacs — UK sort-code/account for every GBP balance. Faster Payments instantly (24/7). CHAPS same-day high-value. Bacs Direct Debit for recurring collections.
Confirmation of Payee (CoP) — mandatory name check on UK payments. Integrated.
HMRC — for sole traders and freelancers we generate an MTD-compatible transaction export for Making Tax Digital for VAT and Income Tax Self-Assessment.
UK GDPR / ICO — KYC and transaction data processed under UK GDPR; 5AMLD/6AMLD record retention for 5 years after account closure.

UK pricing in pounds sterling

Monthly fee: £0 for Personal; £6/month for Business
UK account (sort-code/account number): included
FX conversion: 0.4% over mid-market, no minimum
GBP Faster Payments in/out: £0
CHAPS out: £15
International SWIFT out: £4 flat plus FX fee
Card issuance: £0 (virtual); £9 physical Mastercard debit
Cash withdrawals: £200/month free, 1.75% thereafter

Fair comparison with UK alternatives

Wise — the reference in transparent FX. Mid-market + small per-currency fee (often 0.40–0.60%). Excellent comparison baseline.
Revolut — broad feature set including crypto, stocks, savings vaults. FX fees vary by plan.
Starling & Monzo — UK banks with FSCS, simple app-first current accounts. FX via Mastercard rate — excellent for day-to-day spending, less so for transfers.
OFX — broker model for large transfers; relationship-managed.
Traditional UK banks (HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, Santander) — FSCS-protected, but FX spreads of 2–4% on international transfers.
GeraCash — 0.4% FX, UK account, multi-currency, MTD export, safeguarded funds (not FSCS).

Real UK use case — a London freelancer invoicing the US

A London-based UX freelancer invoices US clients $60,000/year. Held in a US dollar GeraCash balance, converted to GBP at mid-market + 0.4%. Vs a UK high-street bank at typical 3.5% FX cost: £1,860 saved per year. That pays for the freelancer's Kings Cross coworking desk.

UK coverage

All four UK nations. Strongest freelancer and SME use in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Belfast and Cardiff. Retail consumer use strongest in university cities and large commuter belts.

Related Gera services for UK users

GeraMarket — settle UK and EU ecommerce sales in GBP direct to a GeraCash account
GeraJobs — receive freelancer or employer payments
GeraCompliance — UK GDPR, 5AMLD, and SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) tooling

What we do not do

Hold an FSCS-protected deposit — we safeguard client funds in segregated accounts, which is legally different
Lend money / offer overdrafts — we are e-money, not a bank
Replace HMRC tax filing — we export the data for Making Tax Digital, the submission is yours

Next step

Open a free UK personal account at geracash.com/register. KYC typically completes in under 5 minutes; your UK sort-code/account number issues the same day.