When a business hears about a ‘new payment model’ the scepticisms is usually immediate: “Is this experimental, or does it actually work?”

With Enduring Consent and Open Banking, the answer is clear: It already works! It has been the silent engine behind regular payments in the UK, Europe, and Australia for years. What is changing now is that New Zealand finally has the infrastructure to bring this reliability home.

This isn’t a trial. It is the logical next step for any business that relies on recurring revenue.

What Exactly is Enduring Consent?

In the old world, recurring payments required a "blank cheque" (Direct Debit) or a stored "token" (Credit Card). Both are prone to failure, fraud, and friction.

Enduring Consent allows a customer to give their bank permission to pay a business regularly under specific, pre-agreed rules (e.g., "Pay up to $200 a month to Spark"). Once authorised via the customer's own banking app, the payments run automatically, no manual intervention, no expired cards.

Proven Use Cases (The "Overseas Blueprint")

In markets where Open Banking is mature, enduring consent is already mainstream:

• Subscriptions: Streaming and SaaS businesses collect fees without the high "churn" caused by expired credit cards.

• Utilities: Power and water providers use it for variable monthly bills, staying within a customer-set cap.

• Wealth Management: Automated "roundups" and regular savings contributions move instantly from bank to fund.

Why This Isn’t a Risky Experiment

It is easy to assume New Zealand is "testing" this. In reality, we’re adopting a refined model. Global regulators and banks have already solved the "hard parts":

1. Security: Customers never share passwords with the merchant; they authenticate directly with their bank.

2. Control: Customers can see and revoke their consents directly within their banking app, giving them more confidence to sign up.

3. Efficiency: Because it's bank-to-bank, there are no "middleman" card fees or 48-hour waiting periods for Direct Debits to clear.

How it Compares to Legacy Payments

What This Means for New Zealand Businesses

New Zealand’s payment landscape has reached a tipping point. With the major banks now live with standardised APIs, secure, bank-authorised payments are finally practical here.

For local businesses, this is the first realistic alternative to the "Big Two" (Cards and Direct Debits). By adopting a model that has been tested and refined in the UK and Australia, Kiwi businesses aren't experimenting; they are catching up to a global standard.

The result? Fewer "payment failed" emails, lower administrative overhead, and a significantly smoother checkout experience for your customers.

The Bottom Line: Practical Shift, Not a Big Leap

Enduring consent isn’t about reinventing the wheel; it’s about fixing the friction that costs you money every month. As Open Banking continues to roll out across New Zealand, this will quickly become the "gold standard" for any business where reliability and cash flow matter.

The technology is ready. The patterns are proven. The only thing left is to decide when your business will make the move.

Final Word

Enduring consent is a proven, transparent, and future-ready way to manage recurring payments. With NZ's Open Banking infrastructure now live, you can finally offer your customers a payment method that is as secure as their bank account.

Author: Wayne Deas – Co-founder & COO