Embedded finance has evolved from a new concept to a mainstay of financial services. According to a recent study, the global market for embedded finance is estimated to grow from $146.17 billion in 2025 to approximately $690.39 billion by 2030. With embedded finance set to redefine the future of finance, accountants based in the UK are faced with fascinating new opportunities. To capitalise on new opportunities, accountants will first need to invest in themselves and upskill to gain a deeper understanding of finance and how it works in digital ecosystems. Building these competencies involves structured training, updated curricula, and continuous professional development to stay relevant in 2025 and beyond. 

Why Embedded Finance Skills Matter Now 

Regulatory change and market demand in the UK are pushing embedded finance into prominence. With regulators like the FCA closely scrutinising consumer duty, fraud, data protection, payment services and fintech partnerships, accountants must be fluent not just in accounting standards but in the digital tools, regulatory boundaries, and risk profiles that come with embedded financial products and services. 

At the same time, technologies like APIs, AI/ML, real–time payments, open banking, and SaaS platforms are changing how revenue is recognised, credit risk is assessed, and customer data is collected and used. Basic financial reporting or compliance is no longer enough. Accountants are expected to participate in designing embedded financial products, advise on structuring revenue and cost models, assess risk and regulatory exposures, and ensure that internal controls encompass these new areas. 

Key Competencies Accountants Need 

Below are the specific, advanced competencies UK accountants should develop for embedded finance: 

Regulatory and Compliance Acumen in Embedded Contexts
Understanding FCA rules for payment services, credit and lending (Consumer Credit Act, Consumer Duty), plus data regulation (GDPR, UK Data Protection Act), is essential. Accountants need to be aware of how embedded lending, BNPL, payment facilitation, and open banking interfaces are treated under the law. They should acquaint themselves with which licensing or authorisation is required, and how regulatory obligations flow through embedded relationships (e.g. a platform and its financial partner). 

Technology and Data Literacy
Proficiency with APIs, transactional data flows, real–time systems, cloud infrastructure, and AI/ML for risk and forecasting will be highly coveted skill sets. UK accounting bodies are offering “Innovating Finance with AI” training to address this gap. For example, ICAEW in 2025 has courses designed to help finance professionals move beyond awareness to actual deployment of digital tech, analytics, and automation in their practices.

Risk Assessment and Modelling Skills
Embedded finance products often face varied forms of risk: credit risk, fraud risk, or operational risk. Accountants need to build or interpret models that can forecast default, fraud or liquidity issues in real time, sometimes using behavioural data, external triggers, or nontraditional data sources. Understanding model governance, explainability, and algorithmic bias is also part of this competency. 

Understanding Financial Product Structure and Revenue Recognition
Embedded finance often implies unique financial product structures like subscriptions or revenue sharing, which have implications for how revenue is recognised, how costs are allocated, and how financial liability is disclosed. Accountants must be able to advise on or audit these structures to ensure accounting treatment is correct and understand areas of profit and risk. 

Business Partnering and Strategic Insight
As automation reduces time spent on routine tasks, accountants must add value as strategic advisors by translating data into insights, influencing decisions about business strategy, partnering with products or platforms, and identifying risk. This requires excellent communication skills and an ability to interpret and narrate stories with data. Accountants should avoid dumping statistics and numbers and instead guide leadership on embedded finance trends, risk exposures, and profitability levers. ICAEW’s 2025 reports emphasise “business partnering, building influence and trust” and turning data into actionable insights as being the most sought-after accountancy skills.  

Case Illustrations and Challenges 

• Real-world embedded credit (BNPL): Accountants need to understand how embedded credit providers record revenue (e.g., upfront versus interest over a period), manage expected credit losses, and comply with regulatory disclosures under the Consumer Credit regime, as well as align with the FCA’s rules. Poor understanding leads to errors in profitability, compliance or consumer disclosures, which can lead to fines, penalties or complications. 

• Platform-based payments: When a non-financial platform handles transactions, accountants must assess whether the platform or its financial partner is responsible for safeguarding customer money, segregation, reconciliation, and fraud losses. Misalignment can lead to audit issues or regulatory sanctions. 

• AI in risk scoring and credit decisioning: As models get more used in underwriting, accountants who audit or review these systems need to evaluate model governance, bias, and explainability. In the UK, regulatory interest in explainability and algorithmic fairness is growing. Recent academic work on the regulation of AI in financial services underlines that legal frameworks are evolving to impose stricter standards of accountability and transparency in AI-driven decision-making. 

Accountants in the UK can leverage solutions from SaaS companies like Pulse. Pulse’s solutions include aiPredict, a comprehensive cash flow forecasting module, DebtorIQ, an intuitive accounts receivable solution and Pulse ‘s Business Insights platform. Accountants can forecast cash flow, take complete control of their clients’ accounts receivable, and monitor clients’ financial health, all from a single, user-friendly interface. While upskilling and preparing for embedded finance is crucial, it is equally important to choose the right solutions and platforms that help expedite, automate and streamline processes, with Pulse being a prime example. To learn more about Pulse and how it empowers accountants, book a demo today.

What UK Accountants Should Expect 

By the end of 2025 and entering 2026, accountants who have developed strong embedded finance competencies should be able to add value in the following ways: 

• Accountants should be able to participate in or initiate embedded product audits, structuring, and financial due diligence. 
• They should be able to help their organisations or clients with structuring embedded finance offerings, including designing partnerships, vendor or platform agreements, as well as revenue sharing, cost sharing, and liability or risk sharing. 
• Accountants should be able to use data analytics, AI models, and forecasting tools to project outcomes (default rates, liquidity, cash flow, etc. and not just for historical reporting. 
• Accountants should be able to engage regularly with regulators, perform internal audits, and be well-versed with respect to embedded finance compliance. They must clearly know where legal obligations lie. Accountants must position themselves as trusted business partners, not only in financial conversations, but also in product, risk, and strategy discussions. 

Conclusion 

Embedded finance is changing the way financial services work in the UK, and accountants need to keep up with it. The skills needed in 2025 go far beyond just keeping books and following the regulations. They include knowing how to operate, being able to utilise technology and data, calculating risk, recognising revenue, and forming strategic business partnerships. Accountants who can help embedded finance move forward will stand out since they have gone through training and development programs that are specifically designed for these areas. Both professionals and businesses need to invest in these skills if they want to succeed in a financial world that is becoming increasingly connected and tech-driven.