Frequently Asked Questions

Bourn is a financial technology company addressing the cash flow challenges faced by UK SMEs. Our mission is to simplify working capital for growth businesses.

Bourn is not a bank, we're an Electronic Money Institution EMI. An EMI is an organisation that has been authorised by the regulator to issue e-money accounts and provide payment services. In the UK, we're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FCA.

No. Bourn is not a lender. We partner with banks and financial services organisations who use Bourn's platform to provision working capital.

A Flexible Trade Account FTA is a business credit and payment solution designed to help SMEs manage cash flow effortlessly.

An FTA works just like a business overdraft, giving businesses access to a payment account and flexible line available on demand. The account is connected directly to your accounting system so we can keep your funding line up to date and support your financial operations.

Unlike some invoice finance solutions, which relies on manual processes and significant amounts of paper, FTAs are designed for automation, streamlining onboarding, payments, reconciliations, and limit management for businesses.

FTAs are designed for any UK-based businesses that trade on credit terms with other businesses, providing flexible funding based on outstanding invoices. Eligibility for working capital facilities are governed by our banks and lending partners and outlined in their agreements.

Currently, we're operational in the UK, with plans to expand globally. If you're in another jurisdiction, let us know, and we'll update you on our roadmap.

Bourn takes the security of your information seriously. We protect customer data using industry-standard security controls, including encryption in transit and at rest, and operate in compliance with GDPR. Bourn is certified to ISO/IEC 27001, the international standard for information security management, which requires a robust, risk-based framework covering data protection, access controls, system security, monitoring, and incident management. This ensures your information is handled securely and consistently across our systems and processes.

We connect to over 14 major cloud accounting platforms, including Xero, Quickbooks, Sage and FreeAgent.

Safeguarding refers to the regulatory measures designed to protect customer funds held in payment and e-money accounts.

Where Bourn holds customer funds, those funds are kept separate from Bourn’s own funds and safeguarded in accordance with UK regulatory requirements. Safeguarded funds are held in designated safeguarding accounts with regulated credit institutions and are subject to reconciliation and oversight processes.

These measures are intended to ensure that customer funds are protected and prioritised in the event that Bourn were to become insolvent.

Where customer funds fall within safeguarding requirements, they are held in segregated safeguarding accounts with our regulated bank partner, ClearBank Limited. These funds are kept separate from Bourn’s own operational funds and are ring-fenced for the benefit of customers.

Safeguarding arrangements are designed to protect customer funds in the event of Bourn’s insolvency and to support their timely return, in line with applicable UK regulatory requirements.

No. Safeguarded funds are not bank deposits and are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Instead, safeguarding is a separate regulatory protection that applies to e-money and payment services. It requires customer funds to be segregated from the firm’s own money and held in a way that is intended to protect those funds in the event of the firm’s insolvency.

Funds held in Bourn payment and e-money accounts for the purpose of executing payments or holding e-money are safeguarded in line with regulation.

Any credit exposure, receivables finance, or funding provided to businesses is offered by banks or non-bank finance providers, not by Bourn, and is governed by the terms of those providers.

The Flexible Trade Account combines regulated payment accounts with working capital finance provided by third-party finance providers.

Bourn safeguards customer funds where required under e-money and payment regulations, while enabling secure, real-time movement of funds between businesses and finance providers. This structure ensures clear separation between safeguarded funds, operational payments, and third-party financing.

At Bourn, our customers are important to us. We are committed to providing a fair, transparent, and professional service at all times. We take complaints seriously and view them as an opportunity to improve our products and services.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, you can raise a complaint by contacting us at:

Email: support@bourn.ai

Please include as much detail as possible so we can investigate your concerns promptly.

How we handle complaints

Once we receive your complaint, we will follow a clear and structured process:

• Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days.
• Investigation: We will investigate the matter thoroughly, impartially, and fairly.
• Response: We aim to provide a final response within 15 working days of receiving your complaint wherever possible.
• Delays: If we are unable to issue a final response within this timeframe, we will keep you informed of the progress and explain the reasons for any delay.

In all cases, we will issue a final response no later than 8 weeks from the date we received your complaint, in line with regulatory requirements.

Escalation to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

You may be eligible to refer your complaint to the FOS if:

• 8 weeks have passed since you raised your complaint and you have not received a final response; or
• You are dissatisfied with our final response at any stage.

Whether the FOS can consider your complaint will depend on your location and circumstances.

Financial Ombudsman Service (UK)

Exchange Tower
London, E14 9SR

Phone: +44 (0)800 023 4567 or +44 (0)300 123 9123

Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Any referral to the Financial Ombudsman Service must be made within six months of the date of our final response.

No. FTA works alongside your existing current accounts. Automated repayments or controlled receipt flows can be set up depending on product tier.

No. Bourn does not provide credit or take balance-sheet risk. Lenders retain full control over underwriting policy, credit limits, pricing, and approvals. Bourn supplies the platform, data integrations, and risk tooling that support those decisions.

Repayments are managed through automated settlement and reconciliation processes aligned to the lender's chosen operating model. Cash movements and settlements are continuously monitored, with controls in place to ensure timely application of receipts and visibility for lender teams.

If expected settlements do not occur as planned, the facility can be automatically restricted to prevent further utilisation. Lenders are notified promptly and can apply alternative repayment or collections processes in line with their credit policy.

Yes. Facility availability and risk indicators update automatically as underlying accounting and banking data refreshes. This supports continuous monitoring without requiring the SME to actively manage or report on the facility.

Bourn provides real-time visibility over receivables, payments, and exceptions, enabling lenders to enforce controls, intervene early, and switch to more traditional recovery or collections approaches if required.

Pricing is tailored by each funding provider in line with their risk appetite and funding criteria. Bourn supports this process through its technology and data infrastructure but does not determine pricing or provide lending services.

No. Bourn provides all the regulated services directly to the customer alongside our services from banks and funding partners; your platform embeds the UX and consents.

We require customer consent to access relevant data from their bank accounts and accounting systems on a real-time or near-real-time basis. This data is used to support automated decisioning, availability calculations, and ongoing monitoring. Access is provided securely via regulated third-party providers and can be withdrawn by the customer at any time.

Integration timelines depend on the approach selected. Drop-in widgets can typically be deployed within days. API or white-label integrations are delivered through a phased rollout and, depending on scope and complexity, can be completed in as little as two weeks.