The EBA has published a new report focused on white labelling, which found that the business model is widely used in banking and payments.
Following this announcement, the report focused on white labelling, a business model in which financial institutions work with another company (a partner, which sometimes is not even a financial firm), in order to offer products and services under the partner’s brand.
The EBA found that over a third of banks and financial institutions that were surveyed in 2025 use this model and have identified a need for ongoing supervisory convergence actions that will be taken forward in 2026.
More information on the EBA’s white labelling-focused report
According to the official press release, driven by digitalisation and platformisation, new ways for individuals to access financial services are being launched, including the process of using white labelling, which is being leveraged by 35% of the banks responding to the EBA 2025 Spring Risk Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ). White labelling represents a business model that involves a financial institution (the provider) entering into an agreement with another financial or non-financial firm (the partner) in order to offer one or more financial products and services under the partner’s own brand only. In addition, traditionally, partners were also financial institutions, but currently, they can also be non-regulated commercial entities (for example, those operating online marketplaces).
The report sets out several key features of white labelling, while also providing an overview of use cases and identifying potential opportunities and risks. For consumers and individuals, risks include less clarity about who is responsible for the overall product, which can make it harder to know who to contact or to avoid fraudulent situations. At the same time, for supervisors, it can mean less direct oversight of some partners.
Furthermore, the report sets out follow-up actions the EBA will take in 2026 in order to promote a common supervisory approach towards these models and improve consumer understanding. These include the process of raising supervisory awareness, having integrated white labelling in competent authorities’ supervisory priorities for 2026, and ensuring more effective disclosures to consumers and users to facilitate their awareness regarding the firm they are dealing with, as well as how to make complaints.
