// NEWS //
Lloyds and Stripe join forces to modernise payments for small businesses
Lloyds is collaborating with Stripe to deliver the latest payments technology to small businesses. Stripe’ s global payments infrastructure is now integrated into Lloyds’ Business Account through a new suite of tools called Lloyds Accept.
The new Lloyds Accept proposition provides small businesses with access to payment tools that help them operate more effectively and focus on growing. Powered by Stripe Connect, Lloyds Accept is integrated within the Lloyds and Bank of Scotland Business Accounts and sign-up times are typically within minutes. Tools include Tap to Pay on smartphones, payment links and modern terminal devices for in-person payments.
Lloyds Accept supports Tap to Pay on iPhone or Tap to Pay on Android, enabling businesses to accept contactless payments wherever they trade – from on-site customer locations and markets to community and school events – using only a smartphone and the Lloyds Accept app. At checkout, customers simply hold their card or digital wallet near the merchant’ s device to pay securely.
Amanda Murphy, CEO Lloyds Business & Commercial Banking, said:“ Businesses need simple, flexible payment solutions so they can focus on growing and serving their customers. Our new tools enable businesses to get set up and start trading instantly, supporting healthy cashflow – which is vital for small businesses. We’ re delighted to be working with Stripe to bring market-leading technology that helps our customers grow and manage their finances with confidence.”
UK’ s next generation of entrepreneurs has the drive but not the financial skills
Young people in the UK aspire to own their own business, but the path feels financially out of reach, according to new research from Xero, a global small business platform.
New survey findings reveal nearly three-quarters( 72 %) of students surveyed aged 16-21 are attracted to the idea of entrepreneurship, but half of the respondents( 51 %) are coming up against a lack of funding, a lack of confidence( 49 %) and, for over a third, a lack of financial skills( 37 %). This has led to a sense of career exclusion, with 61 % believing running their own business is a path reserved for people with money or connections.
Six in 10( 61 %) students were very clear on what draws them to entrepreneurship: financial freedom. Yet that is outweighed by financial anxiety, with two-thirds( 67 %) agreeing that starting a business feels too risky in the current climate, and a third( 33 %) are worried about their personal finances.
With youth unemployment at its highest rate in over a decade( 16.2 %, up from 14.2 % year-on-year, ONS May 2026), and only one in five young people( 20 %) planning a traditional career path, the pressure to find an alternative route is real. But without the financial knowledge to back themselves, many are stuck.
A lack of financial skills is also emerging as a barrier to starting a business, more than traditional business know-how. The proportion of young people who cite a lack of financial skills( 37 %) is significantly higher than that citing a lack of business acumen.
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