
Mastercard has unveiled A2A Protect, a new global service to improve security for consumers engaging in account-to-account (A2A) payments, with its initial rollout planned for the UK.
This service is designed to tackle increasing issues related to fraud and disputes within the growing A2A payments landscape.
As a comprehensive solution, Mastercard A2A Protect functions as an additional layer for existing A2A transactions, making it applicable to any A2A payment method, regardless of how the payment is initiated.
Mastercard is collaborating with Monzo, NatWest, and Santander on the development and implementation of this service within the UK Faster Payments system, expected to launch in 2025.
The initiative will integrate advanced fraud detection capabilities along with a structured dispute resolution process, providing consumers with enhanced safeguards throughout the transaction lifecycle.
Mastercard chief product officer Jorn Lambert stated: “With Fast A2A comes fast fraud, and we owe it to consumers to have their back. Mastercard A2A Protect delivers meaningful benefits to every participant in a transaction.

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By GlobalData“It lowers operational costs for financial institutions through standardised real-time fraud insights and streamlined dispute resolution, and all participants benefit from quicker and more predictable outcomes. Most importantly, consumers can feel reassured they have the appropriate protection when making account-to-account payments.”
Initially, the service will focus on addressing authorised push payment (APP) fraud, which represented a significant portion of the £592m lost to A2A fraud in the UK last year, as reported by UK Finance.
Future developments will aim to create a mechanism for recovering funds in a wider array of situations, including instances where payments have been made for goods and services.
Andy Sacre, head of payments at Monzo, said: “Collaboration and information sharing are essential to fight fraud, which is why we’re working with Mastercard to build a tool that gives banks access to industry-wide data to help them spot suspicious transactions.
“We’re already using cutting-edge technology to detect and stop criminals in real time and A2A Protect will enhance our work even further, giving us more insights to stay one step ahead of fraudsters and keep our customers safe.”
Santander chief payments officer Paul Horlock said: “The alignment of capabilities and security across payment channels is critical to enable choice and protecting consumers. We see this Mastercard initiative as a promising addition to the evolving landscape of A2A payment utility and security.”