# Metro Bank is no longer available

**URL:** <https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721>\
**Category:** Emma News & Updates\
**Created:** [March 3, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721 "2020-03-03T12:32:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/1 "2020-03-03T12:32:29Z")

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We have sent this message to all our users who have a co-operative account connected in Emma. 😢 😭

> Hey saver,
> 
> this is Edoardo, CEO & co-founder of Emma.
> 
> I am writing to let you know that unfortunately we are dropping support for Metro Bank. On the 14th of March, the current system we use to connect will become outdated and the bank won’t provide Open Banking APIs, but a modified interface that will require you to login every time to refresh your data.
> 
> This limits our ability to provide a good service and given the coverage this bank has, we have decided to drop support entirely. The “positive” news is that Metro Bank has plans to actually build Open Banking connection, so as soon as this will become available, we’ll make sure to add the bank back in Emma - we don’t have any ETA.
> 
> Best,  
> Edoardo Moreni

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**Author:** ![Hilsalive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@Hilsalive](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Hilsalive)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/2 "2020-03-04T22:17:07Z")

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I’m really disappointed about you no longer supporting Metro although I understand why. I’ve just started using Emma but have spent ages setting it up and was finding it very useful. When Metro give you the new APIs will I be able to get the history of my spend during the time there was no service or will I have to start again?

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/3 "2020-03-05T14:30:19Z")

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> [@Hilsalive](#):
>
> When Metro give you the new APIs will I be able to get the history of my spend during the time there was no service or will I have to start again?

We’ll be able to migrate the account and everything will be preserved. 😉

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**Author:** ![Hilsalive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@Hilsalive](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Hilsalive)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/4 "2020-03-05T14:54:08Z")

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Am I your only Metro customer? I’ve contacted them to report the issue.

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/5 "2020-03-05T17:46:32Z")

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Metro accounts for 0.0001% of the connections, so it’s a very small segment, but you are not alone. 😉

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**Author:** ![ijihuh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ijihuh](https://community.emma-app.com/u/ijihuh)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/6 "2020-03-05T23:41:45Z")

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Haha, I’m also a Metro customer and I was connected with Emma until they removed it.

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**Author:** ![ijihuh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ijihuh](https://community.emma-app.com/u/ijihuh)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/7 "2020-03-05T23:42:34Z")

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Don’t they already have APIs avaliable? I found this [link](https://developer.metrobankonline.co.uk/)

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/8 "2020-03-06T12:23:32Z")

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No they don’t, but they are building it; so it’s just a matter of time for us. 🙂

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**Author:** ![ijihuh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@ijihuh](https://community.emma-app.com/u/ijihuh)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/9 "2020-03-06T16:33:18Z")

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Oh, ok! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Hilsalive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@Hilsalive](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Hilsalive)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/10 "2020-03-07T16:15:37Z")

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This is what Metro told me…

Hi Hilary, thank you for your patience. We have received a response advising that Metro Bank won’t be providing APIs at this time but our solution provides the same functionality. It’s dependent on the specific third party provider as to how they choose to authenticate their users. Some providers might ask you to log in each time but some might be able to store your details on your behalf so you don’t need to do this.

Seems like I should cancel my subscription to Emma. Its not going to get resolved quickly.  
H

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**Author:** ![Seb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Seb](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Seb)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/11 "2020-03-08T15:52:01Z")

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I’m sure the full API will be coming out shortly. Metro will see customers switch banks if they don’t, so I would think it would be urgent for them.

However, customer service people obviously can’t say this so they are probably trying to blame third party providers like Emma so you don’t think it’s Metro’s fault.

I would wait and see for a bit.

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/12 "2020-03-09T10:29:36Z")

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> [@Seb](#):
>
> However, customer service people obviously can’t say this so they are probably trying to blame third party providers like Emma so you don’t think it’s Metro’s fault.

I still don’t understand why people trust untrained customer support. 🙂

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**Author:** ![edoardomoreni](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/edoardomoreni/32/9_2.png) [@edoardomoreni](https://community.emma-app.com/u/edoardomoreni)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 10:33am UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/13 "2020-03-09T10:33:24Z")

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The bank, in order to be compliant, is offering a solution that requires our users to authenticate every time to refresh the data. We have been keeping Tesco Bank available with similar functionality to connect for two years and the result has been that no one used it.

That’s why there is no point in offering what Metro currently has. The bank is building an API which I hope it will be currently available.

I wouldn’t ping their customer support because they, of course, have no idea.

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**Author:** ![LiberianEnglish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eada6e/32.png) [@LiberianEnglish](https://community.emma-app.com/u/LiberianEnglish)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/14 "2020-03-20T15:40:24Z")

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Metro has now released their new Open Banking connection this week. Will Emma have the new link working soon!? Your app just congratulated me for 12 months of membership, and losing Metro connection was my gift. 😉 Note my girlfriend also uses Metro and Emma. We’d both love to see this back up and running.

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**Author:** ![Joel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/joel/32/571_2.png) [@Joel](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Joel)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/15 "2020-03-20T18:54:53Z")

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Thanks for the heads up @LiberianEnglish!

We’ll take a look at integrating it back into Emma

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**Author:** ![antonio](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/antonio/32/47_2.png) [@antonio](https://community.emma-app.com/u/antonio)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/16 "2020-03-23T20:03:01Z")

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Hi @LiberianEnglish and welcome to the community!

I’d like to give everyone an update on this topic.

Sadly, the information we have received from Metro Bank is actually that they’ve withdrawn all plans to release an Open Banking API.

They have released an alternative solution, the minimum they could do to be compliant with the PSD2 regulations, which is called “modified customer interface” (MCI).

We have no plans to integrate with this channel because it is no different to a screen-scraper:

- unreliable, any minor change from the bank to the style of the page can result in your account not syncing or showing incorrect balance/transactional data;
- less secure than API: you need to provide us with your online banking credentials;
- slow to connect and request data from;
- it takes way longer to build the integration and, because of the sudden changes that the bank could apply any time, we would also need to spend time fixing it with no notice;
- automatic bank account refreshes are impossible: it would require you to be present and receive a one-time code, usually via sms, every time you want to sync data with Emma (to be fair, some banks are removing this limitation, not sure about Metro yet).

Metro Bank until a few weeks ago had plans to release their API but then, perhaps for some cost-cutting decision, decided to make their worse/temporary alternative the definitive long-term solution.

Not happening anymore:

 ![Screenshot 2020-03-23 at 19.50.51](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/emma_app/original/1X/6afe3a55dfddd7e0b5c97fa1c8a0f76fd87fac06.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Seb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Seb](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Seb)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/17 "2020-03-23T21:08:51Z")

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Disappointing of Metro but the update is appreciated.

Thanks 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/joel/32/571_2.png) [@Joel](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Joel)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 9:32am UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/18 "2020-03-24T09:32:34Z")

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🤧 😪 😢 😭

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LiberianEnglish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eada6e/32.png) [@LiberianEnglish](https://community.emma-app.com/u/LiberianEnglish)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/19 "2020-03-24T15:29:14Z")

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Okay. Well what do I do now, since I have more than 12 months of budgeting data in Emma? Presumably I’ll need to take the data out of Emma and use it somewhere else?

Can you help with that?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.emma-app.com/joel/32/571_2.png) [@Joel](https://community.emma-app.com/u/Joel)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721/20 "2020-03-24T17:25:03Z")

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Hey @LiberianEnglish

If you have Emma Pro, you can use the export data feature to export your data to a CSV file via email 🙂

[Next page](https://community.emma-app.com/t/metro-bank-is-no-longer-available/1721.md?page=2)
