First Essential
Secure payments and CRM for financial services in the UK
Payments for financial services, done properly: one joined-up platform for secure payments, tidy client records and clear reporting. Built in the UK, with support from people you can actually get hold of.
Compliance and care, without the admin drag
Brokers, advisers, insurance teams and fintech founders all carry the same load. Payments have to be secure, records have to be clean, and a report has to be ready the moment a client or the regulator asks. Our payments and CRM tools take that manual work off your desk, with real UK support behind them, so you spend more time advising and far less time chasing paper.
What are payment and CRM systems for financial services in the UK?
A payment system lets a regulated firm take money safely, whether that is a one-off advice fee on a card machine (sometimes called a card reader or card terminal), a contactless tap, an online payment, or a recurring premium collected month after month. A CRM, short for client relationship management, is the system that holds every client record in one place: who they are, what they hold with you, what you last discussed and what happens next.
On their own, those two jobs usually live in separate tools that do not talk to each other, which is how detail goes missing and reconciliation turns into an afternoon. First Essential brings card payments, recurring billing, a client CRM, AI enquiry handling and your website together on one platform, so a payment, a record and a report all line up. Add our Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) and card machines if you also take fees in person, and it stays one connected stack rather than five logins.
How our payments for financial services teams work in the UK
Five parts that work together, so payments, clients and tools all pull in the same direction.
Card payments
Take secure card, contactless and recurring payments, with dependable settlement and UK support you can actually reach.
Learn moreFirst Essential One
One client CRM for onboarding, records and follow-ups, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Learn moreAI Solutions
Answers and qualifies enquiries 24/7, so warm leads never wait and your team stays focused.
Learn moreEPOS and tills
An Electronic Point of Sale and till system for firms that take fees in person, tied to the same records.
Learn moreIntegrations
Connect the tools you already use, the GDPR-ready way, with data flowing cleanly between them.
Learn moreWeb and app
A secure, professional website or client portal, built in the UK and joined up to the rest of your stack.
Learn moreTailored to your corner of financial services
Different firms carry different loads. Here is where the platform earns its keep for each.
Brokers and advisers
Collect advice fees and retainers on card or recurring billing, keep fact-finds and reviews tidy in the CRM, and have client detail ready when a review or audit lands.
Insurance teams
Take premiums as one-off or scheduled payments, track renewals and follow-ups so none lapse quietly, and keep every policy record in one searchable place.
Fintech founders
Stand up secure payments and a client CRM quickly, connect the tools you already run, and let AI handle first-touch enquiries while you build the business.
Secure card payments and card machines for regulated firms
Take payments with confidence, whether it is a one-off fee on a card machine, a contactless tap, an online payment or a recurring premium. Settlement is dependable, and when something needs sorting there is a real person in the UK to call, so you are never left stranded. Rates start from 0.3%, and they vary by card type and business and are confirmed at setup, so you know exactly where you stand before you commit.
A CRM for financial services that keeps clients in one place
Onboarding, records and follow-ups all live in one tidy system, so nothing gets missed. When a client or a regulator asks, the detail is right there, ready to hand and handled the GDPR-ready way. You can try First Essential One free for 14 days and see it against your own way of working before you decide.
AI that answers and qualifies enquiries around the clock
Warm leads never wait. Our AI answers and qualifies enquiries day and night, captures the right detail and passes the strongest prospects to your team, so your advisers stay focused on the work only they can do. Want to see it in action first? Book a free AI demo and we will walk you through it.
Connect the tools you already use, the GDPR-ready way
Your firm already runs on tools you trust. We join them up so data flows where it should, without messy exports or typing the same thing twice, and sensitive client data is always handled the GDPR-ready way.
Reporting that is ready the moment it is asked for
Card data handled to PCI DSS standards. Client records kept the GDPR-ready way, with access controls so the right people see the right detail. And when a client or regulator asks for a report, it is already there, clear and ready to hand over, without a last-minute scramble.
Clear pricing, no buried small print
Financial firms know better than anyone how much hides in the small print. So here is ours in plain English. Card rates start from 0.3%, and because they genuinely vary by card type and business, the exact figure is confirmed at setup rather than dressed up as a headline. The table below is how we work compared with how some providers tend to operate.
| What you want to know | First Essential | Some providers |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing rate | From 0.3%, confirmed at setup, varies by card type and business | Headline rate that often excludes premium or business cards |
| Card machine cost | Free card machine when you take EPOS | Monthly hardware rental on top of fees |
| Contract and lock-in | Terms explained up front, no surprises buried in clauses | Long lock-ins of two to three years are common |
| Setup and onboarding | Helped through it by real UK people | Often left to set yourself up online |
| Support | UK-based humans, 7 days a week | Offshore queues or tickets only |
| Platform breadth | Payments, CRM, AI, EPOS and web on one platform | Usually one product, the rest is your problem |
| First Essential One CRM | 14-day free trial, then a clear monthly plan | Several separate subscriptions stacked together |
We do not publish a single sticker price because a brokerage taking advice fees and a fintech collecting recurring premiums genuinely need different setups. Tell us how your firm takes money and we will give you the real numbers, confirmed before you commit. "Some providers" above is a fair, general picture of the market, not a claim about any one named company.
Built for security, settlement and reporting
The detail regulated firms actually ask about, answered up front.
Security and GDPR
Card data is handled to PCI DSS standards, and client records are kept the GDPR-ready way, with access controls so the right people see the right detail and nothing leaks where it should not.
Settlement and billing
Dependable settlement on card takings, plus recurring and scheduled billing for fees, premiums and retainers, with clear records behind every transaction so reconciliation stays simple.
Reporting and audit
Pull the report you need when a client or regulator asks, without a scramble. Payments, records and follow-ups all sit in one place, so the trail is ready to hand over.
Financial services payments and CRM, your questions answered
What are payment and CRM systems for financial services in the UK?
What does it actually cost, and what is the free card machine catch?
Is there a long contract or lock-in?
Is the platform GDPR-ready and secure for sensitive client data?
Can I take recurring or scheduled payments for fees and premiums?
If I already have a system, how hard is it to switch?
Do you offer real UK support?
Ready for more clients and less paperwork?
Book a free, no-obligation demo and see how it fits your firm. Or browse the full range across industries we serve and who we are.
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