What Skipton International does

Skipton International Limited is a Guernsey-licensed offshore bank and wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society, headquartered in St. Peter Port with a second branch in St. Helier, Jersey. Founded in its current form in 2009 following the merger of Skipton Guernsey and Scarborough Channel Islands, the company operates two principal product lines: offshore savings accounts denominated in GBP and USD (including fixed bonds, notice accounts, and easy access accounts for personal and business customers), and a specialist mortgage book. Its mortgage offering comprises Channel Islands residential mortgages for Guernsey and Jersey residents and UK buy-to-let mortgages for British expats and non-UK nationals purchasing or remortgaging property in England, Wales, and mainland Scotland, with loan sizes from £150,000 to £5 million and maximum LTVs of 75%.

The company's technology stack centres on a 24/7 online banking platform for retail customers, the eMortgages digital origination portal for intermediaries, and third-party integrations for identity verification (ID-Pal), customer reviews (Feefo), and web analytics (Google Analytics). Skipton distributes mortgages through a curated intermediary panel with a 0.75% procuration fee and a minimum £3m annual completion threshold, while savings are sold direct-to-consumer online and by telephone. The business model is primarily net interest income from lending and deposits, supplemented by transactional fees (e.g., £25 CHAPS) and customer referral rewards. Operating geographies cover the Channel Islands, mainland UK, and 100+ countries of expat residence, with Isle of Man explicitly excluded from licensing.

Name

Skipton International

Legal name

Skipton International Limited

Website

https://skiptoninternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Skipton International is a Guernsey-licensed offshore bank and subsidiary of Skipton Building Society, offering GBP and USD savings accounts and specialist mortgages to Channel Islands residents and UK buy-to-let borrowers living abroad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offshore Banking

NAICS

Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036)

akta.pro primary industry

Offshore & International Private Banking (FSAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Banking Cross-Border & International Wealth Services (FSABADAL)

Keywords

• Offshore savings accounts
• Expat buy-to-let mortgages
• Channel Islands mortgages
• Offshore banking services
• Mortgage intermediary portal

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Peter Port

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Lending: Interest income from mortgage lending to Channel Islands residents and UK expats. Skipton offers residential mortgages in Guernsey and Jersey, and UK buy-to-let mortgages for expats and non-UK residents. Lending range from £150,000 to £5 million with LTVs up to 75%.
2. Offshore Savings Accounts: Deposit-taking from personal and business customers in GBP and USD. Interest is paid gross without tax deduction at source. Maximum balance of £5,000,000/$5,000,000 per account.
3. Banking Fees: CHAPS payment fee of £25 for same-day sterling transfers. BACS transfers (3 working days) are free. No charges for incoming deposits or standard withdrawals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skipton International provides offshore savings accounts in GBP and USD (fixed bonds, notice accounts, and easy access) and mortgage lending — residential mortgages for Channel Islands residents in Guernsey and Jersey, and UK buy-to-let mortgages for British expats and non-UK residents purchasing property in England, Wales, and mainland Scotland. The company operates under a Guernsey banking licence, supports intermediary submission via its eMortgages portal, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society.

Product overview

Skipton International is a leading offshore bank headquartered in Guernsey, offering a unified product portfolio of offshore savings accounts and mortgages. The core savings offering comprises GBP and US Dollar offshore savings accounts, including fixed rate bonds, notice accounts, and easy access options, alongside dedicated business savings accounts for corporate customers. The mortgage division serves Channel Islands residents through Guernsey and Jersey residential mortgage products, while a separate UK Buy-to-Let division specifically targets British expats and non-UK nationals with expat mortgages ranging from £150,000 to £5 million. Digital access is provided through an eMortgages online portal for intermediaries and 24/7 online banking for customers. The company also operates the Skipton Community Fund, a charitable grant programme for Channel Island non-profits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Offshore GBP Savings Accounts Offshore sterling savings accounts including fixed rate bonds, notice accounts, and easy access options, paying gross interest to personal customers.
• Offshore US Dollar Savings Accounts Offshore US dollar savings accounts offering competitive interest rates for international savers seeking dollar-denominated deposits.
• Business Savings Accounts Corporate offshore savings accounts in GBP and USD for businesses, trust companies, and individual pension schemes. Available to existing customers only.
• Guernsey Residential Mortgages Residential mortgage products for Guernsey residents purchasing or remortgaging property in Guernsey, including first-time buyers, home movers, and remortgage cases.
• Jersey Residential Mortgages Residential mortgage products for Jersey residents purchasing or remortgaging property in Jersey.
• UK Buy-to-Let Mortgages Buy-to-let mortgage products for British expats and non-UK nationals living abroad who are purchasing or remortgaging property in England, Wales, and mainland Scotland. Lending ranges from £150,000 to £5 million with LTVs up to 75%.
• eMortgages Portal Online mortgage application and management portal for intermediaries, enabling digital creation of full mortgage applications, partial completion with save functionality, case tracking, and application reprinting.
• Online Banking 24/7 online banking platform allowing customers to access and manage savings accounts and mortgages through a secure web portal.
• 100% Mortgage (Family Guarantor) Mortgage product requiring no deposit, supported by a family guarantor, available to Channel Islands residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Agreement in principle can be provided in as little as 10 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UNEP Finance InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Skipton International joined the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, demonstrating commitment to sustainability and responsible banking practices.
• Carey OlsenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkipton frequently works with Carey Olsen advocates in both Jersey and Guernsey for house purchase applications where clients need legal representation. This is a recommended rather than exclusive partnership.
• ID-PalcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party identity verification provider used by Skipton International to ensure accuracy of customer-provided information. Based in Ireland, which is deemed to have adequate security controls.
• FeefocoreTechnology or IntegrationCustomer review platform used by Skipton to gather feedback and improve customer service. Skipton is a six-time Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award winner. Feefo may contact customers to request reviews.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Butterfield: Bermuda-headquartered offshore bank with full Channel Islands and Isle of Man operations offering deposit-taking, mortgage lending, and wealth services. Overlaps with Skipton on retail offshore savings and Channel Islands residential mortgages.
• Nedbank Private Wealth: South African bank's offshore wealth arm operating in Channel Islands and Isle of Man, offering offshore deposits, mortgages and wealth services to international clients. Comparable specialist offshore retail banking model.
• NatWest International: Formerly RBS International, offers offshore savings and mortgage products in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man. Highly comparable product portfolio to Skipton International including cross-border savings and expat-facing mortgage services.
• Standard Bank Wealth International: Africa's largest bank's offshore wealth division with Channel Islands and Jersey presence, providing offshore savings and lending to international clients. Comparable cross-border banking and mortgage proposition.
• Lloyds Bank International: Provides offshore savings and mortgage products to Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey) and Isle of Man residents, directly competing with Skipton International in the offshore deposit and residential mortgage segments.
• HSBC Channel Islands: Major bank providing retail savings, current accounts, and residential mortgages in Guernsey and Jersey. Competes head-to-head with Skipton on local Channel Islands lending and offshore savings products.

Broad incumbents

• Skipton Building Society: Parent company and one of the UK's largest building societies (~£30bn+ assets). Operates complementary UK retail savings and mortgage franchise; provides brand, capital backing and Connells estate agency referral potential that influences Skipton International's competitive positioning.

Emerging players

• Leeds Building Society: UK mutual building society with selected offshore savings products for expatriates and Channel Islands customers. Overlaps with Skipton on the cross-border savings side but lacks comparable BTL expat mortgage franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebigskiptonsleepout
• Xx.com/skiptonint

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skipton International