Financial Promotions

Supporting Compliance, Building Confidence

Dom Pérignon vineyards from the sky

Overview

Overview


At Gateway 21, we specialise in providing financial promotion approval services for cryptoassets. Our focus and expertise as a Section 21 (s21) approver means clients receive expertly refined, practical, and thoughtful support, keeping pace with industry innovation.

From reviewing and approving thousands of crypto promotional materials to formulating best practices in emerging regulation, we are committed to helping our clients navigate the complexities of UK regulations with ease and precision.

At Gateway 21, we specialise in providing financial promotion approval services for cryptoassets. Our focus and expertise as a Section 21 (s21) approver means clients receive expertly refined, practical, and thoughtful support, keeping pace with industry innovation.

From reviewing and approving thousands of crypto promotional materials to formulating best practices in emerging regulation, we are committed to helping our clients navigate the complexities of UK regulations with ease and precision.


At Gateway 21, we specialise in providing financial promotion approval services for cryptoassets. Our focus and expertise as a Section 21 (s21) approver means clients receive expertly refined, practical, and thoughtful support, keeping pace with industry innovation.

From reviewing and approving thousands of crypto promotional materials to formulating best practices in emerging regulation, we are committed to helping our clients navigate the complexities of UK regulations with ease and precision.

FAQs

(01)

What are Financial Promotions?

In the UK a financial promotion, or “FinProm”, can include any communication that invites or induces investment activity. This can include web pages, app screens, as well as more traditional advertising, marketing materials, blogs and social media posts.

(02)

What are Direct Offer Financial Promotions?

A Direct Offer Financial Promotion or “DOFP” is a financial promotion that specifies a manner of response or includes a form by which any response may be made. This can include a “buy” button or other mechanism by which consumers can place their capital in an investment. UK consumers must not be able to access DOFPs for high risk products unless they have successfully navigated the FCA’s mandated ‘four frictions’ (24- hour cooling off period, personalised risk warning, client categorisation and the appropriateness assessment). DOFPs must undergo a separate four frictions approval process to ensure these protections are in place.

(03)

Why do Financial Promotions need approval?

Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 creates what is known as the “Financial Promotion Restriction”. Per this general restriction, only firms authorised by the FCA can issue or approve a financial promotion. The FCA has granted a temporary exemption allowing companies on the FCA’s register of cryptoasset service providers to approve their own promotions.

(04)

What types of Financial Promotions does Gateway 21 approve?

Gateway 21 has experience across a broad range of FinProms, both with respect to media channels and investment products. Please do not hesitate to contact us for details regarding the scope of our services.

(05)

Who needs a Financial Promotion Approver?

The Financial Promotion Restriction can apply to anyone who communicates a financial promotion in the course of business. This is extremely broad, and can include cryptoasset service providers themselves in addition to entities and individuals such as media outlets, ‘FinFluencers’, token issuers and wallet providers. Key to understanding the scope of the regime is recognising that it is the communication that is being regulated.

(06)

How does the Gateway 21 Financial Promotion Approval process work?

After onboarding and a deep dive kickoff into relevant regulations, clients utilise a streamlined submission form in our bespoke portal to submit financial promotions for approval. We have agreed SLAs and a clear and simple fee schedule, offering both standard and expedited services. Clients can get instant feedback throughout the creative process from our proprietary AI assistants. Each financial promotion is reviewed by Gateway 21 regulatory analysts against an extensive, detailed checklists which distils relevant regulatory requirements into simple objective criteria wherever possible.

(07)

What are Illegal Financial Promotions?

Subject to a few narrow exceptions, making financial promotions without either authorisation or approval is illegal - even if the communication aligns with other regulatory requirements. Making such communications is a criminal offence, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

FAQs

(01)

What are Financial Promotions?

In the UK a financial promotion, or “FinProm”, can include any communication that invites or induces investment activity. This can include web pages, app screens, as well as more traditional advertising, marketing materials, blogs and social media posts.

(02)

What are Direct Offer Financial Promotions?

A Direct Offer Financial Promotion or “DOFP” is a financial promotion that specifies a manner of response or includes a form by which any response may be made. This can include a “buy” button or other mechanism by which consumers can place their capital in an investment. UK consumers must not be able to access DOFPs for high risk products unless they have successfully navigated the FCA’s mandated ‘four frictions’ (24- hour cooling off period, personalised risk warning, client categorisation and the appropriateness assessment). DOFPs must undergo a separate four frictions approval process to ensure these protections are in place.

(03)

Why do Financial Promotions need approval?

Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 creates what is known as the “Financial Promotion Restriction”. Per this general restriction, only firms authorised by the FCA can issue or approve a financial promotion. The FCA has granted a temporary exemption allowing companies on the FCA’s register of cryptoasset service providers to approve their own promotions.

(04)

What types of Financial Promotions does Gateway 21 approve?

Gateway 21 has experience across a broad range of FinProms, both with respect to media channels and investment products. Please do not hesitate to contact us for details regarding the scope of our services.

(05)

Who needs a Financial Promotion Approver?

The Financial Promotion Restriction can apply to anyone who communicates a financial promotion in the course of business. This is extremely broad, and can include cryptoasset service providers themselves in addition to entities and individuals such as media outlets, ‘FinFluencers’, token issuers and wallet providers. Key to understanding the scope of the regime is recognising that it is the communication that is being regulated.

(06)

How does the Gateway 21 Financial Promotion Approval process work?

After onboarding and a deep dive kickoff into relevant regulations, clients utilise a streamlined submission form in our bespoke portal to submit financial promotions for approval. We have agreed SLAs and a clear and simple fee schedule, offering both standard and expedited services. Clients can get instant feedback throughout the creative process from our proprietary AI assistants. Each financial promotion is reviewed by Gateway 21 regulatory analysts against an extensive, detailed checklists which distils relevant regulatory requirements into simple objective criteria wherever possible.

(07)

What are Illegal Financial Promotions?

Subject to a few narrow exceptions, making financial promotions without either authorisation or approval is illegal - even if the communication aligns with other regulatory requirements. Making such communications is a criminal offence, punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

FAQs

(01)

What are Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(02)

What are Direct Offer Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(03)

Why do Financial Promotions need approval?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(04)

What Types of Financial Promotions Does Gateway 21 Approve?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(05)

Who needs a Financial Promotion Approver?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(06)

How does the Gateway 21 Financial Promotion Approval process work?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(07)

What are Illegal Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

FAQs

(01)

What are Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(02)

What are Direct Offer Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(03)

Why do Financial Promotions need approval?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(04)

What Types of Financial Promotions Does Gateway 21 Approve?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(05)

Who needs a Financial Promotion Approver?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(06)

How does the Gateway 21 Financial Promotion Approval process work?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.

(07)

What are Illegal Financial Promotions?

We believe good design is equal parts form and function. Every project begins with listening — to your story, your audience, and your goals. From there, we combine research, intuition, and craft to build design systems that not only look good, but work beautifully.