Adviser fintech Defaqto has added STAR transfer membership and accreditation ratings to its dataset for platforms in Defaqto Engage.
Defaqto claims the move will help improve advisers’ due diligence by providing supporting evidence when shortlisting platforms.
STAR participation and accreditation status are now shown within Engage for all platforms to help advisers assess operational performance alongside product features.
Engage will show if online transfers are facilitated, average time for online transfers, digital Letters of Authority capability, and digital Letters of Authority average response times.
Andrew Duthie, insight manager for wealth and protection at Defaqto, said: “Advisers want confidence that operational delivery will match the client experience they’re promising, particularly when it comes to transfers and re-registrations.
“By bringing STAR accreditation into Defaqto Engage, alongside practical indicators such as online transfer volumes and average times, we’re making transfer performance easier to evaluate and easier to evidence within due diligence.”
STAR, managed by Criterion and TeX, measures transfer performance across the financial services industry through independent accreditation for organisations committed to improving customer transfer journeys.
Accreditation is awarded annually (bronze, silver, gold) to member organisations that meet STAR’s transfer standards based on management information submissions.
Accreditation awards for 2026 are due to be published later in April.
Defaqto says that its Engage tool is used by over 8,600 advisers across 3,600 UK firms.