Commonwealth Bank of Australia and UK bank Barclays will enable international money transfer between the two countries, using only users’ mobile numbers.

The two said it was the first time financial institutions in Australia and UK had linked mobile payment platforms in this way.

CBA and Barclays are connecting their payment apps – CommBank app and Pingit, respectively — so users can transfer funds between their accounts. The service will be available to retail customers in Q4.

The UK bank said the link-up was the first time Pingit had allowed two-way cross border payments.

The new service is not the only thing the two banks have in common. Both have either been lukewarm, or in conflict, with Apple Pay, as they seek to establish their own presence in mobile payments.