Royal Bank of Scotland is trialling two standalone digital banks under its NatWest brand, according to a report by the UK’s Press Association.

A senior RBS source told the Press Association that a handful of SME customers are now testing one of the standalone banking platforms aimed at business banking clients.

It is understood that the bank’s chief executive in charge of commercial and private banking, Alison Rose, is overseeing the SME banking trial project.

The report said RBS is also trialling a separate digital NatWest retail bank that would serve everyday customers, with both projects among a number of online banking programmes currently under development.

It is unclear how soon either project could hit the market if approved, the report said.