Lastminute.com to offer financial services

Online travel and leisure retailer Lastminute.com is to start selling financial services with fund manager Jupiter.

Martha Lane Fox, COO at Lastminute.com, said the joint venture is the first in a series of links with third party providers to offer Lastminutes' 2.1 million customers ISAs, loans and travel insurance. Fox claimed the venture was the perfect partnership as the majority of ISAs are sold at the last minute before the end of the year tax deadline on 5 April. Services could be extended to include access to accountants for last minute help with self-assessment forms. Talks are also being held with a number of other financial services companies. Lastminute's shares rose 15 per cent to £4.50 on the news.