Dollars and sense

Attention all FinTech developers: there are a host of open FinTech APIs out there ready to be utilised in your next big project. We run down the list of APIs you should be adding to your virtual toolbox.

The FinTech startup scene is booming and it’s no surprise that a bevy of developers want to get in on the action. This boom has been recognised by a host of providers who have opened up their API stocks to allow for greater adoption and implementation. In the lead up to JAX Finance, we take a look at the providers giving the FinTech industry a whole lotta love.

Xignite

Xignite is a market data cloud solutions provider that offer FinTech APIs with real-time reference data across all asset classes. Xignite was an early pioneer for REST-based APIs for real-time, reference and historical financial market data, who currently boast more than 1,000 firms embedding its APIs in thousands of websites, mobile applications and enterprise software. The Xignite Market Data Cloud fulfills more than 15 billion requests per month.

The Xignite .NET and Java SDKs include all classes, enumerations and inline documentation for all Xignite APIs. There is no setup required and the SDKs include several useful features:

Simplified authentication

In-line access to API documentation via IntelliSense

Xignite API integration in three lines of code or less

Support for asynchronous calls via async

Configurable API token and time-out values provided by app.config

Free Stock Symbol TypeAhead API

In April 2014, free TypeAhead functionality was introduced that simplifies mobile and web applications development with auto-completion for currency and metal stock symbols. The API provides matching stock symbols and company names in a dropdown menu as user types characters in a field. The dropdown interactively refines the list as a user types additional characters, and supports multiple stock symbologies popular in the finance industry. Integrating Xignite’s TypeAhead feature with a mobile app or web site will only require a few lines of code.

MasterCard

Other than being one of the biggest global payments companies whose network processes more than 23 billion transactions a year, MasterCard offers a Developer Zone that includes their API Showcase: an open resource for FinTech developers to help build innovative applications.

Each API offered has the listed documentation required, as well as an FAQ list and supporting blog for most cases. The FinTech APIs are separated into categories spanning Payments, Security and Data Services to make it easy to navigate the showcase, as well as providing information about the companies currently implementing the APIs.

The MasterCard MoneySend™ API allows the transfer of money between persons, businesses or governments, domestically and cross-border, through multiple access channels and via four MoneySend API services. The Transfer service is the core API used to transfer funds to a MasterCard card account. Card Eligibility, Card Mapping and Sanction Screening Service are processes that boost the transfer service by validating the card account and processing transactions using an alias, such as a user’s email or password, to provide privacy for the recipient and try to reduce the PCI burden for the developer.

The Location Services API offers accurate data about local payment availability, with MasterCard’s App LaunchPad offering a complete sample of an app that merges ATM location data to a map for display on a mobile device. You are provided with sample code for HTML5, iOS and Android clients, each of which connect to an app server; the app server is configured to connect to the sandbox version of the MasterCard Locations API to display functionality.

Fidor Bank: fidorOS

Fidor combines a full banking license with its own technology and open banking APIs. fidorOS is designed to work with an existing core banking system and thanks to its modular design, is expandable beyond traditional banking services. The banking platform is a middleware that provides support for social trading and lending, virtual currencies and emergency loans without being tied to any legacy code. The platform is built on Ruby/Ruby on Rails, MySQL and is multi-language, multi-country, multi-currency and multi-CBS.

To gain access to the FinTech APIs and create your first application, a developer must visit the Application Manager page, login with their banking credentials and accept the developer agreement. After that, developers can create as many applications as they like. In order to begin, Fidor Starter Kits have been created to allow for immediate API adoption. By creating an app in the Application Manager, you are connected with ready-to-go configured example apps. The following programming languages and frameworks are supported:

Ruby/Sinatra

PHP (plain)

Java/Servlet

Node.js

Go

The Starter Kits are available as a Ruby Gem on GitHub.

Are there any FinTech developers out there who want to share their knowledge and resources or add to this list? Let us know in the comments.