About

Leading Aotearoa New Zealand’s open banking future

The API Centre - our pragmatic name belies the vital role we’re playing for the country’s economic prosperity and financial wellbeing.

A big claim?

It is, but it’s a big story. An open data revolution is underway which will impact our everyday lives for the better. Open banking, the sharing of account data and making payments through APIs, is part of this. And what’s unfolding will eventually go further than banking, into other sectors like telco and energy.

Giving Kiwis more control and more choices

Most of us don’t understand our data’s real value. But open banking gives power back to the people. Like getting a mortgage - being able to give a broker permission to access your data from different banks can ensure negotiation of the best interest rate for you.

Along with great potential there are risks

Standardisation and protocols will ensure fast, secure and user-friendly data sharing, that benefits all of us. That’s where the API Centre comes in.

We’re leading Aotearoa New Zealand’s open banking future

Working with the industry (from banks to startups) we’re co-designing Aotearoa New Zealand’s open banking future. Creating the standards and protocols that will ensure fast, secure, user-friendly data sharing - for all of us.

We’re helping businesses co-design this future

There are many open banking models around the world. What we’re creating is a fit-for-purpose version for NZ Inc. One that will enable businesses to provide better, more cost-effective services and will give consumers confidence in how their data is accessed and shared. It will be delivered as fast as sensibly possible. In consultation with the government. So all of us can have confidence.

Enabling economic prosperity and financial wellbeing

The future we’re creating will power increased competition, along with new products and services that will empower Kiwis’ financial wellbeing.

Everything we’re doing will be for the good of us all.

Sound like a big claim? It is. But it’s true.

Join us

There are a range of ways you can get involved with the API Centre. You can subscribe to receive email updates, or join the centre for closer involvement with the standards. Individuals that join as a Community Contributor get access to our sandbox and organisations that join as a Standards User can also use the standards in partnership with other registered Standards Users.