Our purpose

Enabling open banking innovation.

We’re led by industry to deliver outcomes in the best interests of customers and the industry that serves them.

Learn about how we operate, including our objectives, services and benefits for you when you join the API Centre.

Vision

Our vision is to enable the industry to deliver useful API-based services that are used to innovate and support Kiwi financial wellbeing.

Mission

We contribute to a progressive, innovative, and trusted API ecosystem by enabling financial inclusion and promoting interoperable, safe, open, and efficient API-based services for Kiwi. We do this through effective and inclusive industry governance, working groups, a team of capable experts and input from ecosystem stakeholders.

Objectives

Our objectives reflect our industry-led approach and reinforce how we work towards outcomes for the benefit of the wider industry (banks, tech companies, and customers).

• To develop, maintain and publish API Standards and Operational Standards
• To promote system efficiency, security, safety and customer uptake through the use of interoperable API Standards by API Standards Users To facilitate API Standards
• Users to gain access to Standardised APIs for them to bring their innovations to market more simply and quickly

What we do

We’re here to support our API Standards Users to use and operationalise our API standards. The API Centre will:

• Develop, maintain, and publish API and operational standards, in collaboration with industry representatives at weekly working groups.
• Define the priorities for future standards versions, informed by industry.
• Manage versioning and lifecycle of API standards from creation to expiry.
• Collate data and report on uptake of open banking standards.
• Publish the Minimum Open Banking Implementation Plan.
• Provide technical support to API Standards Users for their use of and compliance with the standards.
• Facilitate wider industry input and involvement with the standards through events and engaging with our Community Contributors
• Provide best practice advice, customer experience guidelines, and an ever-evolving knowledge base to support consistent implementation and customer experiences.
• Provide and maintain the industry sandbox, available to API Standards Users and Community Contributors.
• Provide and maintain a trust platform, known as the API Centre Register
• Provides a central hub through which industry stakeholders can engage.
• Provides tools to support API Standards Users entering bilateral partnerships with each other.

Why join the API Centre?

When you join the API Centre as an API Standards User, you get:

• Access to an open banking framework that is foundational for the future of finance and connected to the wider Payments Direction strategic objectives.
• Cost efficiency from access to common API standards implemented by the five largest banks and providing access to over 90% of customer accounts.
• Access to a dynamic network of like-minded, future-thinking, and innovative people.
• The chance to influence ongoing standardisation of our NZ Banking API Standards, ensuring they are maintained, managed and developed in response to market (your) needs.
• Access to best practices and advice to simplify common activities, such as application, registration, onboarding, policy and guidelines, development lifecycle and sandbox services.
• An industry-led open banking framework which offers potential for growth of new business opportunities for those involved.
• Access to specialists as you develop your new service offerings or enhance existing ones.