Our API Standards
We’ve developed API standards for Payment Initiation, Account Information, and Event Notifications, plus a range of Operational Standards and guidance underpinning a robust framework for open banking.
Payments
The Payment Initiation standard enables a customer to set up and make payments safely from their bank account, via a third party website or app.
Data
The Account Information standard enables a customer to safely share their bank account data with a registered Third Party.
Events
The Event Notification API standard enables API Providers to inform registered Third Parties of certain “events” to keep both parties in sync.
We will continue to release new features and enhancements to our standards while banking APIs, based on earlier standards versions, may be available or in development with API Providers.
To find out which version of the standards API Providers are building to, view the Minimum Open Banking Implementation Plan.
To view the full standards specifications and surrounding framework, visit our Confluence space.
Our Operational Standards
Our Operational Standards for Customer, Reporting, Compliance, Performance, API Centre Register, Data Security and the Security Profile, create a robust operational framework to ensure the ecosystem operates smoothly, safely and in a predictable manner.
Regulated Standards
On 1 December 2025, Payments NZ entered into a license agreement with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Hīkina Whakatutuki to support regulated open banking going live.
Our agreement ensures continuity by allowing MBIE to incorporate by reference, as regulatory standards, certain API Centre standards.
The relevant standards incorporated by reference into the Customer and Product Data (Banking and Other Deposit Taking) Standards 2025 are found here:
- Account Information API, Payment Initiation API and the accompanying Security Profile (all v2.3.3) here
- Customer Standard v1.1 here
- All users should be familiar with our Disclaimer
Our role remains to coordinate open banking activities across the ecosystem to ensure the industry’s efforts are well-sequenced, considered and strategically aligned with the best market and customer outcomes.
In this section
Payment Initiation API standard
See an overview of how the Payment Initiation API works and what it does.
Read moreAccount Information API standard
The Account Information standard enables a customer to safely share their bank account data with a registered Third Party.
Read moreEvent Notification API standard
See an overview of how the Event Notification API works and what it does.
Read more