What can you do with the iBanFirst API?
Our API enables you to:
Open additional accounts in 24 currencies
Process payment orders at scale with or without currency conversion
Track SWIFT payments with automated payment tracker links
Execute FX trades – Get real-time quotes and execute spot FX trades between your currency accounts
Book Fixed Forward Payment contract
Manage beneficiaries – Create and delete beneficiaries (your accounts in other banks or payees)
Access account information – Retrieve balances, account details, and transaction IDs
Reconcile payments – Access financial movement history, trade details, and upload invoices
Set up webhooks – Receive real-time notifications for transaction updates (payments awaiting signature, incoming payment etc.) without the need for periodic polling
Please note: Integrating our API requires development resources. We can recommend an integration partner to provide you with a quote if needed.
Accounts:
Can I open accounts autonomously via the API?
Account opening via API follows the same rules as the Platform:
First account in a new currency: it requires an Account Manager approval. Contact your AM to discuss your requirements before the currency can be activated.
Additional account in an existing currency: Fully autonomous. The account is created instantly via API with no manual approval required.
Making Payments:
Can the API initiate a payment with currency conversion?
Yes, both the API and Platform support payments with conversion.
How many payments can I initiate using the API?
You can send payment orders one by one, every 2 seconds (to avoid timeouts).
Can the API manage multi-signature workflows?
Signatures must be completed on the Platform; however, payments created via the API will trigger the multi-signature workflow. The number of required signatures is consistent across all channels (Platform and API).
Is payment tracking available through the API?
Yes, a tracking link for SWIFT payments is available. If you provide the beneficiary's email address, the payment tracker will be sent to them automatically.
Can I add beneficiaries via the API?
Yes, with an additional safety approval step conducted by iBanFirst, plus a verification check on the first payment to any new beneficiary.
Verification of Beneficiary (VOP/COP) is optional and can be enabled for beneficiary creation and payment creation. Please note that the verification process can take up to 8 seconds.
How can I send an invoice or proof of transaction for a payment?
To fully automate payments, you can encode the invoice in binary format and include it in the dedicated API field, eliminating the need for later uploads.
Forward Payment contract:
Which kind of Forward payment contract can I book?
Fixed forwards, with the following limitations:
they are available for 10 Major currencies (Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc, Euro, Pound sterling, Japanese yen, Norwegian krone, New Zealand dollar, Swedish krona, United States dollar) (AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, JPY, NOK, NZD, SEK, USD),
with maturities up to 1 year, and a transaction limit of 1M EUR equivalent per transaction.
What are the requirements to use Fixed Forward?
To book Fixed Forward payment contracts, you need to ensure three prerequisites are met: you must have credit approval from iBanFirst, have collateral in place, and have accepted the Autonomous Forward disclaimer on the Platform.
Reconciliation:
Can I retrieve account statements in MT940 format, for payments reconciliation?
No, but you can access detailed payment confirmations and transaction history. The API can also retrieve your balance on a specific date.
What types of data can I retrieve via the API?
You can retrieve bank details, download and upload beneficiary IDs and invoices, and access your financial movement history.
Notification:
Can I receive notifications for operations?
Yes, through webhook subscriptions you can receive real-time notifications for one or more event types
e.g.: payments awaiting signature, finalised, cancelled or blocked, spot trades, forward trades and incoming payment
If a webhook notification fails, up to 3 delivery attempts will be made per event.
Getting started :
How do I create credentials for my external developer?
You can autonomously generate a token for "read-only" actions via Settings > Users > Services.
To create a token with write permissions and advanced rights, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
How do I set up an integration with the iBanFirst REST API?
Developer documentation is available here: iBanFirst API Documentation →
Can I use the iBanFirst API on a website?
Yes, the API can be used in both front-end and back-end applications. We recommend deploying a "Backend For Frontend" pattern. We support cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) to allow secure interaction with the API from client-side web applications.