55 Most Useful Finance APIs for Your Digital Startup

A digital startup can bring its owner a considerable profit with the right approach to build a personal finance application, building a fintech app, or any fintech-relevant platform. And the right approach implies not only the use of effective innovative technologies but also the opportunity to save in the process without losing quality. Among other things, special application programming interfaces, the so-called finance APIs, are able to help. They'll reduce your time and money costs by simplifying the creation of a website or app.

In this article, we're going to describe 55 paid and free APIs in detail, so you'll have plenty to choose from if you decide to start your own online project.

Why we need financial APIs

What is meant by a digital startup? In fact, there are many worthy ideas:

• Online stores of any format: stand-alone or complementing the real ones;

• A virtual representation of a chain of restaurants or cafes. Such a representation (this is about sites or apps, of course) will help customers order home delivery of your meals;

• Beauty salons. Again, we’re talking about supplementing your salon with a convenient online resource to allow users to communicate with beauty specialists remotely and without calling.

In general, the matter concerns any project, one way or another connected with orders of goods or services and various kinds of monetary operations. A project of this sort needs reliable API-based solutions to implement secure transactions, billing, and more. 

Now let’s take a look at the list of the best Finance APIs.

Top Financial APIs

Are you ready? It's time to start!

Crypto APIs

Different cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoins, are now in great request, which leads to the emergence of numerous crypto projects. And that means you need appropriate API solutions.

Brave New Coin

Our list of APIs focused on cryptocurrencies is opened by Brave New Coin (BNC), a company engaged in an in-depth analysis of blockchain assets in various fields of activity. Its history began a few years ago, and since then BNC has achieved considerable success, becoming the leader in its industry.

BNC provides developers with the result of its cryptocurrency research, and this data helps to gain access to trading insights, which allows the creation of better websites and applications.

Blockchain Info

Blockchain Info provides access to blockchain data and allows performing different kinds of operations with cryptocurrencies (mostly bitcoins). Therefore, developers using this API can create crypto applications and sites as simple and effective as possible (the example of its key API features below give you the idea of what exactly becomes possible).

Benefits of Blockchain Info:

• Increased data security;

• Constant feedback;

• Confidentiality of user data;

• Numerous products on offer.

Bitcointy

Bitcointy is of interest to developers who want to get free APIs for their applications. And what's more, Bitcointy supports even the highest number of requests.

What exactly does Bitcointy offer?

• average bitcoin price (data is being taken from several sources);

• the ability to work with fiat currencies (EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, CNY);

• conversion of bitcoins into other currencies;

• access to conversion rates;

• regular data updates;

• and much more!

BitcoinAverage 

BitcoinAverage is another good example of open-source API-based solutions. It collects statistics on cryptocurrency markets and exchanges (numbering over 60) and, using the data obtained, builds charts of current and historical prices, trade volumes in various fiat currencies, and more.

It works with numerous cryptocurrencies (more than five hundred) and provides a global index for the main ones. The provider’s task is to simplify the work of developers and allow them to use their APIs to gain access to BitcoinAverage information resources (including exchanges, cryptocurrency markets, and so on).

CoinAPI

CoinAPI is aimed at developers who need constant real-time access to cryptocurrency market data to create their sites and applications. Data we're talking about involve:

• exchange rates;

• strike price;

• contract unit;

• OHLCV;

• stock quote;

• etc.

CoinAPI is a good choice as it works with over 200 exchanges, supports nearly 7,000 assets, and offers 56 terabytes of historical datasets.

Nomics

Nomics is an analytic cryptocurrency company launched in 2018 with financial support from a number of well-known investors, including Coinbase Ventures & Digital Currency Group. Nomics is one of the relatively new platforms, which, therefore, ensures new API options for developers. Its target audience is large traders eager to see the true picture in the markets.

Despite the early successes, Nomics doesn’t want to be content with little and continues to evolve. In particular, the company has recently launched the Transparent Volume feature designed to show the percentage of reliability of trading volumes on cryptocurrency exchanges. 

Nomics offers free access to its resources, but those who want to get the maximum package (not only the key API features) should choose a paid option to use the services.

CoinCap

The CoinCap API also works with the cryptocurrency market and provides developers with access to pricing and exchange activity data. Its resources are more than 1000 cryptocurrencies, which is a pretty good indicator, isn't it?

CoinCap collects information from various exchanges in order to get the most accurate and true picture of the condition of assets: their availability, price, and so on. It has won demand among developers who willingly use CoinCap API to create sites and applications.

CryptoCompare

Cryptocompare is a tool to control your investment portfolio. It’s intended for people who invest in cryptocurrency and want to know the profitability of their deals and transactions. The service demonstrates visual graphical & market analysis based on data from 65 of the best cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.  

Key API features allow creating a site with full access to statistics on cryptocurrency rates, calculating the profitability of cryptocurrencies, etc. 

CoinGecko

Those who follow the news in the world of cryptocurrencies will certainly be interested in CoinGecko with its detailed analysis of the key factors of the market in question.

CoinGecko has been operating since 2014 and over the past years has managed to develop its unique approach to cryptocurrency rating, based on which it offers the most relevant cryptocurrency data.

Of course, CoinGecko provides developers with the API so that they can, too, take advantage of the crypto data while building web resources.

Advantages of CoinGecko API:

• Free access. Yes, CoinGecko is one of the free APIs.

• A huge database including information on more than 260 cryptocurrency exchanges.

• Variety & reliability of data. Thanks to CoinGecko, all cryptocurrency data is available to users.

Coinbase

Coinbase belongs to the leading cryptocurrency digital asset exchanges. Founded in 2012, the company launched the Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX) two years later. The service is focused on digital asset trading and offers a direct exchange of Bitcoin and Ether for fiat currency.

Coinbase is headquartered in San Francisco, California. And if at first the company was exclusively engaged in the American market, now the platform is available in many countries around the world.

Coinbase has many advantages, including the Coinbase API, which allows you to access the platform's features through third-party applications, both new and already active ones. Many traders use these API-based solutions to make their websites support cryptocurrency transactions.

CoinMarketCap

The 1st section of our review on top finance APIs ends with CoinMarketCap, a demanded service for tracking current market capitalization, recent volume, unit price, and other similar data. It works with over 1600 different cryptocurrencies.

The API offers a simple and secure connection without integration with wallets. Also, alas, it doesn't provide transaction features.

Trading APIs

Our list of APIs wouldn’t be complete without trading solutions. In the end, many projects work with the stock market, exchanges, and currency transactions.

Investors Exchange (IEX) Trading

IEX focuses on providing a new trading standard, which relates to:

• Pricing. The service helps to conduct trading at more relevant prices.

• Cooperation. To create and strengthen this standard, IEX collaborates with brokers and offers them solutions able to increase the efficiency of their trading processes.

• Alignment by creating relationships between different trading participants, whether they are brokers, investors, or anyone else.

As for the IEX API, the tool offers developers the opportunity to embed features related to various operations in the financial markets into their web resources (see key API features listed below).

MyAllies News

The name of the service speaks for itself and explains that MyAllies offers the news of the trading and finance world: the ones with the highest grade and relevance. Such information obtained in a timely manner can help participants in the trading market to properly respond to financial sector events and make the right business decisions.

And developers can resort to the provided MyAllies News API to create sites based on the data mentioned.

Bloomberg

Bloomberg is an information agency specializing in the timely provision of the most relevant financial information about stock exchanges, stock and oil prices, as well as high-quality trading data analytics. All of the above will come in handy for businessmen of any type.

The main product is Bloomberg Terminal with access to current and historical prices on world exchanges. In addition, the company offers BloombergTV, Bloomberg Markets magazines, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, BloombergRad radio. But we're more interested in a BusinessWeek.com website, as well as developer tools that allow using the financial data to create web resources. And these tools are included in the  list of the best Finance APIs

Morning Star

Morning Star is an American company professionally engaged in the search, collection, systematization, and analysis of financial information related to stock quotes, exchange rates, and investment funds (almost 10 thousand of which are in its database!).

Among the company's products are:

• financial analysis and analytical reviews;

• training programs;

• analytical and research tools;

• developer tools (one of the finance APIs).

Benefits of using the API:

• no need to spend your own resources on processing huge information arrays;

• a chance to use Morningstar's most innovative tools;

• simplification of the process of developing your sites and applications.

Finbox 

The platform is aimed at businessmen interested in the search and analysis of stocks. It gives answers to all related questions, and it gives them really quickly, efficiently, and with convincing evidence.

The second target group is developers: they're free to take advantage of API provided to be able to embed investor tools in websites and applications.

The company is popular, which is proved by the facts:

• a powerful database containing information on more than 120 exchanges;

• cooperation with a large number of companies (more than 65 thousand);

• over 900 million of data-points.

Xignite

Xignite is the leading creator of the financial information intermediary system. Its specialization is related to the provision of financial market data to interested parties. Most in demand are data on the foreign exchange market.

In addition, Xignite, together with other companies, continues to develop tools aimed at collecting, analyzing, processing, and supplying financial information. This makes it possible to provide fintech startups and long-standing financial organizations with various useful data and services.

Moreover, Xignite offers not just data, but also an API for integration with banking systems. 

Among the company's clients are Personal Capital, Robinhood, Betterment, and Stocktwits. And they all value the speed, flexibility, and scalability of the API-based solutions Xignite ensures. 

By the by, it’s said that 40% of Xignite clients are made up of developers in software sales companies. Another 40% are banks, brokers, asset managers, hedge funds. And the remaining 20% ​​belong to the corporate area.

OANDA

OANDA is one of the largest world-class forex brokers. The company has been operating since 1996, and solid experience has allowed it to become an authoritative market player: it belongs to the recommended brokers of the Masterforex-V rating and boasts 6 state licenses from financial regulators (NFA and CFTC from the USA, FCA from the UK, IIROC from Canada, MAS from Singapore, ASIC from Australia).

OANDA is focused on Forex trading and offers non-stop currency data. In addition, OANDA means:

• The most accurate algorithms for calculating the exchange rate;

• High level of data security;

• OANDA Comprehensive Support Program;

• The ability to receive data on the exchange rate at any time of the day;

• High level of quality of services provided;

• ...and many other useful key API features.

The Open Exchange Rates

Our list of APIs wouldn't be convincing without The Open Exchange Rates. The company was established in 1999 and has remained active since then. Its database already contains information on several hundred currencies, including exchange rates and other similar details. And this data can be used to develop your own sites and applications, and you won’t have to pay a lot.

Benefits of The Open Exchange Rates:

• Extensive database of constantly updated data;

• Intuitiveness. Developers won't have to puzzle over the integration process for a long time, detailed documentation is at their disposal at any time;

• A huge collection of libraries, extensions, and plugins free to use;

• Scalability. Even if the project is very small right now, it’s worth considering the possibility of its future expansion. And The Open Exchange Rates is an excellent solution with this in mind.

Tradier

Tradier offers a user-friendly API to retrieve information on options, stocks, mutual funds, and the like, with data coming directly from the markets.

The creators of the platform focus on the ease of integration of their solution, which allows implementing the capabilities of the service in almost any website or application.

Trader provides us with:

• advanced tools useful to financial asset management companies;

• algorithmic and robotic systems - the basis for the development of our own robo-advisors;

• extended functionality aimed at financial market players.

Payment APIs

Payments APIs are especially in demand. Well, how could they not be? After all, almost any project deals with money transactions! The market is full of web-based payment applications, and every day more and more new ones appear.

Stripe

Stripe is a digital service that allows accepting payments from bank cards and works with 135+ types of currencies.

In addition, Stripe offers an excellent, easy-to-use payments API. A huge advantage of the provided developer tools is a good test feature that creates perfect conditions to completely imitate the live mode.

Also, Stripe means:

• ample opportunities to customize the service for a specific project. The feature is very useful since it allows you to get exactly what you want;

• micropayment support, which makes Stripe small-business oriented;

• detailed documentation. It’s written in an accessible language and contains many clear examples. Thanks to this, Stripe is easy to integrate;

• high safety standards. It’s worth noting a few extremely important points:

  • Stripe doesn’t support 3-D Secure, which requires a verification code. If the bank doesn’t accept payments without this technology, there may be a problem during the transaction process;

  • The system is fully compliant with the PCI-DSS standard;

  • Stripe has Radar, its own set of tools to prevent fraud. It uses machine learning algorithms and analyzes all payments, revealing patterns in them and evaluating risks for each one.

Paypal

PayPal is a large electronic payment processing system. It is considered one of the most popular, and its importance is recognized in 200 countries around the world, especially in the United States.

Of course, the creators of the platform also offer their own API to help developers integrate the system into the web-based payment application or website as simply as possible.

Not in all countries PayPal functionality is 100% available, but where features are fully active, there are several account options:

• personal account (personal transfers and payment for services);

• premium account (large online transactions);

• business account (commercial companies with an extended service package).

MyCommerce 

The MyCommerce platform used to be called Share-IT. Today, it successfully operates in 240+ countries and can be considered an effective SaaS solution designed to facilitate B2C & B2B sales. Among other things, MyCommerce enables its clients to deal with payment transactions through bank cards. 

The advantages of the MyCommerce system include the ability to create a full electronic invoice, taking into account the taxation of the desired country. Both buyers and sellers find such an approach convenient, which makes MyCommerce a popular payment tool on the market. 

And high demand encourages developers to implement MyCommerce in their resources, and, therefore, they need a simple integration solution. And MyCommerce provides it.

MyCommerce payments API is based on the RESTful standard and has the following benefits:

• detailed documentation, clear user manuals, and code samples;

• affordable technical support working in different time zones;

• high level of security, including antifraud protection and patented Transaction Defender technology. 

Braintree

The history of Braintree began in 2007, and the project immediately showed good potential. Evidence of the platform's success is its renowned customers. Judge for yourself, Braintree is chosen by such market giants as Uber, Airbnb, GitHub, and other eminent brands.

6 years after its creation, namely in 2013, Braintree was bought by PayPal: the company paid as much as $ 800 billion. Despite this, Braintree remains quite independent, and PayPal just provides it with a sort of heavy support. 

Regarding developer tools designed to help in building web-based payment applications and sites, there are some important points to note:

1. Excellent documentation explains to developers the easiest way to integrate the provided SDKs;

2. It is possible to use the OAuth protocol, which simplifies the user authorization system;

3. Numerous third-party plug-ins make it possible to combine the Braintree solution with a number of eCommerce platforms.

CardConnect

When discussing old and new API options, you shouldn't forget about such an important tool as CardConnect. Its API allows you to seamlessly develop sites with the possibility to make payments using credit & debit cards.

The CardConnect owners claim that their solution is very easy to use. Moreover, there is a whole set of APIs, and it's up to developers to choose the one that meets their particular case.

iZettle

Another platform purchased by PayPal is the Swedish company iZettle, which is considered European Square (we’ll describe it below). Both Square and iZettle have chosen similar approaches to the same problem, namely: making payment transactions.

iZettle offer several solutions:

• iZettle Reader device for convenient payment acceptance;

• merchant-oriented software to help in billing;

• various e-commerce tools;

• a platform to allow entrepreneurs to launch their own customized online stores.

Now let’s speak of finance APIs iZettle provides. So the company offers:

• a set of APIs to allow integrating a card payment system (and other similar features) into the site;

• advanced SDK solutions. As in the previous case, this is a great opportunity to add payment features to the created resource (or mobile application).

Dwolla

Some ignore Dwolla, and that's not a smart decision: the platform is very efficient and works just like PayPal. It's a wonderful option, whose main target audience is businessmen engaged in bank transfers, especially when it's about bulk ones.

Dwolla is a P2P platform working without intermediaries, be it ATMs, plastic cards, or other payment systems. This greatly simplifies the whole process. In addition, Dwolla is considered a fairly secure technology: at least, it does its best to make the solution highly protected.

Dwolla allows users to:

• send money through social networks;

• pay in coffee houses from a mobile phone;

• make online purchases;

• transfer money to the account of any companies cooperating with Dwolla. 

Of course, Dwolla has a flexible, easy-to-use API, and it provides access to ACH (Automated Clearing House).

Google

Previously, one of the brightest players in the market was the Google Finance API, but now this solution is, alas, unavailable. Google came to the conclusion the game wasn't worth the candle and focused on other APIs. However, we think it would be correct to mention the platform anyway: so you won't waste your time trying to connect the system under discussion. 

Marqeta

Marqeta is a payment platform for online/offline commerce. It provides its users with convenient solutions helping to create managed payment cards. And speaking of solutions, we mean open-source free APIs.

Using the proposed tools, developers can build sites and applications which need payments of various types, such as:

• delivery on demand;

• lending;

• cost management;

• virtual services;

• and so on.

And of course, Marqeta cares about positive user experience. To win the loyalty of its customers, the company offers advanced analytics, a data protection system, ongoing support, etc.

MasterCard

The name MasterCard is known to almost everyone, and everyone is aware that the company deals with the processing of payments. And the platform keeps evolving. Today, MasterCard services include the ability to perform money transactions using the web and mobile devices, through different digital channels: whichever is convenient for a particular user.

And the next step in the MasterCard growth was the provision of new API options.

The company hopes that such a doing (willingness to open its technology to developers) gives it a great chance to compete more effectively with market monsters such as PayPal, Square, and Visa.

Visa

The Visa brand is no less famous than MasterCard. Having achieved success in processing payments, the company came to the conclusion that it was time to transform its technologies into a reliable API. The main goal was to help developers use such a basis to create their own digital resources. What was said, was done: Visa Developer service started in 2016.

Today Visa Developer is a great chance to build successful, user-friendly applications and sites with payment capabilities. Moreover, the development process, thanks to the provided key API features, doesn't involve a lot of time and financial costs, everything is as simple as possible.

Also, Visa offers:

• access to a growing list of APIs;

• many useful tools including real-time notifications, account holder identification, currency conversion, and tokenization;

• secure transaction technology.

Apple

We've already mentioned several names which are on everyone’s lips, it’s time to give our credit to Apple Pay - a payment system from the incredibly illustrious Apple company founded by Steve Jobs himself.

Apple Pay is designed for instant contactless payments, not only on mobile devices but also on websites (subject to some conditions, which are described below). At the same time, the company uses an advanced, reliable, and well-tested TouchID or FaceID system, which makes it possible to verify the identity of the buyer as easily as possible and reduce the risk of fraud.

Of course, as you understand, Apple only works with the iOS operating system, so the technology is available on the following platforms:

• Apple devices;

• Safari browsers on iPhone, iPad, sometimes MacBook.

Developers can take advantage of the provided payments API to get started with the system. After that, the Apple Pay button will be displayed on the website or application they create. And users of their resources have a chance to enjoy the possibilities of secure, quick, and easy payments.

In order to make full use of the Apple Pay API, one needs:

• Apple Developer Account

• Personal Merchant ID;

• HTTPS on a page using Apple Pay;

• Strict adherence to Apple’s rules displayed in their guidelines. 

And remember, it’s forbidden to use the Apple Pay system to purchase a number of goods, including tobacco products, virtual currency, adult items, etc.

2Checkout

When discussing top finance APIs, one cannot but mention 2checkout - another payment system of an international level. The platform is considered one of the market leaders and specializes in processing transactions carried out using PayPal or VISA/MasterCard bank cards.

To guarantee the security of users, the company redirects electronic payments to its own site 2checkout.com. Further procedures related to the processing of personal and extremely confidential data occur through closed banking networks of the highest degree of protection. 

Among other advantages of the system we should mention:

• Variety of choices: 8 payment options, 85+ currencies, more than 15 languages;

• Easy implementation of 2Checkout: API libraries are available in PHP, PYTHON, RUBY, .NET, JAVA, and cURL;

• Integration with popular e-commerce platforms (such as Shopify & Bigcommerce);

• Three-level real-time fraud protection system;

• The highest level of certification, namely PCI 1. 

As for pricing, it all depends on a number of factors, such as:

• type of business (international and local projects involve different pricing models);

• extensions and plugins of electronic commerce;

• payment processing format.

Adyen

Adyen is an outstanding innovative provider of international e-commerce payment solutions. The system is being chosen to create online and mobile stores (to make this true, developers get a convenient API).

Adyen is well-listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange. Proof of its success is the cool line of well-known clients, including Netflix, Uber, Airbnb, and eBay. These names cannot but impress, right?

Adyen Benefits:

• Advanced Omni-Channel Services;

• Support around the clock (24/7);

• Highest Adyen Security;

• The Revenue Acceleration Feature, which is performed using smart data analysis to accept transactions that could otherwise be rejected.

Speaking of API-based solutions, Adyen Checkout offers the simplest, user-friendly, and intuitive way to integrate its technology into a site. The following options are available:

• transactions through bank cards;

• payment made using digital wallets;

• local methods (Sofort & iDEAL).

And, of course, there is detailed documentation.

SecurionPay

SecurionPay is aimed at developers who provide affordable, understandable, convenient tools for integrating payment solutions into their web and mobile resources.

Advantages of the system:

• A great number of supported programming languages. There are plenty to choose from:

  • PHP

  • Java

  • Python

  • Ruby

  • .NET

  • Node

• Convenient payments API and SDK. The main thing is that there is the possibility of customizing the payment gateway so that it meets the needs of a particular business project.

• Distinctive security with the highest PCI standards. Specifically, we’re talking about the following:

  • the ability to accept payment with and without compliance with PCI;

  • 3D Secure system to automatically authenticate transactions with a client’s bank (it's a good chance to reduce the number of chargebacks in the long run);

  • analysis of each transaction for whether it should be considered suspicious.

Worldpay

Worldpay is gaining more and more loyal customers and expanding its business worldwide. It has every chance of becoming a dangerous rival to PayPal. Like PayPal, Worldpay supports both online and offline payments, including work with POS systems and operations with ATMs. In addition, there is a functionality allowing us to process mobile payments and accept cards and cash.

Worldpay Benefits:

• Expanding worldwide payment network;

• Many options for online and offline payment processing;

•  24/7 support;

• Flexible pricing policy;

• User-friendly payments API.

The last item on the list deserves more attention. So, with the help of Worldpay technology, developers are allowed to create sites with secure payment gateways, and they may take advantage of different programming languages ​​(which is also very important, right?).

Klarna

The Swedish payment acceptance company Klarna has many benefits, however, the feature that made it special is the possibility of deferred payment for goods when shopping in online stores (of course, the buyer must first pass an automatic security check).

The seller gets his payment in any case, and immediately, and the buyer can pay after 14 days. All he needs to do is to enter his e-mail and contact information, including the delivery address. Usually, the buyer parts with his money (more often in cash) at the time of receiving the parcel with his purchase.

How does Klarna work?

Verification is based on a special smart technology that analyzes the nature of a particular user. The calculation takes advantage of the data entered by the client, as well as the information the system gets from its internal sources. As a result, Klarna can conclude whether the potential buyer is worthy of trust.

In addition, the company acts as an intermediary in payments, storing data about the user's bank card, thereby saving his time afterward (something like “Amazon One Click”).

And, of course, Klarna also offers its own API, which allows developers to create their web-based payment applications.

P.S. In Europe, the company gained popularity thanks to countries such as Germany, where people don’t trust bank cards and prefer paying in cash.

WePay

WePay, a system focused primarily on online payments, was created with the expectation that the platform could successfully compete with PayPal. And although WePay is far from being better than its main rival, in some ways, it still surpasses it. We mean online crowdfunding: the WePay API is ideally optimized for this particular type of transaction.

Benefits of WePay:

• flexible API based solutions;

• ease of customization;

• ample opportunities to work with online crowdfunding;

• a lot of online payment options. However, note that WePay cannot accept payments from PayPal (they're rivals, after all!);

• cheap ACH payment processing;

• no monthly fee for using WePay.

Wirecard

Our list of the best Finance APIs wouldn't do without Widecard, an international independent payment processing network.

The platform began its history with the conquest of the markets of South Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand), South America, and Oceania. Now the influence of Widecard extends to the countries of Western and Eastern Europe.

Advantages and features of Widecard:

1. simple and secure payment IT solutions based on the latest technologies;

2. the ability to integrate all supported payment systems into the website in a few clicks, giving customers a chance to choose the appropriate payment method;

3. alternative client-oriented payment system, which allows you to use a number of e-commerce payment platforms;

4. advanced protection at the level of PCI DSS security standard. Also, it’s based on an SSL certificate and works with a token system; 

5. reliable verification of online payments in accordance with the requirements of a specific project;

6. payments through online banking (a good solution if the buyer doesn’t want to use payment cards);

7. POS terminals with the ability to pay via Mastercard, Visa, American Express cards;

8. Advanced booking methodology based on SCP technology with support for 27 currencies; 

9. Simple, understandable REST-based API.

Square

We've already mentioned this brand, talking about iZettle, remember? Now it's time to discuss it in more detail - in the end, Square deserves to be listed among the market leaders, top Finance APIs.

Today it is a renowned provider of e-payments, which also offers a range of services aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, such as:

• payroll preparation;

• billing;

• sales and cash flow analysis;

• use of hardware for electronic payments;

• simplified process of obtaining small loans.

In addition, developers can use the Square API to create resources with mobile and online payment gateways and other cool features.

Forte Payment Systems

Our list of APIs helping to create web-based payment applications ends with Forte Payment Systems.

Like the previous examples, the Forte API is a convenient payment solution working with the largest bank cards and offering secure transactions. Among the main advantages of the system, the following points can be distinguished:

• A set of advanced finance APIs and other developer tools aimed at creating various types of payment gateways;

• Intuitive onboarding system and clear documentation;

• Effective support offering real-time expert services.

Banking APIs

Banking operations are somewhat similar to payment solutions but they offer more functionality. Also, sometimes banks create their own digital systems and provide developers with these new API options to interact with their platform.

TransferWise

TransferWise can be attributed to the previous section, as well as to this one. Among the features of the service, there are both payment and banking solutions (see below).

TransferWise is famous for its low-cost system of transferring money abroad - otherwise, the procedure can become rather expensive (by the way, the brand name eloquently indicates the main advantage of the platform!). TransferWise helps save up to 90% on reducing hidden bank fees: the service is so popular that Richard Branson himself invested in it.

TransferWise is a much cheaper alternative to PayPal when it comes to international transfers. No wonder developers are increasingly resorting to using its list of APIs in order to embed a convenient and financially affordable payment system on their websites. Moreover, installation fees aren't required!

Alas, TransferWise has one drawback: your company should be registered only in a country that supports this platform, namely:

• EEA countries (EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein),

• United Kingdom;

• Guernsey; 

• Isle of Man;

• Switzerland;

• Jersey;

• the Philippines

• Pakistan;

• India.

Plaid

Plaid is an American brand whose software connects fintech businesses with banks and helps process their transactions. According to the company, about 25% of bank accounts in America interact with Plaid.

Plaid is really good at building API-based solutions, which allow integrating banking systems in third-party applications and sites. Developers interested in creating various financial tools can, instead of contacting each bank separately, resort to Plaid. The company has already agreed with the largest and medium-sized US banks, and the developers have little to do: their task is to embed Plaid technology in the resource, and that’s all! 

The company’s business is going well, and in early 2019, Plaid announced the purchase of its competitor, New York-based Quovo. According to CNBC, the deal amounted to $ 200 million. And now Plaid and Quvo are working on a special project - an innovative product, which makes it possible to create financial apps of any type: from lending to payment processing and asset management. These new API options are going to open great prospects for developers and fintech startups.

Another sign of success is the expansion of the availability of Plaid: the service has recently begun to work in Europe (as stated on the main page of the site).

So Plaid is definitely a good choice to develop finance apps and sites.

Fidor Bank

Fidor Bank is a German Internet bank offering remote services. It can be proud of over 100,000 account holders. 

Its clients are both private individuals and commercial companies that value fast digital banking operations - Fidor Bank needs about a minute to complete its task, which is a good indicator.

And what's more, Fidor Bank has received many awards confirming its innovative business approach: among other things, the World Economic Forum (WEF) rewarded the system for belonging to "global growth companies".

Also, Fidor provides free APIs allowing developers to create platforms with banking features. Fidor API supports single and batch transactions, works with credit/debits cards and e-wallets, helps in implementing ID management and loyalty systems, ensures a proper security level, and so on.

Invoicera

Invoicera platform specializes in processing payments and invoices and focuses on the maximum automation of these processes. Its task is to save the time and effort of its clients. Perhaps, that’s why most Invoicera users are private entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Invoicera allows clients to do the following:

• get access to a multilingual interface (which also simplifies interaction with the system);

• operate with different currencies;

• automate the billing process

• use ready-made invoice templates

• create and manage invoices online;

• control your expenses;

• receive and send payments online;

• track working hours;

• create analytical financial reports;

• etc.

In addition, Invoicera has an API designed to help developers of third-party platforms use the company's technology. Thus, they get simplified access to the system’s advantages and its key API features.

GoCardless

GoCardless has taken a fairly innovative approach to banking. The system offers its clients to accept payments directly from the buyer's bank account, without resorting to the help of the card system. Such a direct debit method allows saving on tax fees, which made the service very attractive in the eyes of customers who like the idea of ​​cheapening transactions as much as possible.

At first, GoCardless was just a British startup aimed at its local market, but the company is gradually expanding its territorial reach and confidently entering markets of other countries. The next stage of growth was the development of an application programming interface - one of the new API options.

Using these tools, developers can access the core functionality of GoCardless. In essence, the goal of the platform is to join the ranks of leaders such as Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal.

The only fly in the GoCardless ointment is the slowness of processing bank payments. Therefore, the GoCardless system is rarely used in large online stores and other similar resources where transaction speed is a decisive factor.

Figo

Figo is a European company with a so-called Banking-as-a-Service intended to ensure the effective interaction of fintech systems by using a single application programming interface. Also, figo claims to provide the best user experience through the fully digitized KYC process.

Using the figo API, developers can embed banking functionality in their resources, including the ability to create an account, manage transactions, analyze banking information, and more. A significant advantage of the system is the machine learning capacity allowing you to offer customers the most individualized approach.

In fact, the following key API features explain the deserved popularity of figo.

Тemenos

Temenos is a digital platform that automates various banking processes. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, and offices are scattered around the world. Temenos is considered a successful system, which is proved by its achievements: more than 1000 users from different parts of the globe, and the territorial coverage is at least 120 countries.

Its features include microfinance, money management, and other related services. The main goal of Temenos is to help the client get a hassle-free experience in interacting with the system. To achieve this result, the company focuses on innovation and does its best to expand the functionality of the program. Among other things, Front Office, a unique tool for digital interaction with a client, deserves attention. The tool uses a powerful data analysis system and builds a portrait of the user, thus helping to come up with personalized offers and pricing based on the previous history.

Of course, there is a list of APIs to ensure integration with external resources (pay attention to features below).

Kontomatik

Kontomatik is a digital banking platform with a convenient API. The system allows you to quickly (in 10-15 seconds) import data from customer bank accounts and perform identification, verification, and scoring processes. The technology incorporated in Kontomatik helps to create a detailed credit portrait based on the history of banking operations. Therefore, this is a win-win situation: clients prove their creditworthiness, and banks are able to offer them the best loan conditions.

Fintech startups also benefit from the project because they can implement the Kontomatik solution in their applications without developing their own finance APIs.

Pich Technologies

Our list of the best Finance APIs concludes with a company eloquently named Pich Technologies. And technology does play a big role because the platform provides the simplest way to integrate banking data on a website. 

So, if the web or mobile resource needs efficient solutions to connect bank accounts, identification, and risk management, Pich is the best choice.

POS APIs

If a particular institution, whether it’s a store or a cafe, is presented both offline and online, it’s going to need a special solution to transfer data to a common CRM system and perform other similar tasks. These solutions are POS APIs. 

eThor

Let's begin our description of paid and free APIs targeted at POS systems with eThor.

eThor is a cloud-based POS solution with tons of benefits. Developers can use it to supplement their websites or applications with a convenient menu, features of live orders (with the help of social networks, mobile gadgets, etc.), and other useful services.

The eThor API is very user-friendly, and developers would find no difficulty integrating the technology into their platform.

Handpoint

Handpoint provides merchants with the opportunity to optimize their POS system through the following solutions:

• a specially  configured terminal;

• payment application.

Handpoint supports different types of terminals and payment cards. Based on the conditions of the merchant (especially his location), Handpoint will offer him a certain type of terminal: the one meeting his very needs. 

Headstart applications work both on smartphones and on tablet computers. And, of course, service can be individualized at the client’s request. 

But the most important feature is the storage of all data in a common database, which allows the seller to access information when and where he needs it.

Definitely, Handpoint provides developers with finance APIs so that they can implement Handpoint technology in their resource and equip it with convenient and reliably protected trading operations.  

Epos Now

Epos Now is a cloud-based platform providing powerful POS solutions and supporting Safari and Google Chrome. If your device is compatible with one of these browsers, Epos Now would be a great choice.

The high popularity of Epos Now is confirmed by the facts: 30,000 businesses worldwide are actively using the system. Moreover, Epos Now boasts such renowned clients as Universal, Disney Pictures, and Yankee Candle.

Epos Now is aimed at representatives of the retail and hotel business, to whom it offers advanced POS systems and software solutions (sometimes its offer is limited only to the latter: we mean if the client already has its own POS devices compatible with Epos Now software). Epos Now is also ready to cooperate with the restaurants, beauty salons, and fashion industry. 

In short, Epos Now ensures:

• Access to data anytime, anywhere (thanks to cloud-based storage of information);

• Ongoing review of sales data and other key business factors;

• The ability to view the best and worst products, the most profitable brands, etc.;

• Accepting payments in various ways (using a card, chip, Apple Pay, etc.). This makes Epos Now a good option in cases when you need to create a web-based payment application;

• Tracking staff performance;

• Built-in customer management system & tools for analyzing customer behavior;

• Loyalty module available at extra charge;

• Inventory management tools supporting up to 60,000 products;

• Tracking inventory to the level of ingredients (option targeted at the restaurant business);

• Useful alerts (say, alerts about running out of stock.

And the Epos Now API gives developers access to the above opportunities and allows them to take full advantage of these cool features when creating platforms.

Vend

Vend is a cloud-based POS system that works best with retailers. Among its key API features are inventory management solutions, customer loyalty programs, and much more. Vend POS is compatible with the iPad, Mac, and Windows.

Advantages of Vend:

• Offline access to Vend. When connected to the Internet, the Vend system automatically synchronizes all offline sales;

• The ability to use your own equipment with Vend POS systems, (though, consider its compliance with a number of characteristics);

• Intuitive program interface;

• Convenient cash flow management and tracking;

• Parked sales, allowing you to “book” customer purchases and extract them at the moment when the buyer is ready to complete the transaction;

• Creation of individual reports on sales, performance indicators, and more;

• Assessment of employee productivity using tools to set daily, weekly and monthly sales goals;

• The possibility to export reports to convenient formats.

Using provided API-based solutions, you can implement Vend technology in your own projects and create customized resources with a convenient POS system.

TouchBistro 

If the previous finance APIs mainly deal with sales, TouchBistro works with the restaurant business, offering it an excellent POS system. This software includes several hundred built-in features, some of which are described below.

Unfortunately, at the moment TouchBistro doesn’t provide the ability to process payments, although such a feature will be implemented in the near future. In the meantime, TouchBistro users are free to choose one of the payment systems - TouchBistro partners: PayPal, iZettle, MONERIS, WorldPay, TSYS, and others.

TouchBistro offers:

• Simple management of restaurant stocks in order to control the level and nature of supplies down to the last ingredient;

• The ability to create recipes and manage the cost of the menu;

• More than fifty reports with custom templates;

• Ability to create customer profiles;

• Sales statistics by category;

• 24/7 phone and email support;

• Detailed Guides and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ);

• Easy to use API.

So, we've finished reviewing the top Finance APIs. And we hope you found our analysis useful. But feel free to ask questions if you have any!