What is a payment API? How apps talk to payment systems
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Pick who to pay and type the amount
- 2Tap send and it is on its way
- 3It lands in their account
An API (application programming interface) is a set of rules that lets one piece of software ask another to do something. A payment API lets an app create payments, send money, check balances or issue cards by talking to a payment provider's systems.
What payment APIs do
0 of 4 done
Tick each step as you do it, so you can see what is left.
What webhooks are
A webhook is a message the provider sends back to your app when something happens, such as a payment succeeding or a card being used. It saves your app from asking over and over.
Try it
Name your platform and watch it come to life
Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.
Colour
What it does
Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
Build or buy
Building a money app straight on APIs needs developers, testing and ongoing upkeep. A ready-made platform does that work for you, so you can launch faster without writing the code yourself.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay gives you a ready-made money platform under your own brand, powered by licensed partners, so you don't need to build on payment APIs yourself. You can preview your platform before you launch.
How it works
Your own money app- 1Name it and pick your colours
- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch when you are ready
Why sign up
Create your free SendPay account
It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.
- 🪪A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
- 💳Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
- 🌐A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
- 🚀Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to build it myself?
Work out the first-year cost of an in-house build, and see how a white-label launch differs.
Banking app build cost calculator →Read next
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.