Glossary
Common terms you may encounter when integrating with our APIs
API Integration
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| API (Application Programming Interface) | A set of rules and protocols that allows different software systems to communicate with each other |
| API Key | A unique identifier used to authenticate and authorise API requests |
| Authentication | The process of verifying the identity of a user, application, or system |
| Authorisation (API) | The process of determining what actions or resources an authenticated user or system can access |
| Digital Certificate | An electronic credential used to verify the identity of systems and support secure communication. CommBank X9 certificates via DigiCert. |
| Endpoint | A specific URL or path used to access an API function or resource |
| Environment | A deployment stage used for development, testing, or production (e.g. sandbox, UAT/non-prod, production) |
| Go-Live | The point at which an integration or service is moved into production and made available for real customer use |
| HTTP Method | The type of operation being performed in an API request (e.g. GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) |
| Idempotency | A mechanism that ensures repeating the same API request does not create duplicate actions or results |
| IP Whitelisting | The process of restricting system or API access to approved IP addresses |
| mTLS (Mutual TLS) | A security mechanism where both the client and server authenticate each other using digital certificates |
| OAuth 2.0 | An industry-standard authentication framework used to securely obtain access tokens for API access |
| Payload | The data sent within an API request or response |
| Request | A message sent from a client system to an API to perform an action or retrieve information |
| Response | The data returned by an API after processing a request |
| Sandbox Environment | A non-production environment used for testing and development |
| Status or Code | A standard HTTP code indicating the outcome of an API request (e.g. 200, 400, 500) |
| Token | A temporary credential used to authenticate API requests |
| Webhook | An automated callback notification sent to a client system when a specific event occurs |
NameCheck
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Account Details | The BSB number, account number and account name entered by users to be validated by NameCheck |
| Account Number | A unique numeric identifier used by a financial institution to identify a customer's bank account |
| BSB | Bank State Branch. A six-digit number used to identify a specific bank and branch in Australia |
| Close Match / Partial Match | A result indicating the entered account name is similar to, but not an exact match for, the account holder name held by the receiving bank |
| Exact Match | A result indicating the entered account name matches the account holder name held by the receiving bank |
| No Match | A result indicating the entered account name does not match the account holder name held by the receiving bank |
| Not Enough Information Match | A result indicating there is insufficient information available to confidently determine whether the entered account name matches the account details held by the receiving financial institution, i.e. the account could be new or has not made/received many transactions to date |
| Verification Request | The API request sent to NameCheck containing the account details to validate |
Fast Payments
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| BSB | Bank State Branch. A six-digit number used to identify a specific bank and branch in Australia |
| Fast Payments API | An API capability that enables the initiation and processing of near real-time account-to-account payments |
| Payment Initiation | The process of submitting a payment instruction through the API |
| Payment Reference | A description or identifier attached to a payment transaction |
| Real-time Payments | Payments processed and settled almost instantly between financial institutions |
| Receiving Financial Institution | The bank or financial institution receiving the payment |
| Settlement | The movement of funds between financial institutions to complete a payment |
| Source Account | The bank account from which funds are debited |
| Target Account | The bank account receiving the funds |
| X-JWS Signature Header | A security header containing a digitally signed JSON Web Signature (JWS) used to verify the integrity and authenticity of API requests |
PayTo®
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adhoc (Agreement) | A flexible PayTo agreement that allows payments to be initiated irregularly, without a fixed schedule |
| BSB | Bank State Branch. A six-digit number used to identify a specific bank and branch in Australia |
| Card-on-file (Agreement) | An arrangement where a customer's card details are stored for future payments, commonly used for subscriptions or repeat purchases |
| One-off (Agreement) | A PayTo agreement that authorises a single payment only |
| Recurring (Agreement) | A PayTo agreement that enables repeated payments on a defined schedule, e.g. subscription service |
| Australian Payments Plus | The organisation that operates and governs payment infrastructure in Australia, including PayTo and the NPP |
| Authorisation (PayTo) | Customer approval of a PayTo agreement via their banking app |
| BECS | Bulk Electronic Clearing System; Australia's legacy direct debit system that PayTo is designed to modernise and eventually replace |
| Mandate (PayTo Agreement) | The agreement that allows a business to debit a customer's account |
| Mandate Cancellation | Ending the PayTo agreement |
| Mandate Creation | Setup of the PayTo agreement for customer approval |
| NPP (New Payments Platform) | Australia's real-time payments infrastructure that underpins PayTo and other payment solutions |
| Payee / Merchant | The business receiving the funds |
| Payer | The customer authorising the payment |
| Payment Initiation | When a merchant triggers a payment under a mandate |
| PayTo | A real-time, account-to-account payment capability that enables businesses to initiate payments from a customer's bank account via pre-authorised agreements on the NPP |
| Settlement | The movement of funds between financial institutions to complete a payment |