UnionPay International gives global developers open access to its APIs

UnionPay International announced the launch of the UPI Developer, an open platform that gives global developers access to 18 of UnionPay’s UnionPay cross-border mobile Internet payment products and services in the first phase. Through the platform’s application programming interface (API), developers can integrate UnionPay’s technical services into their products efficiently and cost-effectively, thus providing UnionPay cardholders with more payment scenarios and services and enhancing their payment experience.

“With the development of innovative payment technology and commercial applications, UnionPay International is accelerating building up its innovative payment technology and service capacity, and promoting the digitalization of its card-based business, to support the development of mobile payment,” said Cai Jianbo, CEO of UnionPay International.

He added that UnionPay International launches UPI Developer to better meet its partners’ demand for payment innovation. In the future, UnionPay International will build a more complete system structure to help its partners to improve the efficiency and flexibility of applying UnionPay innovative products and payment scenarios, and to accelerate realizing the cross-border and trans-app interconnection of UnionPay’s various mobile payment services.

Innovate and upgrade service capabilities
In line with the changes in consumer payment habits, UnionPay has launched a portfolio of innovative payment product including the “UnionPay” app, QR code payment, mobile QuickPass, and In-App payment. UnionPay International has been rolling out these products outside mainland China, and so far, these UnionPay mobile payment services have been accepted in 43 countries and regions outside the Chinese Mainland.

Meanwhile, UnionPay International has built up multiple innovative service platforms, such as UnionPay International Mobile Payment Service (UMPS) and TSP to support its partners to carry out UnionPay mobile payment services quickly and safely.

Now, based on its experience in developing, promoting innovative payment products, UnionPay International is providing three types of services via UPI Developer: First, offer open access to its major APIs. Developers now have access to the APIs of 18 of UnionPay’s most popular payment and data services, including QR code payment and Token. Second, offer a combination of multiple APIs to provide partners with one-stop payment solutions, assisting them in both product developing and commercial application. Third, offer diverse technical support services, including technical documentation, technical guidance and product testing and certification.

Various types of developers from Southeast Asia, the Americas, and mainland China have tried the platform. APIs such as QR code acceptance, online payment, and “U Plan” (UnionPay’s cross-border marketing platform) are very popular among developers. For example, the financial service company of Seatel Telecom from Cambodia have quickly and efficiently launched UnionPay QR code acceptance system via UPI Developer.

Expanding the payment ecosystem
At present, UnionPay is upgrading its global service capabilities based on its vision to build an international brand. With the launch of UPI Developer, UnionPay International has further expanded the scope of its technical service customers. And issuers, acquirers, merchants, software developers, mobile phone operators and other partners of UnionPay in and outside mainland China will all benefit from it.

Issuers and acquirers can get online services including product information, development and testing through UPI Developer. In the future, the services offered by the platform will cover the whole business process, saving institutions’ resources and time for joining in the UnionPay network, being a crucial complement to UnionPay’s traditional offline technical supports.

Relying on UPI Developer, UnionPay International will launch its Technical Partner Program. In the future, third-party payment companies and software developers can get UnionPay’s technical services via UPI Developer by online application, and can thereby join UnionPay’s cross-border payment ecosystem. The Program will help UnionPay International to reach collaboration with more types of institutions and promote the application of UnionPay payment service to localized payment scenarios.

In the next step, UnionPay International will continue to enrich the variety and quantity of its open APIs, further open its business capabilities to global partners, promote the update of UPI Developer, and optimize its services to UnionPay cardholders worldwide through extensive and deep collaboration with various industry participants.

Some of the APIs on UPI Developer:

QR Code Acceptance: Acquirers can connect to the UnionPay system to provide merchants with acquiring services of various types of transactions based on UnionPay QR code.

In-App Apple Pay: Apple Pay-based mobile online payment solution.

Secure Pay: Provide customers with secure online payment methods and support being activated via the “UnionPay” app.

Merchant-Hosted: Cardholders can enjoy non-redirecting and no-PIN payment service once completing card binding and identity verification.

U Collection: Provides a global selection of popular benefits for UnionPay Platinum and Diamond Cardholders, covering restaurants, shopping, hotels, lifestyle and travel businesses.

U plan: Provides customers with marketing information at selected merchants, and assists merchants in achieving precise marketing.

Token Service: Provides related services for tokenization of UnionPay card number.

UnionPay Tax Refund: Provides tax refund information inquiry service for UnionPay cardholders.