Tapara has been accepted into the API Centre, the industry body operated by Payments NZ that governs New Zealand’s open banking API standards. We’re now an API Standards User — a third-party member with an API Services agreement — alongside organisations like Visa, Akahu, BlinkPay, Paymark, and other leading fintechs.
What the API Centre does
The API Centre sets the standards for how third parties connect to New Zealand’s banks via open banking APIs. It defines the technical specifications, security requirements, and consent frameworks that make bank-to-bank payments and account data sharing possible. Every open banking payment in New Zealand flows through infrastructure built on these standards.
What this means for tapara
As an API Standards User, we’re joining the business and technical working groups that define and evolve the API standards. This makes Tapara a direct contributor to the open banking ecosystem — not just a consumer of it.
Membership gives us:
- A seat at the table where payment API standards are defined and updated.
- Direct participation in the business and technical working groups.
- A voice in shaping the future of open banking in New Zealand.
Why it matters
Open banking is the foundation of everything tapara builds. Our near-zero-fee payments, QR payment flows, and merchant settlement all run on open banking rails. Being part of the API Centre means we’re not just building on these standards — we’re helping shape them.
For merchants and consumers on tapara, this means a stronger, more resilient payment infrastructure backed by direct relationships with the organisations that govern it.
You can see our listing on the API Centre’s current standards users page.