Fire Payments API vs Lean Payments

Fire Payments API connects Fire’s digital payment services to applications and back-office systems, letting fintechs and corporate clients automate payment processes. It can initiate batches of internal transfers and local or cross-border payouts, issue cards, and manage card blocks and limits. Businesses can create bank-transfer payment requests with added information for reconciliation, retrieve transaction, payee, user and balance data, and move funds between Fire accounts in real time. Developers can use Fire’s OpenAPI specification to build backend integrations in their preferred programming language. Customers need to contact sales to open a Fire account before configuring an API application and its permissions. Fire says payment batches are authorised and authenticated through the Fire for Business mobile app, within a framework designed to meet PSD2 technical standards. Fire-EU is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, while Fire-UK is authorised by the FCA. Customer funds are held separately from operational funds; this is not a bank deposit guarantee. Pricing is paid, from €10/mo, with corporate pricing available on request.

Lean Payments gives banks, fintechs and enterprises in Saudi Arabia and the UAE APIs for payments, Open Banking, financial data and customer verification across MENA. Its eCommerce service lets customers pay from a bank account, with real-time confirmation, automatic order reconciliation and no card fees. The Payouts product handles withdrawals, refunds, supplier payments, third-party disbursements and bulk payouts through an API and dashboard. Each payout verifies account ownership, and access requires Lean to enable it; authorization can be manual in the dashboard, through an invited bank portal or automatic. Financial Data provides customer-permissioned account details, balances and transactions, plus insights and standardized reports on income, expenses, cashflow and balances. Saudi integration options include sandbox and production environments, OAuth, APIs and an embeddable Lean Link SDK for Web, iOS, Android, React Native and Flutter. Lean says one integration connects to its UAE and KSA open banking network, which supports payments and data from more than 30 MENA banks. Lean KSA says it is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank for payment and Open Banking services. Pricing is on request.