Fire Payments API vs Pay by Bank from allpay

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.

Pay by Bank from allpay lets customers pay an organisation directly from a bank account using Open Banking, without entering card details. At checkout, the customer chooses the option, selects a bank, and authorises payment in a banking app or online banking; confirmation arrives near instantly. The organisation does not handle sensitive account details because authorisation takes place through the customer’s bank.

The service is intended for housing associations, local authorities, rent and income collection teams, utilities, billing organisations, and organisations handling high-volume regular payments. allpay says bypassing traditional card networks can lower processing costs, while avoiding expired cards, incorrect entries, and manual input may help reduce failed or abandoned transactions. The rollout is starting with the allpayments app and online payment journeys using hosted payment pages. Gateway Plus support is marked as coming soon, with no date specified. Pricing is on request. Platforms listed are Android, iOS, and web. allpay describes the method as FCA-regulated and states that it complies with PCI DSS.