This article describes the many companies, including Stripe, Airbnb, DoorDash and Affirm that now offer or plan to offer some form of financial service using API’s offered by a Fintech. It then offers a a view into the many different financial services being offered and lists the companies offering them. I suspect the list is missing a few given our list of 40+ “enablers” but more likely is that our list just defines the features differently.
If your company offers financial services via API’s drop us a line at: paymentsjournal@mercatoradvisorygroup.com with the subject = API
“At the heart of embedded finance is the benefit of enabling any brand or merchant to rapidly, and at low cost, integrate innovative financial services into new propositions and customer experiences. To avoid developing noncore product additions in-house, companies will look to “building blocks” (or APIs) to take advantage of the big opportunity to extend customer lifetime value and address a wider variety of needs in one place.
This holds true for startups, digitally native brands and established brands, online and offline. For fledgling fintech startups or brands that want to provide financial services to their customers, working with APIs are often a no-brainer given the costs associated with building integrations in-house.
But imagine if you are a global airline company and the benefit of not having to staff a know-your-customer compliance or fraud detection team. Or for lenders who can minimize risk and increase speed by not having to request a pay stub or personal information verification?
The end goal is to earn and build customer loyalty while generating new revenue streams. Historically, established brands have been served by banks with co-branded and “affinity” programs or partnerships. But this “offline” model is usually white-label or very “human-in-the-loop” with limited and inflexible capabilities. However, APIs can change this — a great example is Starbucks Rewards, heralded as a successful case of data, rewards and loyalty. No longer are brands just reselling leads, businesses can now directly participate in the product and distribution to improve margins.
Today, embedded finance is being used in a variety of ways: In the product (e.g., Tesla’s insurance offering), in distribution channels (e.g., a startup selling insurance during car purchases), and in the technology layer (or building blocks) to improve the overall functionality (e.g., a lender leveraging a data API for instant underwriting).”
Overview by Tim Sloane, VP, Payments Innovation at Mercator Advisory Group
