Developer resources
Definitions for the key terms you'll encounter when building with B4B Payments - from EMIs and safeguarding to webhooks and virtual cards.
A model in which licensed banks and e-money institutions expose their financial infrastructure via APIs, enabling non-bank companies to offer banking products without a full banking licence.
An Electronic Money Institution is a legal entity authorised by a competent authority to issue electronic money. In the UK, EMIs are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. In the EU, EMIs are authorised by national competent authorities under the Electronic Money Directive. EMIs may issue electronic money, provide payment services, and hold client funds in safeguarded accounts held separately from the institution's own funds. EMI licences do not permit lending or deposit-taking. B4B Payments is an FCA-authorised EMI in the UK (Ref: 930619). UAB B4B Payments Europe is an EMI licensed by the Bank of Lithuania (Licence No: 76).
Electronic money is a digital form of monetary value issued on receipt of funds and used to make payment transactions. It is redeemable at par value. E-money is not a bank deposit and is not covered by deposit protection schemes such as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Funds received in exchange for e-money are required to be safeguarded - held in ring-fenced accounts with regulated credit institutions, separate from the issuer's own funds - in accordance with applicable electronic money regulations.
A payment card loaded with a defined amount of funds before use. Unlike credit cards, spend is limited to the loaded balance. B4B Payments issues prepaid Mastercards® for corporate, rewards, and disbursement use cases.
The process by which a financial institution (the issuer) creates and distributes payment cards to end users, taking on responsibility for the cardholder relationship and transaction authorisation.
The process by which a bank or institution (the acquirer) enables merchants to accept card payments by routing and settling transactions.
An entity that manages a prepaid card programme on behalf of an issuer - handling cardholder onboarding, card distribution, and programme administration.
A regulatory requirement for EMIs and payment institutions to protect customer funds by holding them in segregated accounts at an authorised credit institution or investing in secure liquid assets.
The conversion of one currency to another. B4B Payments supports accounts in multiple currencies and real-time FX for international payments.
A standardised format for identifying bank accounts internationally, used for cross-border transfers within SEPA and beyond.
A payment-integration initiative of the EU enabling euro-denominated bank transfers under unified standards across 36 countries.
The global payment network over which B4B Payments prepaid card transactions are processed, enabling acceptance at millions of merchants and ATMs worldwide.
The due-diligence process by which a financial institution verifies the identity, ownership structure, and risk profile of a business customer before providing services.
The due-diligence process used to verify the identity of individual customers, required by anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations.
An HTTP callback that notifies an external system in real time when a specific event occurs - for example, when a card transaction is authorised or a fund load completes.
A card number issued digitally (no physical card) for use in online payments or mobile wallets. Useful for one-time transactions or controlled spend.