Handelsbanken PSD2 APIs

Here you'll find a brief overview about the PSD2 regulation, the PSD2 APIs we offer, which SCA methods are supported, our Contingency Mechanism and our PSD2 API Performance statistics. 

EU Directive

Overview

• StepsDescription
• PSD2 in briefA quick overview of the PSD2 regulation and what it means.
• About our PSD2 APIsA summary of our PSD2 APIs and the standard we use for them.
• SCA MethodsThe SCA Methods and Handelsbanken Authentication Methods applicable to each country.
• Contingency MechanismHere you'll find links to our contingency mechanism / fallback solution.
• PSD2 Performance StatisticsHere you'll find statistics comparing our APIs with our online channels.

PSD2 in brief

The second EU Payment Services Directive (EU 2015/2366), PSD2, regulates payment services and payment service providers throughout the European Union and European Economic Area. The Directive's purpose is to increase competition and participation in the payments industry, strengthen consumer protection and clarify the rights and obligations for payment providers.

Amongst other things, it means that Third Party Providers (TPPs) must be allowed to access payment accounts, initiate payments and get confirmation of funds, on behalf of the customers, in their own infrastructure by using the banks' APIs. 

The main objectives of the regulation are:
• to increase competition
• have a more integrated and efficient European market for payments
• to improve and create the same conditions for all new and existing payment providers
• to increase security for online payments and access to accounts within the EU and EEA to strengthen consumer protection.

About our PSD2 APIs

Our APIs follow PSD2 regulations and in order to use them, you have to be an authorised TPP. You must be registered as either a Payment Initiation Service Provider (PISP), an Account Information Service Provider (AISP) or a Card Based Payment Instrument Issuer (CBPII), authorised by your Local Competent Authority.

We have modelled our API structure to the Berlin Group Technical Standard but made some deviations to better fit our markets. We recommend that you read our Technical Guidelines then test our APIs in our Sandbox and then, when you're ready to go live, check out our guide for Live Data Access.

All PSD2 APIs have REST-endpoints and HTTP-verbs GET, POST and PUT are used. The endpoints will consume and respond with JSON-structures with UTF-8 encoding.

The PSD2 APIs have mandatory HTTP-headers. Please note that our APIs might also have additional specific headers.

SCA Methods

Strong customer authentication (SCA) is a requirement from the PSD2 regulations which ensures that customers can safely and securely access their account information and make payments via Third Party Providers (TPPs).

As we operate in multiple countries, please see below for which SCA Methods and Handelsbanken Authentication Methods are supported for each country.

*Please note that for Swedish customers, the customer is required to use the signing method "Card reader and log-on card with cable" to initiate a cross-border payment.

Contingency Mechanism

Please visit the links below for more information about our contingency mechanisms for all the countries we support.

Fallback solution (SE, GB, NL, LU)

Fallback solution (Finland only)

PSD2 API Performance Statistics

Here you'll find statistics on how our API and online channels are performing on a daily basis. Statistics will be published the month after every quarter (i.e. data from October to December will be published in January).

Statistics