Using API integration to match fast payments with fast reconciliation

Monoova uses the NPP to offer real-time accounts payables and receivables functionality to rapidly scaling businesses where manual processes can be an obstacle to growth. 

According to Monoova CEO Christian Westerlind Wigstrom, for organisations with complex payments requirements, the introduction of real-time payments in Australia can only be fully realised with the enablement of real-time processes for both receivables and payables that connect straight into a business’s software system. 

“We’re seeing that the concept of ‘real-time’ has become an expectation. This is why Monoova believes that giving companies access to NPP through APIs is critical.  

“The advantage of real-time receivables is diminished if there isn’t a real-time notification that can trigger business logic in the company’s own software environment. 

“In other words, if a real-time payment is only ‘noticed’ when someone logs on to their banking portal, the onward payment flow is not real-time,” Christian said. 

To illustrate: with Monoova, a digital marketplace selling shoes can receive an automated, real-time notification when $100 has been received using the NPP. This can trigger an automated message back to Monoova to split that $100 into (1) an $80 payment to the vendor, (2) a $15 payment to the courier shipping the shoes and (3) a $5 payment to the marketplace’s own revenue account. 

This happens without any human interaction, supported by reporting every step of the way. And if the onward disbursement is done via NPP, then the time between the shoes being bought, the reports delivered and the vendor, courier and marketplace receiving their funds could be as little as seconds. 

To further aid reconciliation, Monoova has developed ‘Automatcher’ – a solution which issues large numbers of unique, repeat-use PayIDs in the form of emails (e.g. John.Smith@utility.com.au).  

The business assigns these PayIDs to each of their customers as a payment option at the bottom of bills and in their apps. When a payment is made by a customer, Monoova sends a detailed notification to the business informing them that funds have been received. 

The service enables a personalised and easy to remember payment option for customers as well as real-time receipt of funds for businesses. It removes lengthy and error-prone manual references previously required for reconciliation, while introducing real-time reporting of fully reconciled transactions straight into the utility’s ERP. 

“Since the beginning of 2020, Monoova’s Automatcher NPP volumes have grown seven-fold. We’re seeing interest in this solution from a range of different businesses from utilities, business-financing companies, online marketplaces and personal finance apps,” Christian said. 

For more information you can listen to our NPP Sound Bite interview with Christian here. 

Or you can visit monoova.com.