Swiss NextGen API

Open Banking Project

Switzerland

An adaption of The Berlin Group’s NextGen PSD2 XS2A framework.

The commercial bank Berner Kantonalbank Private customers – BEKB uses the Swiss NextGen API.

Finnova, together with Ergon, offers their customer banks (approx. 100) an “Open Banking as a Service” solution.

v1.3.12 (Core PSD2) / openFinance v1.0

Open source Swiss NextGen Banking API-Framework.

• Hybrid Model: Combines Regulated (Core PSD2) services that banks must provide for free with Premium/Commercial (openFinance) services that can be offered under contractual agreements.

• Strategic Direction: As of 2026, the standard is aligning with the EU Financial Data Access (FiDA) framework and preparing for the transition from PSD2 to PSD3/PSR, focusing on enhanced API performance and fraud prevention.

The Swiss edition refines the message formats from the NextGen PSD2 to be specific to Switzerland and defines some matching examples.

The Account Information Service (AIS) is one of several specifications, including a Payment Initiation Service (PIS), Confirmation of Funds Service (PIIS) and a Signing Basket Service (SBS), adapted by the OpenBankingProject.ch.

The API specification has minimal deviation from the standard devised by the Berlin Group, allowing interoperability.

The Account Information Service (AIS) offers transaction reports for a given account or card account including balances if applicable; balances of a given account or card account; a list of available accounts or card account and account details of a given account or card account or of the list of all accessible accounts or card account relative to a granted consent.

• Four SCA Approaches: Full support for Redirect, OAuth2, Decoupled, and Embedded Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) models.

• Multi-Level SCA: Advanced workflows for corporate banking requiring multiple authorizations for a single payment.

• Harmonized Data Model: Built on ISO 20022 elements to ensure interoperability across SEPA.

• Request to Pay (rtp): Integrated support for the SEPA Request to Pay scheme.

• Variable Recurring Payments (VRP): Emerging support for flexible, recurring payment models.

• Account Information (AIS): Access to payment account data including balances, transaction history, and account details.

• Payment Initiation (PIS): Support for Single Payments, Bulk Payments, Periodic Payments (Standing Orders), and Scheduled Payments.

• Confirmation of Funds (PIIS/CoF): Verification of available funds on a payment instrument without revealing the actual balance.

• openFinance Extensions: Commercial APIs covering Savings Accounts, Card Accounts, Loan Accounts, Securities/Investment Accounts, and enriched data sets beyond the PSD2 mandate.

• Registry Model: Decentralized. Relies on the EBA (European Banking Authority) Register and National Competent Authority (NCA) lists. TPPs are validated in real-time via their eIDAS certificates against these regulatory databases.

• Governance: Governed by the Berlin Group Plenary, an informal partnership of European banks, associations, and payment schemes.

When getting account information of any kind, it is assumed that a consent of the PSU to this access is already given and stored on the ASPSP system.

The consents endpoint optionally offers to grant an access on all available payment accounts of a PSU.

A consent method creates a consent resource, defining access rights to dedicated accounts of a given PSU-ID. These accounts are addressed explicitly in the method as parameters as a core function. 

• Identification: Mandatory use of eIDAS Certificates. QWACs (Qualified Website Authentication Certificates) are required for transport layer security, while QSEALs (Qualified Electronic Seals) are used for application-level signing.

• Message Integrity: Implementation of HTTP Signatures (or JWS in specific profiles) to ensure non-repudiation of API requests.

• Protocol: Modern RESTful APIs using HTTP/1.1 or HTTP/2 over TLS 1.2+.

Github repository Swiss NextGen Banking API-Framework.

Sandbox list, including the Account Authorisation Sandbox APIs used by different financial institutions.

DeveloperPortal

The OpenBankingProject.ch was formed by the companies Avaloq, DXC Technology, Ergon, Finnova, Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, the University of Berne and the Business Engineering Institute St. Gallen. With input from industry, they agreed on an initial standard for account information and payment initiation, basing it on the NextGen PSD2 standard created by the Berlin Group.

The steering committee manages and controls the project. Each partner has one seat and one vote. In addition one seat and the corresponding vote will be taken by a member of the community.

In order to ensure networking and independence, the Business Engineering Institute St. Gallen will assume the chairmanship of the project.

Other companies are explicitly welcome to participate as partners, members or in the community of the project.

Future aims are to adapt the Open Finance API framework being developed by the Berlin Group, as well as its extended value-added services. If there is a planned use in Switzerland then the Open Banking Project will look to adapt. Any adjustments made by Berlin Group to their standards will be applied to the Swiss NextGen API.

Adjustments are planned to be made to the Swiss payment definitions.

Payment services (PSD 2) – Directive (EU) 2015/2366 is not applicable to Switzerland but is related to the standard created.

Recent regulatory financial market architecture in Switzerland does not force the banks to open up their data but does aim to improve client protection and boost competition.

The Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) CC 954.1 

The Financial Services Act (FinSA)

More information on both acts.