A new series of videos highlights Visa’s eagerness to open its API platform to FIs and startups.
Visa has been releasing videos for the API platform, known as Visa Developer, for several months, but the newest videos feature testimonials from institutions and startups.
The platform, which launched in February, is designed to open the payment network up for startups and FI partners to tap into and therefore, form tighter bonds with Visa. Its videos to date have featured somewhat dry but practical lessons — for example, how to create two-way SSL (secure socket layer) handshakes using Visa’s tools. (Warning — lots of code on screen in these videos.)
Last week, the network began releasing of a new set of videos, one of which features a testimonial from Utah-based Mountain America Credit Union. Another video visits with Ledge, the winner of the Visa Developer competition in Austin earlier this year. Ledge is a crowdfunding tool that taps friends and family. Austin was the first stop on Visa’s multi-stage competition, which concluded in San Francisco in June. Mastercard held a similar challenge called Masters of Code last year.
The videos, which appear to be part of a series — Bank Innovation has approached Visa for more information on forthcoming videos — make apparent Visa’s eagerness to tie in more deeply with FIs and startups, and recall that Visa, like Mastercard, is now working more closely with PayPal as well. APIs can be a whole new playing field on which payment networks can compete.
Here’s the video with Ledge. The Mountain America Credit Union video is here.