1. Introduction

Open Banking API specifications support Payment Initiation Services (PIS) that enable a PISP to initiate a payment order, with the PSU's explicit consent, from their online payment account held at their ASPSP. The PISP is then further able to retrieve the status of a payment order. This section describes how each of the Participants (PISPs and ASPSPs) in the delivery of these services can optimise the customer experience for these services. Furthermore, it provides clarifications to participants on the usage of the APIs, and best practice guidelines for implementation of the customer journeys. We have illustrated three variations for the single domestic payment use case. These variations are applicable to the other payment use cases as well.

Please note that ASPSPs do not need to support the initiation of certain payment methods described in this section by a PISP, where the ASPSP does not support such transactions through their own channels (such as international transactions and bulk payment files).

End to End User flow:

2. CX Guidelines

2.1 Single Domestic Payments – A/C Selection @PISP

2.1.1 User Journey

PSUs can initiate, by providing their consent to PISPs, an instruction to their ASPSPs to make a onetime payment for a specific amount to a specific payee where all information for a complete payment order (including the PSUs’ account details) is passed from PISPs to ASPSPs. Once PSUs have been authenticated in ASPSPs domain, PSUs must be directed back to the PISP domain.

2.1.2 Customer Experience Checklist and CX Considerations

S.No.	Requirements and Considerations	Participant	Implementation Requirements
1	Minimum Set of Parameters PISPs must either allow PSUs to specify the below minimum set of parameters or pre-populate them for the PSUs: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN ) Payment Reference	PISP	Required
2	PSU payment Account Selection PISPs must provide PSUs at least one of the following options: Enter their Payer's payment Account Identification details Select their Account Identification details (this assumes they have been saved previously)	PISP	Required
3	PSU Consent to PISP PISPs must request for the PSUs' consent to the payment in a clear and specific manner. PISPs must display the following information in the consent screen: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payment Reference, if it has been entered by PSUs or prepopulated by PISPs in item #1 PSU payment Account Identification and/or the selected ASPSP (based on item #2 options) Note 1: if PSU payment Account identification is selected in item #2, PISPs should mask the PSU payment Account details on the consent screen. Otherwise, if the PSU payment Account identification has been input by PSUs in item #2, PISPs should not mask these details to allow PSUs to check and verify correctness Note 2: if PSU payment Account identification is provided by PSUs in item #2, PISPs could* use this to identify and display the ASPSP without having to ask PSU* For Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN): If this has been provided by PSUs in item #1, then PISPs must also display this in the consent screen to allow PSUs to check and verify correctness If this has been pre-populated by PISPs (e.g. in an e-commerce payment scenario) PISPs could choose whether to display this information or not CX consideration: PISPs should provide messaging to inform PSUs that they will be taken to their ASPSPs to complete the payment Example wording: "You will be securely transferred to YOUR ASPSP to authenticate and make the payment"	PISP	Required
4	CX consideration: Generic PISP to ASPSP redirection screen and message SCA Authentication (including dynamic linking) must be the only action required at the ASPSPs (unless supplementary information required, refer to section 1.1.3). The ASPSP authentication must have no more than the number of steps that the PSU would experience when directly accessing the ASPSP channel CX consideration: If SCA as described in this section cannot occur on the same screen as displaying the amount and the payee (e.g. for some biometric authentications methods), then ASPSPs should offer PSUs options to proceed or cancel the payment with "equal prominence”	ASPSP	Required
5	ASPSPs must display as minimum the Payment Amount, Currency and the Payee Account Name to make the PSU aware of these details (unless an SCA exemption is being applied). These details must be displayed as part of the authentication journey on at least one of the following screens without introducing additional confirmation screens (unless supplementary information is required, refer to section 1.1.3. CX consideration: ASPSPs should inform PSUs about their “point of no return” for making the payment and that their payment will be made after authentication occurs. Example wording: “Authenticate to make payment” For recognition based biometrics (e.g. Face ID) which can be more immediate the biometric authentication should be invoked after a delay or through a call to action to allow the PSU the ability to view the details ASPSPs could display the balance of PSUs payment account as part of the authentication journey on any of the following screens: ASPSPs’ Authentication screen ASPSP to PISP redirection screen Note: Displaying the balance in this instance need not require any additional strong customer authentication Generic ASPSP to PISP redirection Screen and message	ASPSP	Required
6	PISP Confirmation PISPs must display the information received from the ASPSP. This information may include: The unique identifier assigned to the payment instruction by ASPSPs The payment status (and status update date & time) - Confirmation of successful payment initiation If received by ASPSPs, PISPs must display any of the following information regarding initiation and execution of the payment: The expected payment execution date & time The expected settlement date & time (i.e. the value date of the payment) The ASPSP charges (where applicable) CX consideration: If PSUs provide their payment account identification details (as per item #2 options), the PISP could, with the consent of the PSU, save the account details for future transactions (such as making further payments or initiating refunds back to PSUs) where this is part of the payment initiation service explicitly requested by the PSU. For example, a merchant, upon request from the PSU, may initiate a refund back to the PSU, by instructing the same PISP that initiated the initial PSU transaction to use the saved PSU payment account identification details as the beneficiary details for the refund. This will be dependent on the same PISP being used by both the PSU and the merchant, their specific contractual terms and the existing regulations	PISP	Required
7	Further Payment Status Update PISPs must follow up with ASPSPs in order to check and update the PSUs with the most updated information that can be received by ASPSPs in relation to the execution of the payment. For more details on Payment Status, please also refer to section Payment Status.	PISP	Required

2.2 Single Domestic Payments – A/C Selection @ASPSP

2.2.1 User Journey

There are cases where the payment order submitted by PISPs to ASPSPs is incomplete, such as where PSU account selection has not yet occurred. In these scenarios, Open banking guideline considers that SCA only needs to be obtained once, as part of the initial interaction between the ASPSP and PSU. The fact that the PSU has to then carry out account selection or provide other information does not invalidate the SCA just performed by the ASPSP.

Equally, the display of the account balance by the ASPSP as part of the account selection process in the payment initiation journey should not require an additional application of SCA.

2.2.2 Customer Experience Checklist and CX Considerations

S. No.	Requirements and Considerations	Participant	Implementation Requirements
1	Minimum Set of Parameters PISPs must either allow PSUs to specify the below minimum set of parameters or pre-populate them for the PSUs: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN) Payment Reference	PISP	Required
2	PSU payment Bank Selection PISPs must provide PSUs the following options: Select their ASPSP in order to select their PSU payment Account from there later on in the journey	PISP	Required
3	PSU Consent to PISP PISPs must request for the PSUs' consent to the payment initiation in a clear and specific manner. PISPs must display the following information in the consent screen: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payment Reference, if it has been entered by PSUs or prepopulated by PISPs in item #1 Selected ASPSP (based on item #2 options) For Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN): If this has been provided by PSUs in item #1, then PISPs must also display this in the consent screen to allow PSUs to check and verify correctness If this has been pre-populated by PISPs (e.g. in an e-commerce payment scenario) PISPs could choose whether to display this information or not CX consideration: PISPs should provide messaging to inform PSUs that they will be taken to their ASPSPs to complete the payment. Example wording: "You will be securely transferred to YOUR ASPSP to authenticate and make the payment"	PISP	Required
4	CX consideration: Generic PISP to ASPSP redirection screen and message ASPSPs must apply SCA including dynamic linking, unless an exemption applies The ASPSP authentication must have no more than the number of steps that the PSU would experience when directly accessing the ASPSP channel	ASPSP	Required
5	PSU payment Account Selection ASPSPs must allow PSUs to select the payment account to complete the payment order for execution CX consideration: Once the PSU has selected their account, the ASPSPs should display the following information to the PSU: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payment Reference, if it has been entered by PSUs or prepopulated by PISPs in item #1 The account selected by the PSU for payment Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN) ASPSPs should inform PSUs about their “point of no return” for making the payment and that their payment will be made after pressing the Proceed button. Example wording: “Press Proceed to make payment" ASPSPs must allow PSUs to review as a part of the authentication process the information described above in #5. The PSU can either proceed with the payment or cancel it, on the same screen, using options with "equal prominence" Generic ASPSP to PISP redirection Screen and message	ASPSP	Required
6	PISP Confirmation PISPs must display the information received from the ASPSP. This information may include: The unique identifier assigned to the payment instruction by ASPSPs The payment status (and status update date & time) - Confirmation of successful payment initiation If received by ASPSPs, PISPs must display any of the following information regarding initiation and execution of the payment: The expected payment execution date & time The expected settlement date & time (i.e. the value date of the payment) The ASPSP charges (where applicable) CX consideration: If PSUs provide their payment account identification details (as per item #5 options), PISPs could save the account details for future transactions, where this is part of the payment initiation service explicitly requested by the PSU	PISP	Required
7	Further Payment Status Update PISPs must follow up with ASPSPs in order to check and update the PSUs with the most updated information that can be received by ASPSPs in relation to the execution of the payment. For more details on Payment Status, please also refer to section Payment Status.	PISP	Required

2.3 Single Domestic Payments – A/C Selection @PISP (Supplementary Information)

2.3.1 User Journey

In some scenarios, an additional step in ASPSPs' journeys may be required to display supplementary information to PSUs. ASPSPs should determine the situations where this supplementary information is required, having regard to the principle that parity should be maintained between Open Banking journeys and ASPSPs’ online channel journeys, such that if supplementary information is not provided within the ASPSPs' online channels directly to PSUs, then it must not be provided during an Open Banking PIS journey. ASPSPs should also ensure that this information does not constitute an obstacle or additional check on the consent provided by the PSU to the PISP.

2.3.2 Customer Experience Checklist and CX Considerations

S. No.	Requirements and Considerations	Participant	Implementation Requirements
1	Minimum Set of Parameters PISPs must either allow PSUs to specify the below minimum set of parameters or pre-populate them for the PSUs: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN) Payment Reference	PISP	Required
2	PSU payment Account Selection PISPs must provide PSUs at least one of the following options: Enter their Payer's payment Account Identification details Select their Account Identification details (this assumes they have been saved previously)	PISP	Required
3	PSU Consent to PISP PISPs must request for the PSUs' consent to the payment initiation in a clear and specific manner. PISPs must display the following information in the consent screen: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payment Reference, if it has been entered by PSUs or prepopulated by PISPs in item #1 PSU payment Account Identification Note 1: if PSU payment Account identification is selected in item #2, PISPs should mask the PSU payment Account details on the consent screen. Otherwise, if the PSU payment Account identification has been input by PSUs in item #2, PISPs should not mask these details to allow PSUs to check and verify correctness Note 2: if PSU payment Account identification is provided by PSUs in item #2, PISPs could* use this to identify and display the ASPSP without having to ask PSU* For Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN): If this has been provided by PSUs in item #1, then PISPs must also display this in the consent screen to allow PSUs to check and verify correctness If this has been pre-populated by PISPs (e.g. in an e-commerce payment scenario) PISPs could choose whether to display this information or not CX consideration: PISPs should* provide messaging to inform PSUs that they will be taken to their ASPSPs to complete the payment* Example wording: "You will be securely transferred to YOUR ASPSP to authenticate and make the payment"	PISP	Required
4	CX consideration: Generic PISP to ASPSP redirection screen and message ASPSPs must apply SCA including dynamic linking, unless an exemption applies The ASPSP authentication must have no more than the number of steps that the PSU would experience when directly accessing the ASPSP channel	ASPSP	Required
5	Supplementary Information ASPSPs must be able to introduce a step as part of the authentication journey to display supplementary information associated with that payment if required If the supplementary information screen is displayed ASPSPs must display as minimum the Payment Amount, Currency and the Payee Account Name to make the PSU aware of these details CX consideration: ASPSPs should display to PSUs all the payment instruction information received from PISPs together with the supplementary information. This information may include the following: Payment Amount and Currency (BHD for Bahrain implementations) Payee Account Name Payment Reference, if it has been entered by PSUs or prepopulated by PISPs in item #1 PSU payment Account Identification and/or the selected ASPSP (based on item #2 options) Payee Account Identification details (e.g. account number and full IBAN) ASPSPs should inform PSUs about their “point of no return” for making the payment and that their payment will be made after pressing the Proceed button. Example wording: “Press Proceed to make payment" ASPSPs must allow PSUs to review as a part of the authentication process any supplementary Information. The PSU can either proceed with the payment or cancel it on the same screen with supplementary information details, using options with "equal prominence“ Generic ASPSP to PISP redirection Screen and message	ASPSP	Required
6	PISP Confirmation PISPs must display the information received from the ASPSP. This information may include: The unique identifier assigned to the payment instruction by ASPSPs The payment status (and status update date & time) - Confirmation of successful payment initiation If received by ASPSPs, PISPs must display any of the following information regarding initiation and execution of the payment: The expected payment execution date & time The expected settlement date & time (i.e. the value date of the payment) The ASPSP charges (where applicable) CX consideration: If PSUs provide their payment account identification details (as per item #2 options), the PISP could, with the consent of the PSU, save the account details for future transactions (such as making further payments or initiating refunds back to PSUs) where this is part of the payment initiation service explicitly requested by the PSU. For example, a merchant, upon request from the PSU, may initiate a refund back to the PSU, by instructing the same PISP that initiated the initial PSU transaction to use the saved PSU payment account identification details as the beneficiary details for the refund. This will be dependent on the same PISP being used by both the PSU and the merchant, their specific contractual terms and the existing regulations	PISP	Required
7	Further Payment Status Update PISPs must follow up with ASPSPs in order to check and update the PSUs with the most updated information that can be received by ASPSPs in relation to the execution of the payment. For more details on Payment Status, please also refer to section Payment Status.	PISP	Required

2.3.3 List of Supplementary Information:

ASPSPs must determine the situations where Supplementary Information is required to be shown to the PSU, having regard to the principle that parity should be maintained between Open Banking journeys and ASPSP direct online channel journeys. Supplementary Information may be required:

Where fees, charges or Forex apply
Where interest rates apply
To facilitate confirmation of payee (for Bahrain implementations, where ASPSPs applied COP validation and found inconsistency between payee account name and payee account details)
To display a PSU warning that the relevant payment account will become overdrawn / exceed an overdraft limit as a result of the intended payment
If the relevant payment submission cut-off time has elapsed and the ASPSP wishes to offer an execution date/time
Where the PSU has been identified by the ASPSPs as a vulnerable customer (who therefore receives tailored journeys and messages in ASPSP’s own online platforms)
To show value-add information based on functionality implemented by ASPSPs in competitive space which provides positive customer outcome (e.g. cash flow prediction engine)
For high value transactions using a different payment scheme
Where the payments may be duplicated by the customer in a short period (e.g. ASPSP may display a warning that payment appears to be duplicated)

3. API specification: Brief Description

3.1 Domestic Payments Consents API Specification Document

This API Specification document details out the domestic payments consent resource that is used by a PISP to register an intent to initiate a Domestic Payment

3.2 Domestic Payments API Specification Document

This API Specification document details out the domestic payments resource that is used by a PISP to initiate a Domestic Payment