SNAP Bank Indonesia: Definition, Purpose, Advantages, Benefits

Today's digital era makes financial transactions easier. Especially with the current presence of Bank Indonesia's SNAP (National Standard Open API Payment). This system increases efficiency, especially in terms of digital payments from various banks.

SNAP Bank Indonesia does not only secure financial transactions. The standardization of governance established by BI also helps protect customers from irresponsible parties.

Moreover, if data is leaked, the bank can help provide protection for customer information quickly. The launch of SNAP itself coincides with the QRIS sandbox trial with Thai QR Payment.

To understand how the general blend of this Open API and how it impacts business actors can be understood in the following points.

Definition of SNAP BI

SNAP Bank Indonesia is a national Open API standard that was launched right on the 76th Indonesian Independence Day. SNAP BI is a collection of national open api payment standard documents.

The background of the emergence of SNAP Bank Indonesia is as a way to improve market practice by using a competitive and innovative payment system but still in a healthy environment. SNAP BI is also expected to be able to encourage the security and reliability of payment system infrastructure in Indonesia.

So, what is the relationship between API, Payment Open API and SNAP? An Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of protocols and instructions that facilitate connections between one application and another. API allows services where one application can get access to data from another application.

The Payment Open API, as reported by Bank Indonesia's official website, is an openly used API whose access to connectivity is granted based on a cooperation agreement between service providers and service users in payment transaction processing. In this case, the service is provided by banks to make it easier for e-commerce or fintech companies to integrate consumer payments.

To bind the applications, techniques, communication protocols, data and technical specifications, and security of these digital transactions, BI released SNAP (National Standard for Payment Open API). Bank Indonesia's SNAP helps manage information that has been collected and standardized.

Purpose of Bank Indonesia SNAP

Thanks to this standardization, banks have the opportunity to continue to be competitive and innovative and consumer-oriented. This system helps fintech business models in the future.

The goal itself is to support the Indonesian Payment System Blueprint (BSPI) 2025 initiative. It is expected that with the implementation of SNAP, integration, interconnection, and interoperability between API providers can be created, resulting in payment system efficiency.

BI is targeting 91.3 million people who are still not bank service users and 62.9 million MSMEs. The vision of BSPI procurement will target open banking, data in the form of payment ID, report integration and data hub.

While the other three visions are financial market infrastructure (TR, ETP, CCP, CSD, SSS, RTGS), retail payment systems, and licensing and supervision rules.

Open API is useful not only for banking and e-commerce. It will be integrated with the government, OJK, fintech, and various other industries as well.

Pros of BI SNAP

SNAP Bank Indonesia is able to reduce the risk of shadow banking and increase financial inclusion. Bank Indonesia SNAP also maintains security for users of the communication system. There are five standard points that must be met, as follows.

Security data standards and specifications covering various information that banks and fintechs need to access.
Security standards include minimum security requirements that banks or fintechs must meet including encryption, authorisation, authentication so that data is confidential and used for interested parties only.
The existence of technical and security standards documents including data formats and structures, communication protocols to the type of architecture.
Third parties and banks must fulfill contractual standards for Open API cooperation in the form of guiding principles.
There are also governance standards with coverage of consumer consent, API life cycle and dispute resolution.

With SNAP, transaction security and technical and data standards can be organized and uniform. Consumer protection is upheld, creating a healthy payment system industry.

SNAP Benefits

What are the benefits of SNAP? As explained above, the main benefit is the settlement of payment transactions more efficiently and effectively. SNAP ensures data security and establishes a healthy, competitive and secure payment ecosystem.

SNAP follows BI's vision of BSPI 2025. The benefits are not only for financial institutions, but also for consumers. SNAP consumers are divided into two types, namely business actors and customers.

For Businesses

SNAP helps non-bank parties such as businesses to financial technology applications. This standard supports integration, interconnection and interoperability between SNAP payment Open API providers.

From this communication, the payment system can be carried out as efficiently as possible. The payment process is fast and neatly recorded and can even print digital proof of payment that can be shared with other parties.

SNAP connects non-bank payment service providers with non-bank payment service providers and merchants. For example, between payment gateways and Open APIs from banks and e-commerce parties. The encouragement of this relationship provides harmonized and standardized data information.

Payment data and systems can only be accessed by parties related to the transaction. The data sent is guaranteed to be protected and in case of leakage, it can be rectified and countermeasures taken at the earliest.

SNAP increases cashless buying and selling transactions. This makes SNAP contribute to increasing business sales. In addition, payment recording is now done in real time. Also, merchants do not have to go to the bank to obtain the transaction recording history.

For Customers

The benefits felt by customers are in terms of expanded access range. Customers can also use more than one bank, e-wallet or fintech in completing digital payments. Customers can choose how to make payments for each transaction in e-commerce.

Another advantage is the standardization of Indonesian language for all digital payment systems. Various types of payment applications are required to provide services using the Indonesian language version.

That way, the use of the application is easy to understand even if it is the first time using it. There are no more obstacles around language differences because many banks have joined SNAP.

Another benefit is guaranteed customer protection as data protection is a top priority. SNAP provides countermeasures for leakage, measures related to customer protection, and the treatment required for customers.

In addition, customers can also make interbank transfers, e-wallets or other payments due to this integration. Consumers also have many payment methods to choose from according to their preferences and needs.

BRIAPI Supports Bank Indonesia's SNAP

Bank Rakyat Indonesia also supports Bank Indonesia's SNAP. This is evident from its digital payment products. BRI believes that the existence of the bank itself in the future is determined by the utilization of the technology they use.

BRI presents BRIAPI as a form of Open API that can facilitate partners and users. BRIAPI comes with two main categories, namely informational and transactional. Both have long been implemented and well received by the public.

Its transactional products consist of BRIVA, BRIZZI, BRI Direct Debit, and others. While its informational services include mutations and accounts to monitor cash flow.

Currently, BRI has adjusted SNAP BI for some of its service features such as Direct Debit, Credit Transfer (Interbank Transfer, Intrabank Transfer, Transaction Status Inquiry), Virtual Account Briva Online, Balance Inquiry, and Balance Statement.

And also in connection with the presence of SNAP BI, BRIAPI is now in the process of implementing migration for first mover and next mover partners who fall into the PJP category from mid-2022 to the end of this year.

Conclusion

BI developed SNAP also to support the vision of BSPI 2025. Users of Bank Indonesia's SNAP are not only banking institutions but also non-payment service providers by prioritizing the established principles.

Bank Indonesia's SNAP is here to standardize the payment language including its governance. The goal is to form a reliable and competitive digital payment ecosystem and protect consumer data.

BRI presents BRIAPI which follows the BI SNAP standard. To integrate your business with the various conveniences of this transaction system, join BRIAPI.