Financial Service Providers (FSP)
1. Do you have FSPs directly integrated to the 121 platform?
The 121 platform has integrated with a number of Financial Service Providers (FSP) in different countries, allowing us to instantly integrate the platform with your local FSP. We currently have successful integrations with local FSPs across Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, the Netherlands and other countries. We have also integrated with Onafriq, a payment aggregator that enables us to expand coverage across 36 more African countries.
Our team is continuously working to expand our global network to include new local FSPs and regional aggregators, to deliver a fast and reliable service across the world.
2. What are the delivery mechanisms the 121 platform offers?
The 121 platform focuses on digital cash distribution, mainly mobile money and bank transfers. If the Financial Service Provider (FSP) supports digital vouchers and/or physical cash distribution, we will be able to activate these payment methods in the 121 platform.
Delivery methods enabled in 121 platform are: mobile money, bank transfers, digital vouchers, VISA debit cards and FSP Portal (manual reconciliation). In cases where physical cash payment may be a better approach, we can discuss supporting these programs on a case-by-case basis, but the National Society or organization implementing the program would need to have a way of distributing the cash directly.
3. What is the list of available integrated FSPs and countries?
The list of integrated Financial Service Providers (FSP) per country and related delivery methods is available upon request. The 121 platform keeps integrating with new local FSPs following both our partners' requirements and the IFRC recommendations.
If you would like to know our upcoming integrations or have a request for integrating your local FSP, please contact our team.
4. How long does the integration with an FSP take?
The 121 platform has integrated with a number of Financial Service Providers (FSP) in different countries. If an FSP configuration is already in place, our timeline to implement the 121 platform is 7 business days.
We can also integrate with additional local FSPs upon request. In this case, the integration timeline can vary, depending on the level of technical complexity and the FSP response time (between 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the local FSP).
Without an FSP configuration, we offer a soft integration so you can start using the 121 platform immediately, while the integration is being processed. This works through exporting Excel files including the payment information from 121 and uploading these files in the FSP portal. You will later reconcile the payments into the 121 platform.
Contact our team to discuss the alternatives offered in your situation and country of operations at support@121.global.
5. What banks or FSP do qualify to be integrated in the platform?
The (local) National Society or organization needs to have a framework agreement with the FSP, unless the FSP is already integrated with the 121 platform. The 121 team will handle the technical aspects of the integration.
We strongly recommend including in this agreement provisions detailing how the FSP will handle and protect personal data. Additionally, the National Society or organization is responsible for verifying the FSP's trustworthiness, which will include the existence of a privacy policy compliant with applicable (inter-)national legislation.
To enable the integration with the 121 platform, the FSPs must have an API (Application Programming Interface), a set of protocols and tools that allow software programs to communicate with each other.
Need further assistance? Contact your dedicated Account Manager or reach our support team via email.