Behind every “global” API is a patchwork of the same old pipes—and everyone’s still fighting over who’s got the chocolate chip.
Executive Summary
The concept of a super API in payments industry has become a favorite marketing trope. Everyone claims to offer a unified solution—a single API that opens the door to the world’s payment rails. But peel back the layers, and you’ll find these solutions often rely on the same backend partners and networks. This article takes a humorous yet critical look at the promises vs. realities of super APIs, exploring why every company is pushing one, how they rely on similar infrastructures, and what CEOs should consider before choosing where to integrate.
TL;DR
- Everyone claims to have a super API in payments.
- Most of them are just aggregating the same networks (e.g., Thunes, Neum, Visa).
- It’s a marketing game to win integration time from MSBs and corporates.
- There is no ultimate winner—just a lot of similar flavors.
- CEOs should focus on ROI, not hype, when choosing payment integration partners.
Super APIs: Same Scoop, Different Cone
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. A few years ago, I came up with the term “super API”—mainly because I didn’t have a better name for it. The idea was simple: one API that aggregates all the others in the payments ecosystem. Sound familiar? Fast forward to today, and suddenly every payment provider, fintech, and their neighbor’s uncle is offering their version of the one API to rule them all.
They call it the unified API. Or the global API. Or the all-in-one. Some even have the audacity to say, “our API replaces SWIFT.” And if that wasn’t enough, apparently it can also replace your mom’s cooking.
The Super API Pitch (and the Africa Name-Drop)
These providers all have a pitch that sounds a little something like this:
“Integrate with our magical API, and you get access to 180 countries, all mobile operators, all mobile money networks, including (drumroll)… Africa!”
There’s always a dramatic pause when they say “Africa,” as if the continent were some long-lost civilization newly added to the digital map. They fail to mention that Africa is already one of the most advanced mobile money ecosystems in the world.
So why this emphasis? Because in the fintech marketing world, access to Africa equals global credibility—whether or not it’s meaningful.
Integration Fatigue and the Upsell Game
Here’s the thing: integration is expensive. Whether you’re an MSB, a PSP, or a corporate, integrating with a new payment provider requires serious time, resources, and commitment. So how do these “super API” companies sell you? They upsell the dream:
“Once you integrate with us, you’ll never have to integrate with anyone else again. Promise.”
Spoiler: it’s rarely true.
Sooner or later, another player with the same offering (and maybe a shinier pitch deck) knocks on your door. You listen, you compare, and the déjà vu begins. It’s the proverbial Baskin Robbins of Fintech APIs—everyone’s got vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The only real difference is how they serve it.
So Who Has the Ultimate API?
Nobody. That’s the short answer.
If you dig a little deeper, you’ll realize most of these “unified” APIs are pulling strings from the same puppet masters. Whether it’s Thunes, Niumm, TerraPay, or some other regional aggregator, chances are your super API is just a wrapper on someone else’s network.
Need global reach? You’re likely tapping into Visa or MasterCard rails. Need Africa? Probably Cellulant, MFS Africa, or another regional bigwig. Want Latin America? Again—same pattern.
So, while everyone’s pretending to be Willy Wonka, it’s the same chocolate factory behind the curtain.
The Real Dilemma for CEOs
As a CEO, the question isn’t which API is super. The real question is: where should I spend my limited integration capital? If you’re going to sink weeks or months of dev time into someone’s platform, you want to be sure you’re getting:
- Longevity
- Wide reach
- Cost efficiency
- Regulatory clarity
- A partner that won’t vanish overnight
This makes the “super API” pitch so appealing. But it also makes it risky. You’re buying into a promise that might just be a patchwork quilt of other people’s networks—held together by duct tape and hope.
Super APIs vs. SWIFT: The Cheese War
Despite the noise, SWIFT still handles the lion’s share of cross-border settlements. It’s old, but it works—and banks trust it.
New fintechs want a slice of that cheese. They’re building sleek dashboards and launching campaigns, hoping to shave off enough of the SWIFT pie to matter. But whether they can deliver on their promises remains to be seen.
Final Scoop: There’s No Right Answer
There’s no silver bullet in the payment API world. Some solutions will work for certain use cases. Others will fail miserably. What works in Southeast Asia might flop in South America. What works for consumer remittances might be useless for corporate treasury.
It’s a complex landscape—and despite the shiny wrappers, most super APIs are just a remix of the same ingredients.
So before you buy into the next “all-in-one, Super API in payments” promise, ask yourself: Am I getting pistachio, or just a rebranded vanilla with a green filter?
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This page was last updated on April 17, 2025.
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