The Web Services (WS) channel: what it is and how to integrate it
The Web Services channel is the Finnish banks' standard for corporate file traffic: retrieving statements and sending payment files. This guide covers how it works and what integrating it requires.
What the Web Services channel is
The WS channel is a SOAP-based interface offered by banks, through which a company's software retrieves machine-readable statements and sends payment files. It replaces older batch-transfer methods and is used by all major Finnish banks.
The messaging is signed and encrypted, based on PKI certificates issued by the bank. The files are mostly in ISO 20022 format: statements as camt.053, payments as pain.001, and payment feedback as pain.002.
What integration requires
Adopting a WS connection requires a Web Services agreement with the bank and a certificate application. The software must build and sign WS messages, manage keys and certificate renewal, and process ISO 20022 files.
This is a significant implementation effort per bank — and it must be repeated for each bank, because there are bank-specific differences in the connections.
- Web Services agreement and certificates with the bank
- Building, signing, and encrypting WS messages
- Managing the lifecycle of keys and certificates
- Processing ISO 20022 files (camt.053, pain.001/002)
How ISECure simplifies this
ISECure offers the WS channel as a single REST API. We handle message signing, certificates, key management, and the bank-specific differences, so your software only makes simple REST calls. One integration covers every Finnish bank.