Skip to main content
Version: v3

Quick Start Guide

Welcome to the documentation site for LinX Services. This guide will help you quickly understand the basics of working with PSD2-compliant APIs, the importance of obtaining user consent, and the technical steps involved in accessing our services.

Understanding PSD2​

The Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) is a European regulation that aims to make payments more secure, promote innovation, and improve consumer protection. One of its key features is giving consumers control over their financial data, allowing them to share it with third-party providers like LinX, who can offer additional services.

Under PSD2, it's essential to have explicit user consent before accessing their financial data. This ensures that users are aware of what data is being shared and with whom. For our services, you must first obtain this consent through the ConsentWizard or direct bank interactions.

Why You Need a Certificate​

To securely access and share financial data, PSD2 requires that third-party providers are certified. This certification, in the form of a digital certificate, ensures that only authorized parties can access sensitive information. The certificate is also used to sign requests to guarantee their authenticity and integrity.

2. Getting Consents Before Retrieving Data​

Before you can retrieve any data using our APIs, you need to follow these steps:

Using the ConsentWizard​

note

You must provide a ConsentCollectionId, a unique identifier that groups related consents. This is important for managing and retrieving multiple consents efficiently.

  1. Generate a Consent URL: This URL directs users to a portal where they can choose to share their bank data with you. The URL is generated via our API and is valid for a limited time.
  2. User Interaction: The user selects their bank and consents to data sharing through the portal.
  3. Redirection: After consent is given, the user is redirected to a URL you provide, allowing you to proceed with the next steps.
  4. Collect Consents: Once the consents are given, you can retrieve them using the AccountInfo endpoint. By referencing the ConsentCollectionId, you can retrieve all consents related to that collection, making it easier to manage and use the data.

Direct Bank Interaction​

Alternatively, users can be directed to their bank's website to give consent directly. The consent process here is managed by the bank, and once completed, you can retrieve the consent details from our services.

3. Technical Details: Request Signing and API Calls​

Once you have obtained the necessary consents, you can proceed to interact with our APIs. Here's a brief overview of the technical requirements:

Request Signing and Request Headers​

To ensure secure communication, each request to our API must be signed using your digital certificate. This involves generating specific headers, including:

  • ApiKey: Your unique API key.
  • x-request-id: A unique identifier for each request.
  • date: The date and time of the request.
  • digest: A hash of the request body.
  • Signature: A signed string using your certificate.

4. Calling the Services​

Once the request is signed and consents are in place, you can start calling our services to retrieve and process financial data. This includes services for aggregating, profiling, and analyzing transaction data.

Service Categories​

  • Aggregation Services: Combine and summarize transaction data.
  • Profile and Forecast Services: Analyze transaction patterns and forecast future activity.
  • Indicator Services: Assess financial health and creditworthiness.
  • Recurrence and Health Services: Identify regular transactions and monitor bank health.

Aggregation Services​

  • Aggregate: Aggregates bank transactions with monthly averages.
  • Budget: Adds reference numbers to aggregated transactions.
  • Convert: Enriches bank transactions.
  • Pivot: Totalizes transactions per specified period.
  • Pivot Group: Groups and totalizes transactions per specified period and classification.

Profile and Forecast Services​

Indicator Services​

Recurrence and Health Services​

Testing​

  • Test Site: View the output of services in data, JSON, or raw format.

For more detailed technical documentation and example outputs, please refer to our full documentation.