For finance and treasury teams, visibility is critical because every decision depends on knowing exactly how much cash is available and where it sits. Yet many businesses still operate with fragmented payment data, delayed balance updates, and manual reconciliation processes that slow decision-making. 

If you’re relying on batch-based systems, you’ll likely recognise these challenges: 

• Cash positions that are only accurate at the end of the day 
• Too much time spent downloading reports and manually matching transactions 
• Limited visibility into whether payments have actually settled 
• Difficulty forecasting liquidity with confidence 

As a result, teams either act conservatively – tying up capital unnecessarily – or risk making decisions based on incomplete data. 

To solve this, many organisations are now turning to banks that provide real-time payments data via APIs. Commonly used solutions include API-first banks like ClearBank or Bank of London, as well as API connections to J.P. Morgan and NatWest Group.

ClearBank is a tech-first bank that was launched in 2017 to challenge the status quo in payments clearing. For decades, the infrastructure underpinning payments remained largely unchanged. But ClearBank introduced a different model: cloud-native, API-first, and directly connected to payment schemes. 

ClearBank provides direct connectivity to key UK and European payment schemes, enabling near real-time transaction processing: 

• Faster Payments (24/7 real-time UK payments) 
• Bacs (Direct Debit and Direct Credit) 
• CHAPS (same-day high-value payments) 
• SEPA Instant and SEPA Credit Transfer (Euro payments) 
• T2 for euro settlement 

This scheme-level access enables businesses to receive detailed, real-time transaction data, supporting faster reconciliation and more accurate cash positioning.

ClearBank’s transaction banking proposition is designed for corporates such as payroll platforms, property platforms, accountancy firms, retailers, and marketplaces. 

Many of these businesses are currently constrained by legacy infrastructure. ClearBank addresses this through: 

• Real-time Faster Payments for instant payouts 
• API-triggered payment initiation 
• Operational accounts and flexible account structures (real and virtual) 
• Automated reconciliation via real-time data and event notifications 
• High availability infrastructure 

For example, a payroll platform can trigger salary payments directly via API, pay employees instantly, and automatically reconcile transactions without exporting files or switching systems. 

This enables: 

• Accurate, real-time cash visibility 
• Reduced manual workload 
• Faster exception handling 
• Scalable operations as transaction volumes grow

The Bank of London is another one of the six clearing banks in the UK and focuses on delivering modern banking infrastructure built on cloud-native technology. 

Its approach centres on three core principles: 

• Fast: Not built on legacy systems, enabling quicker processing and integration 
• Secure: Deposits are not lent or leveraged; instead, they are held at the Bank of England 
• Flexible: Solutions are tailored to business needs 

Bank of London provides access to UK domestic payment schemes, including Faster Payments, Bacs, and CHAPS.  

This means businesses can: 

• Clear payments in real time (up to £1m via Faster Payments) 
• Process high-value transactions same-day via CHAPS 
• Manage bulk payments through Bacs 

Through its Developer Studio, businesses can also integrate directly with banking services via API. 

Bank of London supports enhanced cash visibility through: 

• Real-time access to accounts and transactions 
• Multi-level virtual account hierarchies 
• Operating accounts designed for full control of cash flow

J.P. Morgan offers global corporate banking and payments solutions, supporting organisations operating across multiple markets and currencies. With operations in over 100 countries and the ability to move over $1 trillion in daily payments in EMEA alone, it provides large-scale infrastructure for complex treasury operations. 

A key focus of this bank is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Treasury Management System (TMS) integration. By connecting banking platforms directly to internal systems, businesses can: 

• Eliminate manual data entry 
• Automate payment workflows 
• Access real-time cash visibility across accounts 
• Improve forecasting accuracy

• Payments in over 120 currencies across 200+ countries 
• Virtual account management to reduce reliance on physical accounts 
• Real-time FX rate visibility 
• Integrated receivables and reconciliation tools

NatWest provides API-enabled corporate banking through its Bankline Direct platform and Bank of APIs. 

NatWest’s Commercial Payments & Reconciliation API allows businesses to: 

• Make Faster Payments, CHAPS, and international payments in real time 
• Receive instant payment status notifications 
• Access account balances and transaction data directly within their systems 

Bankline Direct also integrates with treasury and ERP systems to automate workflows, including automated reconciliation and real-time visibility into balances and transaction status. 

NatWest supports multiple integration methods: 

• APIs for real-time, event-driven communication 
• Secure file transfer (SFTP) for structured batch processing 
• SWIFT connectivity for international payment flows

Not all providers deliver the same level of real-time capability or integration depth. When evaluating options, you should: 

Avoid: 

• Choosing batch-based systems that delay visibility 
• Using providers with limited or rigid APIs 
• Managing multiple disconnected banking portals 
• Selecting platforms that do not scale with transaction volume 
• Overlooking access to key payment schemes 

Look for: 

• Real-time balance and transaction updates 
• API-first architecture with strong developer support 
• Efficient access to payment schemes 
• Seamless integration with ERP and treasury systems 
• Reliable infrastructure with high availability

Accurate cash forecasting and efficient reconciliation depend on one thing: timely, reliable data. 

Traditional banking infrastructure often falls short, with delayed updates and manual processes creating operational friction.  

In contrast, API-first and integration-led banking models such as ClearBank provide real-time payment data, direct integration with treasury systems, and scalable infrastructure to support growing transaction volumes.

*Disclaimer: All information relating to third-party products and companies featured in this article has been sourced solely from their respective public websites and official publications at the time of writing. ClearBank makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of this information. Product features, positioning, and company details may have changed since publication. Readers should refer to each provider's official website for the most up-to-date information before making any purchasing decisions.

Sources: 

https://www.bankoflondon.com/solutions/corporate-commercial-banking
https://www.bankoflondon.com/solutions/payments-clearing-settlement 
https://www.bankoflondon.com/
https://www.jpmorgan.com/about-us 
https://www.jpmorgan.com/global-corporate-banking  https://www.jpmorgan.com/payments/payments-emea  https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/treasury/treasury-and-payments-advisory/erp-integration-automate-treasury-and-payment-operations  https://www.natwest.com/corporates.html  https://www.natwest.com/corporates/everyday-banking/bankline-direct.html
https://www.natwest.com/corporates/everyday-banking/bankline-direct/bankline-direct-apis/corporates.html https://www.natwest.com/business/ways-to-bank/bankline.html  https://www.natwest.com/business/support-centre/making-and-accepting-payments.html