For people who are not particularly tech or IT-minded, the subject of APIs can be a confusing one. APIs have only been integrated into a range of businesses on a large scale within the last decade. In the early stages of API implementation, the task of setting up such systems would be largely the responsibility of developers or other IT specialists.
However, in recent years, many companies that deal on an international stage are seeking to use currency APIs to assist with their business operations and daily transactions. This article seeks to explain what currency APIs are and why modern businesses increasingly need to use them to function effectively in the international marketplace.
What are currency APIs?
To understand currency APIs, it is firstly important to understand the purpose of APIs in general. Put simply, API stands for “application programming interface,” and they are used to allow a range of applications to communicate with each other effectively and connect with each other. This is extremely beneficial if you have a number of different applications that need to work together to produce the desired result.
In terms of currency APIs, these will communicate with sources of live financial information (such as banking systems and trading platforms) to allow highly up-to-date currency values to be retrieved. Currency converter API solutions will allow a real-time conversion rate from one form of currency to another to be ascertained, which is incredibly useful when selling products internationally and needing to ensure that up-to-date “live” prices are used in different global currencies on a website.
Customer benefits
One key benefit of currency APIs from the customer’s perspective is that they allow transactions to take place in the customer’s own currency. If a customer is buying products from a company that operates in a different country, it may use a different form of currency than that of the customers. Giving the customer a price for goods and services in their own currency allows the customer to instantly understand if the price is competitive when compared to a domestic company’s products.
Some customers may be apprehensive about buying goods that are in a foreign currency and may opt to choose a supplier who can trade in their own. As such, using currency APIs can allow international companies to serve their foreign customers far more effectively.
Price transparency
When a company is trading internationally, it will need to have access to reliable currency conversion rates on a timely basis. It should be recognized that the global economy is currently unstable in 2023. The ongoing war in Ukraine and rising inflation levels across many developed and developing countries have led to rapid fluctuations in the price of commodities and raw materials. Put simply, a business needs to benefit from price transparency when purchasing goods and services on an international market.
By having extremely up-to-date currency values via a currency API, a company can quickly determine if the prices charged by suppliers are competitive or if an alternate supplier using a different currency should be used. Companies operating in different countries may be able to offer lower prices for their goods. Using up-to-date currency conversion information can assure the business that it is getting the best deal.