Garanti BBVA and Uludağ Elektrik Pilot New API-Based Payment Request Solution for Seamless Customer Billing

Garanti BBVA and Uludağ Elektrik Pilot New API-Based Payment Request Solution for Seamless Customer Billing

(IN BRIEF) Garanti BBVA has launched its BKM-integrated Request to Pay API, enabling businesses to generate and manage payment requests directly from their own systems without needing to access the bank’s digital channels separately. Piloted with Uludağ Elektrik, the solution allows eligible customers to receive payment requests automatically through their banking app and pay bills with a single confirmation. The system is designed to reduce missed bills, failed direct debits caused by insufficient balances, and manual payment friction, while helping businesses improve cash-flow management and operational efficiency. Built on the FAST infrastructure developed by the Central Bank of Türkiye and BKM, and using BKM’s Easy Address System KOLAS, the API enables secure payment requests without the need to share IBANs. The service targets SMEs, commercial clients, and corporate customers, with applications and integration available through the Garanti BBVA Developer Portal.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO, 26-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Garanti BBVA has launched its BKM-integrated Request to Pay API, a new digital solution designed to help businesses manage collections directly from their own systems while giving customers a faster and more convenient way to pay bills.

The new API enables companies to create payment requests through the Garanti BBVA Request to Pay API without having to log in separately to the bank’s digital channels. By allowing payment requests to be generated directly from business systems, the solution is intended to make collection processes faster, more flexible, and more efficient for companies managing recurring or large-scale payments.

The solution was piloted in cooperation with Uludağ Elektrik, one of Türkiye’s energy companies. Under the pilot, eligible customers receive an automatic payment request through their banking application and can complete their bill payment with a single confirmation. This approach is designed to reduce missed payments, limit failed direct debit transactions caused by insufficient account balances, and remove much of the friction associated with manual bill-payment processes.

Garanti BBVA Executive Vice President Cemal Onaran said the Request to Pay API reflects the bank’s service banking approach, which focuses on developing financial solutions that integrate directly into customers’ business operations. “We believe this solution will help businesses manage cash flow more effectively, increase operational efficiency, and accelerate their digital transformation,” he said.

Uludağ Elektrik CEO Remezan Arslan described the initiative as an important step in reshaping payment habits and improving customer experience. He noted that Uludağ Elektrik views digitalization not only as a technology investment, but as a broader transformation that enhances the way customers interact with services and manage payments.

The Request to Pay API is built on the FAST infrastructure developed by the Central Bank of Türkiye and BKM. It also uses BKM’s Easy Address System, known as KOLAS, allowing businesses to send secure payment requests to individual and corporate customers without requiring IBAN sharing.

The service is particularly aimed at SMEs, commercial customers, and corporate clients seeking more efficient collection tools. Businesses can apply through the Garanti BBVA Developer Portal and complete the integration process through a fully digital onboarding journey, enabling end-to-end adoption of the solution.

With the launch of the BKM-integrated Request to Pay API, Garanti BBVA is expanding its digital banking and service banking capabilities, supporting businesses as they modernize collections, improve cash-flow visibility, and deliver a smoother payment experience to their customers.

SOURCE: Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.