The UPU Interconnection Platform enables near real-time exchanges of postal-payment-related messages between designated operators (DOs).
The UPU-IP provides application programming interfaces (APIs) for DOs to interface with their national system: a technical setup that allows instant payments all the way to the point of sale.
Recording of postal payment operations by national system, including issue, payment, return of payment, cancellation or reimbursement.
Tracking and retrieval of postal payment operations to check status and details of postal payments and retrieve, in batch mode, postal payments that are to be paid into an account.
Lock and unlock a postal payment while the DO performs a back-office operation to ensure that the exchange partner cannot record another operation (e.g. locking for further AML/CFT screening).
Automatic expiration of postal payments that are past their validity date, allowing reimbursement by issuing DO.
For backward compatibility only: conversion and transport of M38 EDI messages to former the postal payments platform based on FTP EDI files. DOs migrating to the UPU-IP platform can continue exchanging with DOs that have not migrate to the UPU-IP (DOs using STEFI or IFS).
Relaying of postal payment events to external systems, if external system is the reference system (push mode).
The UPU-IP presents the following advantages:
The paying DO can retrieve the payment as soon as it is issued to the UPU-IP. Payout on demand is now possible.
The beneficiary can choose where the payout will take place: at a post office, at a sub-agent of the Post, or at a permitted external party’s site.
Activities are consolidated in one place.
- All payments are stored in the UPU-IP database.
- The UPU-IP acts as a central switch for real-time message routeing between DOs.
- Designated operators can use the Bilateral Agreement Management System (BAMS), an application connected to the UPU-IP, to centrally negotiate, manage and retrieve bilateral agreement details.
UPU-IP benefits from other PTC products:
- BAMS – The UPU-IP interfaces with BAMS for bilateral agreements via online, real-time validation of international bilateral agreements between DOs, which are defined and managed in BAMS. MORE INFORMATION
- PPS*Clearing – Postal payments that are eligible for clearing feed into the PPS*Clearing application for invoice generation: clearing and settlement of UPU-IP postal payments is available in PPS*Clearing. The UPU-IP also retrieves exchange rate feeds from PPS*Clearing. MORE INFORMATION
- QCS Finance – Postal payment information is available via QCS Finance to allow the application to track and trace postal payments and generate activity and volume reports. MORE INFORMATION
Extension capabilities with the option of integrating external solutions
The UPU-IP allows for the integration of solutions from the DO’s remittance partners. DOs offering postal payment services via a local agent can authorize direct connection of their partner solution to the UPU-IP and thus expand the available points of sale.
API documentation describes how to build connection or interface between computer programs.