Although some banks use web service integration, banks generally carry out the card distribution process with courier companies through file exchanges. In web service integrations, the information that would otherwise be sent via file is instead sent within the service.
With the courier:
- The courier company and the bank must agree on the Outbound File (outbound web service) and Inbound File (inbound web service) formats.
- They must also agree on the delivery codes to be used by both parties. (Example delivery codes: Delivered to Recipient, Delivered to Relative, Not at Address, Insufficient Address, Customer Does Not Want the Card, etc.)
Outbound File (Outbound Web Service)
The outbound file (web service) is shared with the courier company when the card is first sent out for delivery, containing:
- Barcode Number
- Product Code
- Branch Code
- Customer Full Name
- Delivery Address 1
- Delivery Address 1 Province/District
- Delivery Address 2
- Delivery Address 2 Province/District
- Delivery Type (Contracted, Non-contracted, etc.), among other information included in the shared file.
Based on this information, the courier sorts the cards on its side according to the delivery method and dispatches them for delivery.
Inbound File (Web Service):
The delivery result is sent to the bank via a Response File/within the web service. The Response File contains:
- Barcode Number,
- Delivery Status (Delivery Code)
- Person Who Received the Delivery
- Transaction Time (YYMMDDHHMMSS), among other information.
The bank uploads the Response File into the system, allowing the delivery information of the relevant card to be tracked in detail.
So, should the courier integration be established via file exchange or web service?
Although both approaches have their own advantages, web service integration is more advantageous in many respects:
- With web service, courier delivery updates are generally sent to the bank in half-hour/one-hour intervals. This gives the bank an advantage in providing customers with up-to-date information.
- It reduces the bank's internal operational processes, thereby lowering costs.
- It significantly reduces operational errors.
- The cost of keeping the existing process running is lower. (For example, in file integration, an FTP/SFTP integration must be set up, and separate folders must be created for file exchanges, with the process carried out through these folders.)
As a result, it would be beneficial for a bank planning to set up a courier integration to prioritize web service integration, both to reduce operational costs and to lower operational risks.
