3 min read
If you have been keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest ongoings in the tech community, you must have heard about Pakistan’s first ever API-based hackathon taking place in Lahore on 13th and 14th of January. If, for some weird and indescribable reason, you haven’t heard about APIthon, don’t worry. We have got you covered. You can follow this link to read about how APIs work and why APIthon is shaping up to be an extremely exciting event for local startups and businesses.
Now that we have established the background and importance of APIthon, you might be wondering what kind of APIs will you be getting your hands on if you should take part in the two-day long hackathon. JS bank, Telenor and Telenor Microfinance Bank have put forward a list of open APIs which will be exposed to participants hoping to get their hands dirty with this amazing technology. Following are our 10 picks from many others which you will be exposed to at APIthon in Lahore:
1- Account Opening (JS Bank)
Opening a bank account is a hassle and requires multiple visits to a bank some times. This Account Opening API from JS bank will allow you to open JS Bank Mobile Wallet Accounts of your users in only 30-seconds.
2- Biometric verification (JS Bank)
This nifty little API provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) which can be used to integrate NADRA Biometric Verification system into a mobile application.
3- Payment request (JS Bank)
Payment request API uses the JS Bank Wallet account to request a payment.
4- Top up (JS Bank)
As is clear from the name, this API can be used to top up any prepaid or postpaid mobile account using a JS Bank Wallet.
5- Direct carrier billing (Telenor)
Have you ever wanted to buy something from Google Play Store and couldn’t because it keeps asking for a credit card? Well, this API aims to solve that issue. Using direct carrier billing, online stores such as Google Play Store and iStore can charge the user directly through their mobile account.
6- One-time password (Telenor)
This API is used for two-factor authentication. It generates a time-sensitive passcode to help in authentication and authorization of users based on their mobile numbers.
7- Short Message Sending (Telenor)
No one needs an introduction to Short Message Service (SMS). This API opens access to SMS database to allow users to send and receive text messages.
8- Device info (Telenor)
This API returns device information about the customer upon request. This information includes the device model, version and manufacturer information.
9- Money transfer to mobile account (Telenor Microfinance Bank)
Using this API, funds can be transferred from one Easypaisa account to another Easypaisa account.
10- Bill payment (Telenor Microfinance Bank)
This API allows businesses and individuals to pay utility bills like gas, electricity, water and much more. This works as an Over the Counter (OTC) transaction, meaning that the transaction will be directly between concerned authorities and the customer, without the need of any third party.
These are just 10 of a large number of different APIs which will be exposed to participants at APIthon Lahore. To view a full list of available APIs and to register for the event, you can visit the APIthon homepage. Now we are just waiting to see how creatively the participants use these APIs to come up with meaningful solutions.
